Coverage reflected Hansen's integrity

I want to compliment your paper on the excellence of the coverage of the death of Cook County Commissioner Carl Hansen.

I had the privilege of working in minor capacities with this dedicated public servant for over 30 years. His honesty, courage and intelligence were as evident in Cook County as when he ran whole cities in Germany after World War II.

Carl would have been the first to say he would not have been a candidate for the diplomatic corps. But beyond that resonant voice and sometimes rough exterior were many deeds of kindness which were never known.

The modern media, especially TV and the Internet, bombard the public with "sound bites" of dishonesty and incompetency. Added to these liabilities we now witness outright lies and immorality at the highest levels of government.

The articles were well-written, accurate and appropriate memorials to a statesman of the highest order.

Many of the nation's problems are due to inaccurate reporting where facts are subordinated to the bias of the information source. If Carl were still with us today I think he would agree. This is the kind of communication the public needs more of if our democracy is to retain the ability to make sound decisions on community as well as national and international matters.

Samuel A. Hess

Mount Prospect