Kennedy deserves Secret Service protection

Until recently, granting Secret Service Protection has been a nonpartisan decision, with sitting Presidents placing the interest of fair elections above their own self-interest. The government is required to grant presidential candidates protection at 120 days prior to the election. But many have received early protection.

In 2007 President George W. Bush granted early protection to then-Sen. Obama at 18 months prior to the election. President Carter gave early protection to his political rival, Sen. Ted Kennedy, at 400 days prior to the election. Candidates Trump and Biden both received early Secret Service protection.

The Biden administration, with no explanation, recently denied independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Secret Service protection for the fifth time. The stated criteria for Secret Service protection include polling, having a national campaign in place and heightened security threats.

A recent New York Times Siena Poll shows Kennedy with 24% of the vote across six battleground states; the latest NBC poll shows him at 34%.

The Secret Service itself deems Kennedy and his family to be at higher security risk. There have been multiple threats against Kennedy including two attempted break-ins at his home and an armed man posing as a United States Marshall pursuing Kennedy at a campaign event. All intruders were apprehended by private security — at a cost of several million dollars to the Kennedy campaign — and all remain at large.

Then there’s the Kennedy family history: RFK Jr’s uncle, President John F. Kennedy, was murdered on Nov. 22, 1963. And RFK Jr’s father, Robert F. Kennedy, was murdered while running for president on June 5, 1968.

Since RFK Sr.’s assassination, major presidential candidates have routinely been given Secret Service protection. It is the cruelest irony that his own son would be denied the very same protection.

Rose Buckner

Brookfield

Seeing Trump’s

disrespect plainly

The cult mentality is so sad to watch. People blindly following Biden’s predecessor not realizing they are being used to augment his power. If only they realized how little he cares about his own followers. At least those of us on both sides of the aisle who haven’t sold our souls can see it plainly.

I shudder in disbelief thinking about how Biden’s predecessor desecrated the Holy Bible, during Easter time no less, by using it as a fundraising tool to pay his legal fees. I shudder even more thinking that someone would be gullible enough to purchase one for $59.95, not in God’s name but that of a false idol.

The disrespect for God’s Word is truly beyond the pale.

Louis S. Guagenti

Arlington Heights

Easy license renewal

Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois secretary of state, you are the man.

I completed my driver’s license renewal online, a fast 10 minutes.

What a great idea, just a few clicks and taps.

Done.

Thank you. Illinois, represented by the best.

Karen Nuccio

Round Lake

Sage advice from a

voice of experience

In today’s crazy world, it’s nice to be reminded that it’s still inhabited with nice people. One of them is my friend and mentor, Walter Santi from Bloomingdale, who celebrates his 101st birthday in April.

Born in 1923, when cars, radios and airplanes were all new inventions, Santi is the son of Italian immigrants from Modena, the birthplace of opera legend Luciano Pavarotti. Ten years prior, on October 22, 1913, he lost four cousins in the coalmine explosion disaster in Dawson, New Mexico.

Contrary to popular belief, not all Italian immigrants lived in squalid urban ghettos. After arriving in either New York or New Orleans, millions took trains and went west to New Mexico, Colorado, Montana and California, where dangerous jobs often awaited them.

Yet Walter experienced the American Dream. He grew up in a multicultural neighbohood in Chicago where everyone got along. In addition to self-teaching himself French, Spanish and Yiddish, he traveled the world (Argentina was his favorite) and retired as a machinist in Addison in 1988.

For the last 36 years, Walter has enjoyed his two grandchildren, indulged his passion for photography, tended to his house and garden, and kept in touch with people via email and Zoom and the world via newspapers and the internet.

While celebrating at Enzo’s Sports Bar in Bloomingdale recently, where he enjoyed pizza, Peroni and chocolate cake, I asked him what advice he had for people consumed by debt or stress. He simply smiled and said, “Just relax.”

Are you listening, world?

Bill Dal Cerro

Chicago