I felt compelled to respond to a recently run opinion piece concerning “Woke Park” [Viewpoints, Oct. 1]:
Hi Mark, I’ve lived in Oak Park for years and let me tell you what I experience. I live in a community governed by care for all human beings where we don’t live in ignorance and fear of anyone slightly different than ourselves. We don’t support a campaign of cruelty by a pathetic wannabe dictator whose administration revels in the bigotry and harm they’re imposing on fellow human beings.
You’re scared of yard signs because they espouse progressive and not ignorant values? You’re more than welcome to move to a community that embraces your wannabe dictator with yard signs reveling in hate and bigotry. You also seem scared of books written by anyone without your narrow world view. No one is forcing you to read anything, but typical conservative that you are, you feel the need to impose your bigoted views on others and limit what should be read.
You complain about the schools being only very good? Move to a red state where education is far worse if you’d like to. And yes, educated people who care about others have long been concerned with poor police interactions with the community.
Complaining about lessening greenhouse gases seems like an odd complaint but conservatives today are unserious bigots who only focus on silly culture wars. I live someplace where we don’t choose hatred and bigotry but acceptance and inclusion.
Yes, we don’t support the cruelty of ICE who are doing nothing but instilling fear into the communities of good hardworking families. Tell us more about how ripping naked children out of bed in the middle of the night (as agents responded with glee on the South Shore) makes us better or safer.
Also, it turns out you need tax revenue to build a shining community. Feel free to move to a low-tax Republican area and see how your experience with services and schools differs.
Your last comment about dogs at Farmers Market is strange and keeping with the angry, unhinged nature of Republicans today. I for one, am happy to live in a place where we lead with acceptance and kindness, and make decisions using facts not cruelty and bigotry. You complain so much about Oak Park yet have had the opportunity to leave for decades, and haven’t taken it.
Turns out it’s actually a pretty great and special place, and those who use the term “woke” derisively generally have nothing other than ignorance and bigotry to espouse.
Cyrus Guzdar
Oak Park