Casten, not Roskam, is choice for the future

My 8-year-old son asked me to submit his question to the recent Daily Herald endorsement debate between Sean Casten and Peter Roskam. While it wasn't chosen, his question, "What will you do to help kids?" is an important one.

At 8, my son is all too familiar with lockdown drills. He's heard about and become extremely emotional over school shootings. Roskam, who has an A rating from the NRA, has neither drafted nor supported any gun legislation aimed at keeping our kids safe in school.

When a family member was in the hospital recently, my son learned only then that medical services cost (a lot of) money. He looked at me and asked, "You mean if people don't have money, they could die? Even kids?" Roskam has voted repeatedly to take health care from millions. Instead of fixing or even "replacing" the ACA, he and the GOP continue to sabotage it - resulting in an estimated premium increase of $3,600 for a family in our district.

Roskam has not helped or advocated for my public school-attending son or his teachers. In fact, he received a D rating from the National Education Association due to his lack of support for public education and educators. He supports vouchers, which take money away from our public schools.

From cutting SNAP benefits to delaying CHIP, from pushing a tax bill that will burden our children to voting to cut Pell grants for college students, Roskam has repeatedly chosen not to help our kids.

Casten will push for common sense gun laws, universal health care, investing in early education, and easing student debt.

My son has another decade before he can make his voice heard at the polls. It's up to us, now, to elect someone who will "help kids." That person is Sean Casten, not Peter Roskam.

Elly Kafritsas

Downers Grove