Minimum wage hurts black community
Letters to the Editor February 20, 2013 7:40PM
In this Nov. 7, 2012 photo, U.S. and Chinese national flags are hung outside a hotel during the U.S. Presidential election event, organized by the U.S. embassy in Beijing. As public evidence mounts that the Chinese military is responsible for stealing massive amounts of U.S. government data and corporate trade secrets, the Obama administration is eyeing fines and other trade actions it may take against Beijing or any other country guilty of cyberespionage. The Chinese government, meanwhile, has denied involvement in the cyber-attacks tracked by Mandiant. Instead, the Foreign Ministry said that China, too, is a victim of hacking, some of it traced to the U.S. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei cited a report by an agency under the Ministry of Information Technology and Industry that said in 2012 alone that foreign hackers used viruses and other malicious software to seize control of 1,400 computers in China and 38,000 websites. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Updated: March 22, 2013 10:25AM
Economic theory predicts, and empirical evidence provides indisputable proof, that the minimum wage (and increases thereof) promotes increased unemployment, particularly among black teenagers.
Sociologists believe, based on data, that unemployment, particularly among black teenagers, promotes gang activity and violence.
Accordingly it is almost unbelievable that many politicians are sponsoring legislation that would increase the minimum wage. Such sponsorship indicates a dogged and uncritical belief in dogma which, if followed, will lead to dangerous and unintended consequences.
William P. Gottschalk, the Loop
Fear criminals in public, not gun owners
Anytime citizens are restricted from defending themselves, the door is opened for criminals to take advantage of that fact. Gun-free zones, be they schools, theaters, churches or any place “with a lot of people in a confined space” — in the words of state Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) — become targets for criminals.
Will allowing citizens to arm themselves legally in almost all public places stop or reduce these atrocities? We’ll never know as long as government keeps giving the bad guys the upper hand. What uninformed citizens are afraid of is the possibility of the person next to them having a gun. Their fear is misplaced. The person to fear is the criminal intent on doing harm, not the person looking out for his or her well being.
Joseph Cortesi, Romeoville
Crack down on China
We all know China’s currency is devalued, its cheap products dominating store shelves the world over. Their human rights record is atrocious. And now we know they are stealing secrets from our military contractors, energy companies and other key industries. The Chinese are laughing at us. They think we are stupid. And given how we let them walk over the rest of the world, they are right. When will our elected leaders stand up to this rogue nation? When they have succeeded in ruining the worlds’ economy? Scott Sinclair, Gurnee
