Picket lines and terrorism

On May 13, much to my surprise, I found myself crossing a picket line. In the past, as president of a large local union, I was more likely to be on a picket line.

I am a member of Kiwanis, a service club dedicated to serving children. William Ayers was scheduled to speak at our noon meeting Tuesday. The University of Illinois at Chicago professor co-founded the radical Weather Underground in the 1960s.

Scheduling Ayers caused much controversy. We even received calls from other states, requesting that we cancel the program. Each caller was offered an opportunity to present a program from their point of view. No one agreed to this offer.

At the entrance to the meeting, there was a group of angry people waving signs. One sign proclaimed: "Who's next, Osama bin Laden?" I do not believe this is a good comparison.

Ayers is a very accomplished speaker. He talked about the need for more resources for education. When asked about his previous activities, he stated the Weather Underground had a number of different factions. Some only threw bombs in empty buildings. He said that he regretted many of his previous activities. His focus Tuesday, however, was on the need for better educational opportunities for America's students.

What bothers me is that Americans are becoming increasingly intolerant of opposing views. We are becoming divided and unwilling to listen to one another. This must change. There is an old Indian saying: "Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf."

Herb Gross

Elgin