BY LESTER B. MASON My eyes have witnessed many changes throughout the nearly 40 years of being incarcerated in the Illinois prison system. My name is Lester Mason inmate #64349 at Pontiac Prison Facility. I have been granted an opportunity…
Author Archive for Community Word Staff
Food during the COVID-19 pandemic
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BY HENRY BROCKMAN We are in completely uncharted waters as this novel coronavirus sweeps across the globe sickening millions and killing thousands. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations warns that this pandemic has disrupted agriculture and food…
The Lion’s Den | Let’s Examine the Wounds
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I will admit that it has been somewhat of a challenge to write during this worldwide pandemic. As we continue to adapt to what ultimately may become the new normal, simple survival has taken precedence over most things. Our daily…
Letter to the Editor | Change and Adapt: Building a new food system for a post COVID-19 world
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Well, at least now we know what we fear most in a crisis. Fearing a shortage of eggs perhaps, or cheese filled hot dogs, or logically all of the ingredients needed to prepare your favorite healthy meal might have made…
Peorian Betty Friedan and TV “Mrs. America”
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BY ELAINE HOPKINS A new television series, “Mrs. America,” explores the people involved in the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a battle that continues to this day. The series streams on Wednesdays on Hulu. The…
Heat Waves — In Red and Black | The Partially Effective and Safe COVID-19 Drug
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There is a safe, long-standing drug that is showing success with septic shock, a serious infection that causes our immune systems to go haywire. This is timely because sepsis can be complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the same…
Labor Roundup | May 2020
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NY Mayor Bill de Blasio orders probe of Amazon firing protesting worker Christian Smalls, who organized a walkout to demand greater protections against coronavirus for warehouse workers. About 15 workers participated in the walkout at Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse after…
Full court press for Census 2020
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Editorial | The press
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We are living in dangerous times for democracy when the press is blamed, pilloried, discredited and barred from public meetings. The national press pool is corralled in at Trump rallies as the crowd chants “Lock them up.” That animosity has…
Heat Waves — In Red and Black | Heat Wave Denialism: Shooting Craps with Mother Nature
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Tri-County’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, which covers Peoria, defines heat waves as relatively inconsequential. History tells us differently: Chicago 1995, 700 dead; France 2003, 15,000 dead; Western Russia 2010, 50,000 dead. Before Tri-County releases its 2020 plan, it could consult…