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• 4/19/2007 10:10 PM Karen #1~Waukegan wrote:
  Hey Fred,
  
  Another wonderful blog. It's a shame that it is so true. I watched that video a couple of times and just couldn't stop crying. We have these men and women fighting, and the ones before who fought for not only our freedom, but our right to vote, and yet so many people just don't do it.
  
  People take voting for granted, and it just saddens me that they don't get it. It's the way we get our voices heard, and also a way to make change. There are so many out there that complain about so many different things, yet these are the same people who won't take a moment out of their day to vote for change.
  
  Even though I did go out to vote, I feel that we let our men and women in uniform down. Like you stated, "I wonder what the truly heroic individuals in this video think about our choices?"
  
  Just think about that for a moment. They are out there, putting their lives on the line every moment of every day, separated from their families and friends, not knowing what is going to happen from one moment to the next, sleeping and living in less than perfect conditions, that many of us couldn't even imagine. And for what? To make sure we are safe here at home. To protect our rights and freedoms from those who want to take them away.
  
  How do we repay these amazing souls? We don't get out to vote. We make excuses, we're too busy, it's too crowded, we have more important things to do, let somebody else vote. The list goes on and on, but the bottom line is, we just really don't care. We are lazy, and don't want to get involved in things "outside our little worlds." God forbid we have to drive 2 blocks out of our way, and spend 5 minutes at the booth to get our voice heard.
  
  I am truly ashamed at the low voter turn-out and all I have to say is, shame on us. All I can say to those that are reading this is, the next time you have a chance to get your voice heard, and you feel it's not worth it, just remember all those people you saw in the video, and all the men and women that are serving in our Armed Forces. I'm sure there are plenty of times they would love to be doing something else, yet they continue to fight for us. The least we can do for them, is to get out and vote. It really won't hurt, and it's the best way that we can thank these fine men and women.
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• 4/21/2007 5:41 PM Judi wrote:
  If people do not vote, then they do not care. The few people who do vote will speak for them. You cannot complain, if you did not vote. I will always vote, but who I vote for will be MY decision only.
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• 4/23/2007 5:51 AM Jack Senter wrote:
  Thank You!
  
  Thank you David Ratliff, Your candidness during the recent mayoral race improved Zion in many ways. Before you decided to launch your canidatcey for mayor of Zion many of the important issues you surfaced were being ignored. Your bringing to light our crime problems brought reshaped leadership to our police department which is now reporting a lower crime rate. Gang and crime problems still exist but programs have now been put into place that will curb them. Hopefully, we’ll start realizing your desire of a closer relationship between residents and officers. Six months ago we had no way to address our city council at regularly scheduled city council meetings. Because of you, we can speak before each city council meeting begins. Although not perfect, it’s much better than we had. Last year the mayor and city council decided Zion needed a full-time mayor with compensation of $100,000 per year. Because of you, that was changed to $75,000 per year.
  
  Your courage is an example to all. Your dream of a Stronger, Safer Zion for our kids is alive and well. It’s true, “One Can Make A Difference.”
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  1. 4/23/2007 7:28 PM Jeremy Florio wrote:
     I agree with your statement completely. David my not have won the war but he has won an important battle in bringing change to Zion.
     
     The ideas and platform that Dave’s campaign was based on “rejuvenated” the current administration an injected a shot of “caffeine” into their system to step up to the proverbial plate. This is the first step towards positive change in Zion and hopefully in four years the second step will be voting David Ratliff as the new Mayor of Zion!
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• 4/24/2007 1:51 PM John wrote:
  It's amazing what a little fresh perspective can do to begin to foster change in a corrupt or "broken" system, isn't it?
  
  Who would'a thunk that Jesse "The Body" Ventura, a former professional wrestler, could have become governor of Minnesota? Who would'a thunk that Arnold Schwarzenegger, a former body-builder and B-rate movie star from Austria, could have become governor of California?
  
  I think it would have been cool if Mr. Ratliff could have become mayor of Zion. Was he really qualified? Well, we won't know for now. The point, 'tho, is that he was a fresh voice in a tired system. He "rallied the troops," so to speak, and now there's real change coming along in Zion. Good for you, Dave!
  
  Good for you too, Frred, that you have the smarts to so eloquently write about the fact that people squawk all the time, but then don't do anything about it.
  
  Voting is a right in this country. Let us never forget that it didn't used to be that way for everyone in this country, and that it's still a priviledge in many other countries in the world.
  
  Karen's right...we all make too many excuses...b.s. ones...as to why we don't vote. Well, I'll tell you what, chumbo: if you don't vote, I don't want to hear you complain. I don't want to see your sorry butt sitting in some corner saloon bitching about this country and its leaders. Everyone's vote counts!
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• 4/25/2007 12:25 PM Pamela A Zamora wrote:
  I wrote this in rememberence to the 9/11 Anniversary, maybe if you read it, it may hit you where it should, your Heart.
  And People should never forget that day.
  Lady Liberty
  By Pamela A Zamora 9/11/06
  
  She stood tall and strong on that September day,
  She saw the Towers crumble and the skies turn to gray.
  Clouds of ashes and screams emitted,
  from the crumbling Towers and the people in it.
  Widows were made and children made parentless.
  Firemen died with blood, sweat and tears, as they had learned to over the years.
  Skeletons of buildings lay on the ground,
  Just like the bodies that were strewn all around.
  Buildings collapsed into dust,
  Lives lived, gone and crushed.
  Hours turned into days and then to months and then years,
  And that still isn’t enough to settle our fears.
  Here we are now slowly regaining our sanity,
  We cannot forget the tears we cried for all of the humanity.
  Lady Liberty still stands sad and forlorn,
  For the lives forever taken and the destruction are gone.
  Our Flag still waves for the Firefighters Brave.
  And for all the lives they died to save.
  We will forever remember the 11th of September.
  
  
  Any Comments write me at:
  purplepammy77@gmail.com
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• 7/24/2007 12:00 PM Deborah Langley wrote:
  Dear Fred,
  
  You want to know why there was such a small voter turnout, I'll let you know exactly why. Much of the citizens of Waukegan are older seniors living in nursing homes, or have been forced out of town, because we're not bilingual. There are more illegal mexicans in Waukegan than american citizens. They buy almost every house that comes out on the market, and then have several families move in with them to make the house payment. In the mean time, the additional families are here illegally, and don't have any voting rights. These same families don't partake in the Census, which is where the school systems need the Census to work, because without an actual number, they lose funding for each child that attends the public schools, but yet are not accounted for through the Census, so therefore don't get the additional funding they need to run our schools. Then the schools, because most of the families don't speak, or pretend they don't speak English they are hiring mostly bilingual employees. I know this to be true, since I used to work for the Waukegan Public Schools, and when I left for another job, and then tried to return to work at the Waukegan Public Schools for a secretarial job, it was posted on the job board, at the Lincoln Center, as a bilingual position. An English speaking citizen, like myself, had to move out of the area after my husband died, because any job that I qualified for, was listed as "Bilingual Preferred". I was born, raised, and raised my children in Waukegan, and now it might as well be re-named "Little Mexico". I miss the town I used to know as "My Home Town". I would love to move back there, but still today when you look for most decent jobs, it says "bilingual preferred". Until the companies in the area are willing to start hiring English speaking workers, that are not bilingual, they are only going to reinforce the illegal immigrant status. Start hiring people like myself, that have been born, raised, and a legal citizen a job. Instead of making me learn spanish, they need to learn English. I have so much more to say, this is a very touchy subject for me, but maybe at a later date. I'll continue to read the issues, and maybe, on day, it will be ok for me to come home, and actually be able to find a job. Keep up the good work.
  
  Deborah C. Langley
  Former Waukegan Citizen
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• 8/9/2007 1:24 PM Mark wrote:
  The courage our soldier's display is INCREDIBLE.Icould not possibly thank them enough GOD BLESS'EM! AND THERE LOVED ONE'S.
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