Wildfires in the West. Scorching record-breaking heat baking the Northwest. Biblical rains with mudslides in the Midwest. The acceleration of glacier melt. Supercharged tornadoes with looming typhoons and hurricanes. This is just the tip of the iceberg which exemplifies a potentially catastrophic loss of life. Then I remembered Donald Trump said he was smarter and knows more than anyone else, and said climate change was a hoax and a Democratic scare tactic. We should all be amazed and grateful for his brilliance and repeated flashes of wisdom.

Jack, Homer Glen

A relative who owns a decorating business is proud about his response from customers for his staff’s meticulous work. He’d be devastated if a single person used words like unheard of problems and dumpster fire in describing his business. Yet a Chicago newspaper recently interviewed several longtime prosecutors in Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office who used those exact words to describe conditions. While repeat violent offenders routinely are released on low bail, Foxx admitted that 235 staff members have resigned since July 2021!

Christine, Evergreen Park

The media is quick to judge the Oak Lawn police use of force arresting a resisting armed 17-year-old Arab American Stagg student. Have we forgotten that it was just in March that a 16-year-old Orland Park Arab American boy, from the same school district, shot someone in Oak Lawn? These kids with guns are dangerous. It is the parents responsibility. Don’t get upset with the police for doing their job. Also remember that it wasn’t long ago that a 17-year-old was considered an adult when committing a crime.

AF, Mokena

To Kevin of Oak Lawn, it takes character to admit you were taken in by Trumpmania, but have come to see the light as to what an embarrassment and danger he really is. And to do so in a public forum is commendable. I know there are many more like you, hope they confess up too.

George, Calumet City

Thank you DelanieJarczyk for creating the DuPage Sunflower Project helping the earth and spreading joy. Perhaps Delanie’s idea will really take seed and sunflowers will do for Wheaton what tulips do for Holland, Michigan, or lilacs do for Lombard — beautify the area and encourage visitors. Wouldn’t that be just so sunny and beautiful?

Dolly, Homer

To the BurbankAmerican Little League 15 and 16. Congratulations, good coaching, good players. They went to South Carolina for the World Series. I think some congratulations ought to go out to Burbank American Little League and all the players, a fantastic thing they’ve done. They took district, they took state and then area, they beat Michigan in a come-from-behind 7-6 score in the bottom of the seventh. Congratulations.

Ken, Burbank

Champagne, caviar and laughter galore, on their yachts, of course. Oil company muckety-mucks, who have taken the entire economy hostage with no regard for anything but their own pockets, have to be celebrating their relentless gouging and resulting record profits. The White House can deny a recession, but it’s already very real for millions, and as businesses close and people lose their homes, the ripple effect will affect millions more, no matter how hard they try, as the income gap further widens.

Mary, Tinley Park

A once-proud city of Chicago, a city which had many industries, factory jobs, constructions opportunities, a safe city with broad shoulders, has become a shooting gallery for muggers and killers. Mayor Lightfoot has done nothing to make the city safer. Her appointments of police commissioner and fire commissioner are a disgrace.

Mr. G, Chicago

Nancy Pelosi’s husband bought $5 million in chip stocks July 16 of this year. Amazing that they just passed that bill to help the chip companies out. No insider trading here. Keep voting Democrats, you idiots.

Tom, Burbank

Why does Marvfrom Bridgeview get so much space in Speak Out? Now he wants God to apologize to billions of people. God owes no one an apology for anything. He gave his life up for mankind. Do you mean that’s not enough for you? The only apology necessary is the one owed to the Lord himself from someone as ungrateful and disrespectful as you.

Michelle, Matteson

Read Ted Slowik’s article about the Lincoln-Way school superintendent. All I can say is I guess crime does pay. No one on any taxpayer salary should ever receive salaries that would generate a pension of this size.

Jim, South Holland

On Aug. 1, the headline on the Southtown stated that Moraine Valley Community College was offering classes on cannabis. Is there not enough drug use around here today that we need classes to teach more students grow and use it?

Bill, Plainfield

Just a friendly reminder for RHS, Oak Forest, who may have been out of the country, but it was the Republicans who caused the Jan 6 insurrection that is causing all the problems and criminal trials we are experiencing and paying for. This is, as you put it, payback for the Republican attempt at secession.

Carl, Orland Park

In response to Mary from Mokena. Granted, there are many reasons for pregnancy, but stupidity cannot be claimed as a legitimate one for an abortion or any crime. The officer that mistakenly pulls her service weapon instead of her Taser is sitting in jail for her stupidity. Abortion is legitimate for rape, incest and saving the mother’s life. OB-GYNs prescribe contraception regularly, not just women’s clinics, another fallacy. And there’s always abstinence if ones concerned about these issues. Once there’s a heartbeat, there’s a human being, a human life.

Maddie, Orland Park

In this feature, we constantly hear from the left about Donald Trump lies. How about, instead of parroting this ambiguous prattle, you list all these alleged lies so we can know exactly what you are talking about and decide for ourselves.

Gary, Oak Forest