Editor’s Note: A column in the next issue of Community Word will analyze the Supreme Court ruling against Philadelphia affirming the right of Catholic Social Services to refuse to accept same-sex couples as foster parents. BY EMILY GILL By the…
Author Archive for contributor
Juneteenth: Celebration or Commemoration?
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BY GARRY MOORE In many cities throughout the country, African Americans will observe Juneteenth–the name given to a unique American occurrence that marked the end of slavery in Texas. It’s also referred to as Black Independence Day (an alternative to…
OpEd | The Proposed Federal Infrastructure Bill: Continuously Investing in the Water and Wastewater Systems that Serve You
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BY ERIC LARSON Senior Manager of Operations and Production, Western Division, Illinois American Water Co. American Water appreciates President Biden’s and his administration’s recognition of the need to invest in our country’s water and wastewater systems. Water and wastewater infrastructure…
OpEd | Vaccinate prison inmates for societal well-being
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Early during the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned that individuals in congregate settings such as nursing homes were particularly vulnerable to infection. Residents gathered for activities and meals, and staff members attended to a number of residents and often put in…
Avoid mythologizing Native American history
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BY LIBBY TRONNES For all of you who have been missing local trivia nights, here are some puzzlers. How old was Pocahontas when John Smith arrived in Virginia? How many federally recognized tribes are there in the United States today?…
Editorial | When American democracy is assaulted
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BY ANGELA WECK Editor’s Note: This message was written Jan. 7, the day after pro-Trump rioters attempted an insurrection and invaded the U.S. Capitol. Yesterday was a day that should have represented the highest achievement of our republic. This day…
Letter to the Editor | Glad to read UnityPoint increases minimum wage
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Your January 2021 Issue of the Community Word carried the good news that UnityPoint Health will be raising minimum hourly pay to $15. I am happy to know that this hospital nonprofit corporation has taken this step that will improve…
Letter to the Editor | Journalists already in danger
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One day after the attack on the Capitol in Washington, USAToday posted on Twitter that the newspaper “needs help identifying the people who broke into the U.S. Capitol,” then implored readers to follow a link to view the photos and…
Letter to the Editor | Even after 58 years, MLK’s nonviolent, direct action still best
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I have been reading my library of MLK and borrowing his books from the Peoria NAACP community center library. It has been some time since I did this, and as a Quaker who does not have the Baptist Christian faith,…
OpEd | History of Originalism, Part 2
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BY BILL FEIPEL Originalism became a household word with the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in October 2020. Originalism: it sounds reliable, stable, comforting. Ms. Barrett identifies its guiding principles as ”First, the meaning of the…