Could our city really come together for a marketplace? Could our city’s youth find employment and engagement at a city marketplace?
Could our new immigrants find opportunity and personal fulfillment at a city marketplace? Could the city gangs allow peace to exist in the areas surrounding a city marketplace?
Pure skepticism.
But then I remembered being in London a few years back and thoroughly enjoying Borough Market, a multicultural trading arena which was first established in 1756. The market is run by a charitable trust for the benefit of the community. According to their website, “A few years ago it was a wholesale market serving the greengrocers of London; now it acts as a beacon for sustainable food production, short supply chains and social connection, drawing visitors from far and wide.” It is a “must visit” when in London.
Borough Market’s pillars include community; social connection; sustainability; provenance; and distinctiveness. (Please see more at their website: www.boroughmarket.org.uk)
London is a world-class city, as is Chicago. Maybe we can learn something from London’s generations of success at Borough Market, with its commitment to equality and diversity. Maybe we can lean on their expertise to help further develop Steve Balkin’s innovative idea, outlined in a recent op-ed on New Maxwell Street.
Chicago needs big ideas. Balkin might be on to something big.
Michael Cronin, Riverside
Supreme Court’s cynical ruling on affirmative action
SCOTUS’s striking down of affirmative action programs ended one of the few federal policies that has proven to show progress in overcoming systemic racial inequity. Moreover, they justified their ruling by minimizing systemic racial inequality.
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Listening to oral arguments, it was common to hear justices mischaracterize the programs at American universities and demonstrate their failure to grasp the sweeping effect of systemic racism in our society. Meanwhile, they added to this cynicism by allowing affirmative action to continue at military academies. Implicit in this distinction was that affirmative action is allowable when determining who will die for our country, but not when determining who will have access to our nation’s most elite institutions.
It is frightening to see that a majority of the members of what should be our nation’s most solemn and contemplative institution feel empowered to rule in such a cynical manner.
Rob Breymaier, Oak Park
U.S. foreign policy is to blame for Chicago’s migrant crisis
Over the past year, Chicago has received thousands of migrants and asylum seekers. As a resident of an official welcoming city, I’m happy to welcome them to Chicago.
But as city officials and social service groups hustle to find stable living situations for thousands of now-homeless people, and the funds to pay for them, we should ask ourselves this: Why did they come to the U.S. in the first place? What drove mothers and fathers, young and old to pack up whole families and a few belongings, leave their homes and lives behind to make the very difficult and often dangerous trip to the U.S.? Clearly something drastic drove them. What? I think it was U.S. foreign policy! There may be other factors, but ultimately that’s the main driver.
The great majority come from one country, Venezuela. Why? They are being driven by the U.S’s harsh and vindictive foreign policy.
Our tough economic sanctions and constant interference in their political system has left the Venezuelan economy in ruins, their political processes broken and the government fearful. Things have deteriorated to the point where for many, leaving was the only option left. No wonder democracy is failing there.
Those involved with helping these innocent victims of U.S. policy should continue their good work, but let’s all stop a minute to question and demand changes to our government’s brutal policies. Let’s also demand that our federal government pay the lion’s share of the costs of helping the migrants find a new home here in Chicago. It’s the fair thing to do.
William Bianchi, North Center
