Editorial Page

Editorial | Racism distorts history and creates shoddy journalism

S.A. Shepler (c) 2020 Community Word

Newsrooms across the country are conducting diversity training and seeking to hire a more diverse staff to improve journalism and report more inclusively on the entire community. Gannett, owner of the Journal Star, stated it’s making a concerted effort to…

Letter to the Editor | Peoria’s Historians

As Roger Monroe noted in his September column, Norm Kelly recently passed into history. Monroe eulogized his long-time friend for his unique talents. But Kelly’s legacy lies not just in the books, articles and talks that he created about local…

Letter to the Editor | Vote YES to sell Heddington Oaks

Peoria County voters will see a referendum on their ballot Nov. 3 which will allow the Peoria County Board to sell vacant property, the former long-term care facility known as Heddington Oaks. The decision to close Heddington Oaks was not…

Letter to the Editor | Understanding your vote-by-mail option in Peoria County

Tom Bride

This election season, the Peoria County Election Commission wants to assure voters that we are committed to providing accurate and accessible voting options to all residents for the upcoming 2020 General Election. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we anticipate Vote…

OpEd | When religious freedom is a threat

In the midst of the furor over the pandemic, the economy, our current divisive politics and the upcoming national election, an important area of concern tends to be overlooked. This spring, the Justice Department hosted a week of training for…

Editorial | Christopher Columbus statue and the Electoral College – both racist legacies of white supremacy

S.A. Shepler (c) 2020 Community Word

George Floyd’s death set off a global movement for racial justice. In the fervor of this movement, two events should be seen and understood through the frame of white supremacy. The Peoria Park District is evaluating the fate of the…

Editorial | Anti-Racism

S.A. Shepler (c) 2020 Community Word

Racism and anti-racism do not come with on-off switches. Anti-racism is a continual learning process. It requires practice. Everyday offers unique opportunities to learn, understand and embody anti-racist thought and practice. Mistakes happen. Nothing along this journey will be perfect,…

Letter to the Editor | How can we sustainably feed the world’s population?

The answer is to turn to regenerative farming. Perhaps you have not heard of regenerative farming. Most of the farming done today, particularly in the United States, is conventional farming/factory farming. Government incentives and our current industrial food complex result…