When Joe Biden ran for president in 2020, he suggested he’d serve just one term because of his age (76 at the time). If only he had followed through. He did the right thing by withdrawing from the 2024 race, but his decision to do so came far too late, leaving Democrats little time to select a replacement.
Biden anointed Kamala Harris his successor, and her candidacy now seems to be a done deal. She is undeniably qualified, but I wish we had the opportunity to compare her with others who might have thrown their hats in the ring, had Biden pulled out of the race sooner.
Consider this analogy: You go to a restaurant for dinner and are told there is only one entrée on the menu. Maybe this is exactly the meal you would have selected, but wouldn’t you have liked to have a choice?
I absolutely will vote for Harris, but I do wish we had time to evaluate other Democratic candidates.
— Michele Grygotis, Wilmette
Harris’ presidential campaign
My hunch is that President Joe Biden’s Washington Post op-ed was authored by more than one person — the oligarchs of the party. The proposed overhaul of the Supreme Court no doubt has much to do with what Biden did not mention — abortion. Because abortion is what presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ campaign is all about since she has nothing else to run on.
Democrats have been fuming since Roe v. Wade was overturned. As a result, it is time for revenge.
— JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater, Florida
How Trump’s GOP sees women
If the women who are supporting Donald Trump think his ticket is protecting children because of Republicans’ anti-abortion stance, are they aware that his supporters, who have written Project 2025, want to discontinue Head Start programs for preschoolers? They also want to get rid of the Department of Education. They want no part in helping women care for young children after women are forced to give birth to them.
There are many women who, after having a miscarriage, need a medical procedure, but in some states, they have to be nearly on their deathbed before doctors will help them because of anti-abortion laws. This is not protecting children. Did these women hear JD Vance say that a woman should stay in an abusive relationship? It shows just how little he and Trump value women.
The Trump Republican Party sees women as inept, disposable, second-class and in need of control. This is a war against women, and we must not let them win. I don’t want to see my daughter treated like it’s 1824!
So, even if these women don’t like all of Kamala Harris’s policies, she is worlds better than the regressive and dangerous policies promoted by Trump.
— Cynthia Kehoe, Elk Grove Village
Only choice for Democrats
Look closely at the cautious wording of those who criticize the Kamala Harris nomination as the Democratic presidential choice. Many are trying to justify not supporting her by using a soft-sell logic to act as though she isn’t a viable candidate. Under the circumstances, it is the only choice the Democratic Party has if it is to truly challenge Donald Trump.
President Joe Biden’s debate failure disappointed many, and the reaction was splitting the party. It was his choice to step down in order to reunite the party while having little time remaining available to field a number of alternative viable candidates. Harris was the obvious choice for most of the Democrats to reuniting the party in the time remaining. Trump is well aware that she possesses a much bigger threat to his success!
— Raymond Hubbard, Sandwich, Illinois
Should parents pay more?
JD Vance’s attempt to rally more fervor with comments about people with children and those without is faulty. He says that citizens with naturally born children should pay less in taxes than adult citizens who live without children, married or not (aimed at Kamala Harris, who is actually a stepparent). He says that those with children would have more of an “investment” in the future of this country.
Well, OK then. Maybe those with children should pay more in taxes for this investment. Let’s take that further and say parents should write bigger checks because children use more services and take up more space. That doesn’t come free.
Parents should pony up, man!
— Pamela Winters, Crystal Lake
Transparency for development
The Wirtz and Reinsdorf empires are pitching a $7 billion neighborhood improvement plan and entertainment center around the United Center on Chicago’s West Side. All they need from City Hall is zoning permits and CTA infrastructure improvements.
Why does this feel like a backroom deal in a speakeasy?
This is a city whose politicians approved a 75-year contract on parking meters — reaping billions of dollars for the contractors and nothing for the taxpayers of Chicago.
If the United Center deal goes through, it has to be more transparent than Casper the friendly ghost and serve the people of Chicago on day one.
— Roberto Garcia, Chicago
Poor planning for roadwork
Couldn’t the Hubbard Cave construction work going on now have been done during the decade-plus work on the Jane Byrne Interchange? That makes sense to me.
— Jim Kozy Koziel, Chicago
Supplemental oxygen measure
Most of us take breathing for granted, but some people struggle for every breath. In fact, more than 1.5 million Americans are living with pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension and other respiratory diseases that require the use of supplemental oxygen in order to breathe.
As pulmonologists at the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s Care Centers in Chicago, we support individuals with serious and chronic lung diseases that make breathing difficult. Many of our patients depend on supplemental oxygen for their day-to-day activities. However, it has become increasingly challenging for them to access the right types and levels of oxygen they need.
What happens when people are unable to get the oxygen they need? Patients describe being robbed of oxygen as similar to trying to breathe through a cocktail straw while holding your nose. This is not only terrifying, but it can also cause catastrophic health consequences.
Because patients cannot get the correct type of oxygen, such as a form called liquid oxygen, they end up tethered to large oxygen machines, unable to leave their homes. It’s hard to imagine how a treatment to sustain life can paradoxically shrink it, confining patients within the reach of their oxygen supply.
Thankfully, new legislation called the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act was introduced to Congress earlier this year. It would ensure that everyone who needs oxygen has access to the right types and levels of oxygen. We are asking U.S. Reps. Danny Davis and Jan Schakowsky to co-sponsor this life-changing bill.
Everyone should have the opportunity to live a healthy life. Readers are encouraged to join us in urging our U.S. representatives to help Chicagoans breathe easier!
— Dr. Deji Adegunsoye, University of Chicago; Dr. Bradford Bemiss, Northwestern University; Dr. Daniel F. Dilling, Loyola University Chicago; and Dr. Xiaoping Wu, Rush University Medical Center
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