Another letter to the editor, this time giving the local GOP mouthpiece of a newspaper what for.
Growing up in Barrington, there were things we could always depend upon, whether we liked them or not. There would always be a lot of traffic driving through town. The water always had a funny taste. The Daily Herald would always endorse a Republican...regardless of who the Republican was, did, or believed in. It was simply one of those things that folks in these parts had grown to depend on
Lately, it would appear that times had changed. Recent Daily Herald editorials had taken positions that, at face value, would appear to run counter to the Republican Party line. Positions on stem cell research, gun control, the environment, all were moving away from the Daily Herald's traditional lock step stance with any and every GOP platform. The Daily Herald editorial board was moderating its stance: less extreme, more main stream.
So when Peter Gutzmer runs for the Illinois state senate from the 27th District, supporting stem cell research, rational and thoughtful gun control, and advocating for the environment, there was the slightest glimmer of hope that the Daily Herald would boldly take a stand and endorse, God forbid, a Democrat.
Sadly, instead of taking a principled position and align with their own editorial page by endorsing Pete, they decided to once again endorse the Republican, Matt Murphy, for no other good reason than he is the Republican. They even go as far as to parrot his taking points in the endorsement, calling him out as a "common sense conservative" albeit "a little too conservative for our tastes". So let's take a quick look at Mr. Murphy's brand of conservatism
§ Outlaw all abortions, even in cases of rape or incest (Mr. Murphy has since tried to moderate his position - maybe this didn't poll too well)
§ Ban stem cell research (this is another moving target: he was against it, then he didn't want the state to fund it, now it's great as long as private business does the dirty work)
§ Allow assault weapons on our streets (again, one more position that must have polled poorly because now he is now willing to entertain options)
From my point of view, not only do I see little common sense in these positions, I see very little what one would even call a position. A position means you take a stand on something and clearly Mr. Murphy moves around on what he believes...a lot.
And not only does the Daily Herald fail to meet any measure of fidelity to its own editorial page by endorsing Mr. Murphy, they have the audacity to thank Pete Gutzmer for his public service, and then allude to that Pete should know his place, risking his life every day as a firefighter/paramedic, and not in the state house.
Luckily, we do have a clear choice and clear alternative in Pete Gutzmer. At the very least, he knows what he believes in and has the courage of his convictions. At the very best, he will represent this district with the same values of duty, honor, and integrity he brings to the firehouse everyday and makes him an outstanding example of and for our community.