“Signing is optional since federal courts ruled it unconstitutional on free-speech grounds, but Illinois lawmakers have left the oath in state law.”
So the Sun-Times runs an entire story questioning Donald Trump for not participating in an unconstitutional act that remains on the books in Illinois (“Donald Trump didn’t sign loyalty oath for Illinois ballot that pledges not to ‘advocate the overthrow of the government’”— Jan. 6).
How much coverage would you provide if he didn’t sit for a literacy test before receiving his ballot to vote? That’s just as unconstitutional. What if he failed to pay his poll tax?
SEND LETTERS TO: letters@suntimes.com. To be considered for publication, letters must include your full name, your neighborhood or hometown and a phone number for verification purposes. Letters should be a maximum of approximately 375 words.
Are there any other unconstitutional laws, unique to Illinois or not, that you feel Donald Trump should be adhering to for no reason at all? And which of my other constitutional protections are contradicted in the Illinois statutes?
Jim FitzGerald, Edgewater
SuperAgers have a lot to offer
Thank you, Mary Mitchell, for your column on SuperAging and ageism issues (“SuperAgers like the late Norman Lear show us how aging could be, with researchers now trying to learn more” — Jan. 5).
Please know that Chicago also has a research institute committed to the study of SuperAging: The University of Chicago Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Research Care Center headed by Dr. Emily Rogalski.
It is also worth noting that many in the older population not only live longer, healthier lives but also actively contribute to their families and communities. They are often the caregivers for their grandchildren, other young children and older family members. Now retired, they have more time to volunteer for everything from food pantries to the arts to asylum seekers to justice and equity issues, wherever there is a need.
Still, as Norman Lear observed, the older population is underrepresented in popular entertainment as well as other areas. Thank you for your attention to these ageism issues.
Susan Alitto, Hyde Park
