A lot of sunshine and happy feelings came into my life when I saw all the smiling faces that were put on the buildings by the students. It renewed my faith in the younger generation. I found myself smiling when I looked at the pictures. It felt good. Sadly, I went by the pictures on Ridgewood and many were destroyed by the wind or grumpy people. At least I got my smiles for a while. Why would someone destroy something that brought so much happiness to many? Keep on smiling.

Don, Chicago Heights

I always loved the 1970 photo where President Nixon and Elvis Presley are shaking hands in the White House. I think it’s fun and a great piece of Americana. I saw it again more recently as part of an online article, and the word civility came to mind. Here are two men from different generations. They lived very different lifestyles, had very different upbringings and personalities. They may have agreed on certain issues and disagreed on other ones. Yet they could still talk for a few minutes in a cordial manner.

Joan, Oak Forest

The lockdowns are gone, mask wearing has become almost nonexistent and travel is back to normal. The COVID-19 scare is firmly in the rear view mirror, after several variants of the original strain, although contagious, are on the same level as a mild flu. I find it both interesting and disturbing that America has a shortage of baby formula, but we have plenty of vaccines for the least susceptible of our population.

Mike, Orland Park

To Jerry Reinsdorf. The people of Chicago paid for your Guaranteed Field with taxes. Lower your prices on tickets, beer, pop, food, accessory parking. People can no longer take their family and kids to the game more than once. It’s one and done. It’s too expensive. The fans and friends you make today will be there for you tomorrow.

Mr. G, Chicago

Yellen’s trying to pull a “Wizard of Oz” on us. She said her and Biden are doing everything they can to lower gas prices for consumers. That everything means just 18 cents lower than the now average $5 a gallon. Wow! They’re the behind-the-curtain wizards who could/should reopen all our energy resources that made us independent and bring gas prices down to around $2.50 a gallon.

RHS, Oak Forest

Let’s get this straight. There is a gas shortage which is driving up the cost per gallon. President Biden wants to temporarily suspend the gas tax which will encourage more driving/demand, not less. In the meantime the federal government will borrow/print more money to make up for the lost gas tax revenue, which drives up inflation. Nice thinking Joe.

Jim, Orland Park

A reader seems to think the Jan. 6 committee is legitimate even though Pelosi refused to seat two of the five McCarthy nominees primarily because they would seek the whole truth by asking questions Pelosi didn’t want asked. So instead Pelosi appointed Trump haters Chaney and good old Adam, who would never think of asking those questions.

David, Tinley Park

In his role on Jan. 6, then Vice President Mike Pence has been described as courageous and a hero. Though he did what was lawfully right on that date, real courage and heroism would have been if he, and anyone else within government who knew of the dangerous lies and action or inaction during Donald Trump’s presidency, would have spoken out long before. What appears to be irreversible damage has been done, yet there is still continued support for a man who would do none of it for any of them or us.

Mary, Tinley Park

I’m a retired educator, happily married, but after reading his recent Speak Out, I admit to feelings of affection for Leo in Oak Lawn. What’s not to love about his wonderfully appropriate analogy comparing the Jan. 6 hearings to “Bozo’s Circus?” Published reports that the Democrats set up a Jumbotron and served popcorn to entice people in Washington, D.C. to view the first hearing certainly conjures up images of a circus!

Christine, Evergreen Park

OK Trump lovers, when will you get it through your heads that your hero has hustled you once again. Public records have revealed he raised over a quarter of a billion dollars to contest the 2020 election. Virtually none of it went for that purpose. Instead, Trump established a political action committee in which to deposit that money. Under federal law, he can use that money for almost any purpose at his own discretion. None of it was used to contest the election. When are you all going to wake up?

George, South Side

Can someone please tell me why the Republican Party wants to make this country a dictatorship.

Fred, Chicago Heights

Rose from Matteson, clearly you don’t know the difference between a strong leader and a bully. Trump kept us out of wars, we had International standing, we were respected, our inflation rate was the lowest it had been in decades and we had an economy that was booming. Our border was secure and we didn’t have the fentanyl issues. Unemployment rate was the best that has been in years. The sham of a committee on Jan. 6 has proved nothing. They’re not sharing the truth and they’re making fools of themselves.

Maddie, Orland Park

It’s pretty obvious to me that former president Donald J. Trump is responsible for the seditious sacking of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 to stop the peaceful transition of power and destroy our democracy. I believe this because it failed and nobody fails more bigly than Donald J. Trump!

Greg, Lockport

To all you Trumpites. What do you think of your great leader now? All he thinks about is himself. His gender pronoun is I, and if you can honestly vote for him now, you all have screws loose. It shows how much common sense all of you have. None.

Bruce, Chicago