Hamas is responsible for Gaza war

COD Professor Fate's recent column calling for a cease-fire in Gaza puts the onus on Israel. I place the responsibility on Hamas. Hamas started the war on Oct. 7 and could bring about an immediate cease-fire by surrendering and releasing all hostages — both those still living and those who have died in captivity.

Hamas, of course, will never do this because the terrorist organization cares not one fig for the Palestinian people in Gaza (or elsewhere) but rather for their own power and goal of destroying Israel as evidenced by their own manifesto and actions, e.g., suicide bombings, rejection of Oslo Accords, ongoing attacks on Israel.

What has Hamas done for the Palestinians in Gaza? According to NBC, Reuters, the AP, The Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Council on Foreign Relations, Hamas has presided over a region that has a 47% unemployment rate with 80% of the people living in poverty. Rather than build up the economy of the region, Hamas has allocated donated money from bad actors such as Iran to building tunnels and stockpiling rockets, drones and other military equipment in order to attack Israel.

Hamas also gets funding via an investment portfolio in cryptocurrency, smuggling fees, taxes on Gazan businesses and participating in the drug trade.

The Palestinians elected Hamas in 2007 and that's the last time an election there was held. The government is a virtual dictatorship with no accountability or transparency. The media is repressed and no political opposition or civilian activism is permitted. While it would be a risk to do so, Palestinians in Gaza should rise up against Hamas, as this entity has brought nothing but misery to them.

I do not defend Israel's large-scale attacks in Gaza, but the threat of Hamas is real — not just for Israelis but for Gazans too. And apparently other Arab states such as Egypt, Jordan and Syria are not too fond of Hamas either. So, let's put the onus of responsibility for the disaster in Gaza where it belongs — with Hamas.

Kim Freitag

Elgin

Humanitarian values on recorder ballot

I am a volunteer for the Democratic Party. I work to build a strong community. That is why I am involved. We have all heard that the 2024 presidential election is about the future of American democracy. In my opinion, the future of our democracy depends on the strength of local communities. It has become increasingly difficult to move forward on the national level because of divisiveness and hatred. In the upcoming March19 Democratic primary we need to select only candidates who share the commitment to strengthen the local community. We need you to be informed about the candidates and vote in the march 19 primary.

If you live in DuPage, my best example of how you can make a difference is to elect Kathleen Carrier, DuPage County recorder. She has created a culture of kindness in her public service that is sadly lacking in her opponents’ histories. A few years ago, one of them proposed eliminating the recorder position that she is now seeking for herself. My personal experience with her is that she wasted my time, tried to confuse me and violated my privacy. The other opponent is a former Republican County Board member who does not share our Democratic values. Neither of them meet my standards because they set people against each other.

Kathy was elected to the position of DuPage County recorder in 2020. Her priorities are 1) the modernization of Permanent Records, 2) cybersecurity safeguards, 3) community outreach, 4) customer service.

Kathleen Carrier has continued the office’s prioritization of providing excellent and efficient customer service. She has also co-hosted a Senior Scams Workshop and 3 annual Veterans Resource Fairs with over 50 agencies providing information about programs.

Let’s re-establish our humanitarian values starting in the March 19 primary and then in the presidential election on Nov. 5.

Donna Prepejchal

Woodridge

A different standard

I find it interesting that Jennifer Crumbley, mother of school shooter Ethan, received a guilty verdict for manslaughter due to neglecting her “duty to prevent harm to others.” Yet, Donald Trump who called for the violent insurrection which resulted in the death of four people and in addition, “caused injury to 150 officers from the Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department and local agencies and hundreds of workers who were traumatized by the mob,” (New York Times website reported by Chris Cameron, Updated Oct. 13, 2022). However, Mr. Trump is walking and talking free. Why?

Did not Donald Trump have the same duty on Jan. 6, 2021, to prevent harm to others? So, I ask why this man who ordered his followers to attack the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, is not being held to the same standard as Mrs. Crumbley? If a mother is guilty of not stopping her son from harming others, why is not Trump guilty of failing in his duty to prevent harm to others? Instead, he called on a mob to go to the Capitol and use violence to stop the certification of a legally elected Joe Biden. His verbal incitement resulted in death and injury. Again, I ask, why is not Donald Trump being held to the same standard as Mrs. Crumbley?

Harry Trumfio

Arlington Heights

To those who worry that a Trump return to office will result in a dictatorship, fear not. We are already in one under Joe Biden. He rules by executive order, having issued more than any other president by far. He has brought us to war with Yemen and Iran, without discussion with Congress. He has made us, with some of the greatest oil reserves in the world, dependent on foreign oil with the stroke of a pen. He has opened our Southern border and refuses to use the tools already at his disposal to alleviate the pain it has inflicted.

He is under investigation for selling out to China, Ukraine and who knows how many other foreign nations. He is a mindless old man, according to the recent DOJ investigation into his stealing of classified documents. He talks to dead people and forgets names, dates and which country he's in. He scoffs at SCOTUS rulings, i.e. the elimination of student loan debt (they ruled against me, but they didn't stop me, he said).

But don't worry, he's not going to be the DNC nominee for president in 2024. Come spring or summer, he will either withdraw his name or have some unfortunate accident that precludes him from running. The DNC will pull someone from the bullpen to fill in and take Biden's committed delegates, ignoring the primary voting process. Then they only have to steal another election in order to continue to advance their Make America a Loser agenda.

Lawrence Lustig

Lincolnshire

A lack of action contributing to Trump's favorable poll numbers is the refusal of the American Psychiatric Association to publicly attach a formal diagnosis of “malignant narcissism” to a textbook example of it. Trump exhibits every major marker of this personality disorder: a need for admiration, inflated self-worth, disregard for others, paranoia, perceived persecution without proof and aggressive, manipulative, abusive behavior without remorse. When a narcissist decides someone is no longer useful, they'll often discard the person. Sound familiar? The trail is littered with Trump's past staffers. Do you really want this type of person near a nuclear trigger or wielding immense military power? There is no more time to waste: Goldwater Rule be damned. By the way, there is no cure for malignant narcissism disorder.

John Suttner

Lake In The Hills