Oak Park is seemingly roiling with controversy. First, whatever that was that the library officials/staff did regarding a Palestinian cultural event has now resulted in much hand-wringing. I have yet to understand what the library did or did not do in this matter. However, does the fact that it had something to do with Palestine — rather than, say, pay homage to Hemingway or Wright (safe subject matter) — get some people’s shorts in knots? Ongoing story …
Then there’s the leaf-bagging issue. Leaves fall. Each fall. Ma Nature is indifferent to we humans and our penchant to find fault in even the most inexorable aspects of life. We just love to fight over this and that. The leaves! The tragedy of the leaves! Developing story …
Breaking news! The most head-scratching recent kerfuffle has to do not with leaves, but another of nature’s offerings: cotton. As in bags of it. Used in an apparent Oak Park classroom lesson on Eli Whitney and his cotton mill. The teacher provided small bags of cotton for the young minds to consider up close and personal. The cotton bags were given not just as a pass-around and re-gathering of said white fluffy stuff. Kids took the bags home. White cotton. From a white teacher. Red flag! Answers demanded. How insensitive! The brazen effrontery! The unmitigated gall!
Palestine. Fallen leaves. Bags of cotton. Oak Park, a village on the edge. What could possibly be next to rile the locals? I’ll just have to wait until the next Journals hit the stands.
Joe Harrington
Oak Park