The United States Supreme Court in October heard oral arguments in three cases concerning employment discrimination against gay or transgender workers. In one, a county employee in Georgia was fired after joining a gay recreational softball league for “conduct unbecoming…
Editorial Page
Editorial | Courage or cowardice: Learning America’s true history takes courage
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | Courage or cowardice: Learning America’s true history takes courage
In the din and clamor over the 2020 presidential election, it’s easy to feel adrift and unable to influence the direction of our country. Maybe it’s even easy to feel a little apathetic, a little despair. But Bryan Stevenson and…
OpEd | Whistleblowers, sources and the constitution
by contributor • • Comments Off on OpEd | Whistleblowers, sources and the constitution
BY TORI WHIDDEN Throughout the United States, government agencies are unconstitutionally enforcing restrictive policies that are negatively affecting the public’s access to information. First Amendment rights allow public employees to speak about work-related matters without the permission of their superiors.…
Editorial | Kim Foxx: Diversity critical for justice and equality
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | Kim Foxx: Diversity critical for justice and equality
People wiped away tears as they listened to Kim Foxx deliver the keynote address at the Peoria Bar Association’s 16th Annual Diversity Lunch. Foxx is the first African American woman to serve as Cook County State’s Attorney in the 100…
OpEd | The case against Amazon’s Ring doorbell
by contributor • • Comments Off on OpEd | The case against Amazon’s Ring doorbell
BY ZACHARY GITTRICH On July 23, the Peoria City Council entered into a contract with Ring Security, owned by Amazon, to provide discounted Ring security cameras to Peoria residents. The city council shelled out $50,000 to bring the cost down.…
Editorial | Bad news for journalism in Peoria and the country
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | Bad news for journalism in Peoria and the country
The corporate owner of the Journal Star has agreed to a $1.5 billion acquisition of Gannett, owner of USA Today as well as 100 dailies and over 1,000 weeklies. The merger is financed with a five-year loan at 11.5 percent,…
OpEd | Public funding for religiously based organizations has no place in a liberal democracy
by contributor • • Comments Off on OpEd | Public funding for religiously based organizations has no place in a liberal democracy
BY EMILY R. GILL, Caterpillar Professor of Political Science Emerita, Bradley University In recent years, many religious individuals and organizations in the United States have displayed increasing concern about their ability to exercise their religious beliefs freely. Some of this…
Editorial | Illinois’ anti-BDS legislation in 2015; now U.S. House rejects BDS
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | Illinois’ anti-BDS legislation in 2015; now U.S. House rejects BDS
Support for universal basic human rights should be an easy position to defend and promote. Support for Palestinian basic human rights apparently is not. Palestinian human rights cannot honestly be conflated with anti-Semitism, but that’s precisely what’s happening. The Boycott,…
Letter to the Editor | RE: Journal Star dances with Wall Street – again
by contributor • • Comments Off on Letter to the Editor | RE: Journal Star dances with Wall Street – again
Having been a daily newspaper reader for life; growing up with the St. Louis Globe-Democrat in southern Illinois and a subscriber to the Peoria Journal Star upon moving to Peoria in 1970 has prompted me to write this comment in…
OpEd | A unique perspective on the abortion issue
by contributor • • Comments Off on OpEd | A unique perspective on the abortion issue
DR. DAVID M. PRIVER, MD, FACOG From the years 1971 through 1974, I had the privilege to serve as a resident in the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology at the prestigious Sinai Hospital, Detroit, Mich. As any resident knows only…