Tim Barnes is a former pastor who lives in Peoria and works for the International Association for Refugees, a not-for-profit based in Minneapolis. He wrote this piece after returning from a recent meeting with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees…
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Reflections from the Clergy | The epidemic of lies
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In our current political and social climate, lying is a hot topic. There is a “Pinocchio” scale that rates lies according to how far away from the truth a lie veers. The gold medal for politicians and government officials telling…
Labor Roundup | September 2018
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News Guild reminds locals, bosses that media firms must address security. Facing increasing violence against reporters and President Donald Trump’s hateful rhetoric and threats, News Guild President Bernie Lunzer is reminding both his locals and employers that firms must protect…
Letter to the Editor | Protecting coal ash, not children
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Governor Rauner’s Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is failing to protect us. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) weakened federal health and water protections for communities near toxic coal ash waste dumps. If you live in the Peoria area, that…
Op-Ed | If only they’d come the right way …
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Editor’s Note: Immigrants and refugee seekers have different rights. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, everyone has a right to seek asylum from persecution and violence. The UN states that “some mass displacements may…
Reflections From The Clergy | Rescue Children from the Caves of Poverty
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One of the paradoxes of human nature is that we are capable of cooperating with others for the common good as well as “otherizing” people for our own gain. While many Americans were fervently praying for the safe rescue of…
Labor Roundup | August 2018
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NFL Players union files over anthem policy. The NFL Players Association on July 10 filed a grievance with the league challenging its new National Anthem policy, saying the new policy was imposed without consultation with the union, is inconsistent with…
Letter to the Editor | Catholic Hospitals Restrict Access to Healthcare
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If you are a person needing reproductive health care, from contraceptives to abortion, beware of Catholic hospitals and their provider networks. That’s a message many people have not received, according to a recent study by researchers from California and Illinois,…
Letter to the Editor | ERA: Giant Leap Forward
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On May 30, the Illinois General Assembly took a giant leap forward for women’s rights nationwide and ratified the Equal Rights Amendment. It took Illinois 46 years, but better late than never. Now we’re one state closer to seeing equal…
Op-Ed | Protect Peoria Hospital Patients from Hazardous Hot Dogs
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A hospital stay shouldn’t put a patient at risk for cancer. But it can—if the menu includes hot dogs, sausage and other processed meat, which the World Health Organization has declared carcinogenic and placed in the same category as tobacco…