Illinois Review

About “Whataboutism”

When turnabout is never fair play. William Voegeli writes:

Many things are complicated—but not everything. If you condemned the Antifa/Black Lives Matter violence that took place around the country in 2020, as all conservatives did, then you must condemn the Trumpist riot at the U.S. Capitol in 2021. Period.

Suppose, however, you spent last summer applauding the riots, or dissembling about them, or dismissing them. In that case, to deplore last week’s violence credibly is not so simple. If you demand that your political adversaries adhere to a principle, but exempt people whose cause you endorse from having to comply, then that preference you enjoy boasting about is not really a principle. It is not a standard of conduct applicable to all, in other words, but just another rhetorical device used for political combat.

Can you believe the hypocrisy?

Reopening our economy is vital to recovering from the effects of Covid-19. We’ve got to trust Americans to make decisions for their lives so that their businesses and communities can thrive.

So, it’s really frustrating to see government overreaches of power to shutdown society. The only thing worse than draconian lockdowns (like a mayor in Illinois encouraging the cops to fine his own wife!) is hypocritical politicians doing the very things that they’ve made illegal for their constituents.

The Heritage Foundation has a new resource that tracks officials who violate their own coronavirus restrictions. Take a look here: https://www.heritage.org/data-visualizations/public-health/covid-hypocrisy-policymakers-breaking-their-own-rules/

Biden-Harris Admin commits to "codifying" abortion

As posted on the White House website: 

Today marks the 48th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade.  

In the past four years, reproductive health, including the right to choose, has been under relentless and extreme attack.  We are deeply committed to making sure everyone has access to care – including reproductive health care – regardless of income, race, zip code, health insurance status, or immigration status. 

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to codifying Roe v. Wade and appointing judges that respect foundational precedents like Roe.  We are also committed to ensuring that we work to eliminate maternal and infant health disparities, increase access to contraception, and support families economically so that all parents can raise their families with dignity.  This commitment extends to our critical work on health outcomes around the world. 

As the Biden-Harris Administration begins in this critical moment, now is the time to rededicate ourselves to ensuring that all individuals have access to the health care they need.

Illinois government school classes to become extremist "woke indoctrination sessions"

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois is making national news again - this time concerning an upcoming General Assembly committee vote on a rule that some are saying will turn Illinois government school classes into "woke indoctrination sessions":

National Review's Stanley Kurtz writes: 

On February 16, The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) of the Illinois General Assembly will decide whether to officially enact a rule already approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. The new rule is called “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards.” It’s a doozy. Should the rule be ratified on February 16, the entire Illinois teacher corps will be effectively forced into political re-education and compelled to turn their classes into woke indoctrination sessions. We’ll look at details, but the most extraordinary in a raft of outrageous dictates is that teachers must “embrace and encourage progressive viewpoints and perspectives.” Illinois is literally about to mandate that every one of its licensed teachers adopt progressive political orthodoxy and impart that ideology to students. I’ve seen some pretty extreme stuff in my time, but my jaw is now officially on the floor.

And I’m only just getting started. Yes, the new Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards are filled with commands that utterly politicize the classroom and very likely trample the free-speech and religious-liberty rights of teachers. The larger problem, however, is that Illinois has already laid the groundwork for this assault on the Constitution by enacting a so-called civics law that forces teachers to discuss current political controversies in class. The Illinois civics law also compels teachers to organize adventures in “action civics” (student protests or lobbying expeditions on behalf of causes like gun control or the Green New Deal.) These so-called civics requirements are transparent attempts to import leftist political activism and indoctrination into Illinois schools.

Problem is there's no doubt this is moving forward on February 16th. Evidently, the National Review isn't aware that Leftist Democrats are empowered in Illinois with a super majority in both chambers to carry public policy to extremes.

After all, what do Illinois Democrats have to fear from a public that votes to give them control year after year?? 

Illinois GOP Congress members LaHood, Miller: Biden halting the Keystone XL Pipeline is bad for the US

WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15) and Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-18) released the following statement on President Biden's executive order regarding revoking the Keystone XL Pipeline

“President Biden’s ill-advised executive order to revoke a key permit that essentially halts construction on the Keystone XL Pipeline is bad for our nation’s economic recovery, energy security, and US-Canada relations. Pipelines are an efficient and safe way to transport energy while creating good-paying jobs for communities in Illinois and across the country. This action threatens the livelihood of thousands of workers.

“We urge President Biden to abandon this decision and take a more measured, all-of-the-above energy approach to meet our nation’s energy needs."

The Keystone XL is a 1,210-mile (1,947-km) pipeline that, the company says, offers a "safe, reliable and environmentally responsible way to deliver crude oil to markets in the U.S., strengthening continental energy security."

The pipeline project was on course to invest US $8.0 billion into the North American economy and meet critical needs for transportation fuel and useful manufactured products.

A portion of the pipeline runs through south central Illinois.

Kinzinger censure remains on track, despite reports otherwise

ROCKFORD - Illinois Review's recent story about the Winnebago County Republicans considering an effort to censure Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) created a mini-storm in the district, apparently. 

At the very least, it launched a public Facebook discussion and a mention in a new statewide political newsletter, The Illinoize. 

In the story "The Kinzinger Problem," Patrick Pfingsten writes that we "took a swing" at the congressman. Actually, we just reported what was going on in his district. If that's a swing, well, it's a swing...

Lockdowns Starve Mom and Pop

How lockdowns are ruining small businesses. Andy Puzder writes:

The latest lockdowns across the country will be deadly for the small businesses that have endured the pandemic this far. While there are no official numbers yet, business data show significant losses. Yelp’s Local Economic Impact Report found that, from March 1 through Aug. 31, nearly 100,000 businesses listed on Yelp had closed permanently due to the pandemic, an average of more than 500 a day.

In addition to destroying the accomplishments of thousands of American entrepreneurs and the jobs they create, lockdowns are forcing retail to consolidate around large national brands, which are better positioned to survive the pandemic.

Consider restaurants, America’s second-largest source of private employment. According to the National Restaurant Association, 110,000 have permanently closed and more than 500,000 are “in an unprecedented economic decline.” In November alone, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, restaurants and bars lost 17,400 jobs as new state lockdowns took effect.

Government Schools Ramp Up Anti-‘Whiteness’ Agenda with Taxpayer Dollars

In December it was revealed that the San Diego Unified School District had hired Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo, two brazen race hustlers posing as “trainers” to jam their radical racial separatist agenda down the throats of the city’s public school teachers. As reported by Christopher Rufo in City Journal, “The training begins with a ‘land acknowledgement,’ in which the teachers are asked to accept that they are colonizers living on stolen Native American land. Then they are told they will experience ‘guilt, anger, apathy, [and] closed-mindedness’ because of their ‘white fragility.’”

It gets worse. Much worse.

A whistleblower secretly took notes and recorded screen shots of another teacher training session in San Diego. This one was held by Bettina Love, a race-obsessed college professor, who claims that American schools are guilty of the “spirit murdering of Black children.” She also insists that “Whiteness reproduces poverty, failing schools, high unemployment, school closings, and trauma for people of color,” and stealing a page from George Orwell’s 1984, that white educators must undergo “antiracist therapy.” As if the above were not despicable enough, because too many black students are failing in San Diego schools, the district will no longer let late work or bad behavior affect a child’s grade.

More HERE

Is the Wisdom of Homer Immune to Cancel Culture?

Canceling Homer is not virtue-signaling. It is broadcasting ignorance. Victor Davis Hanson writes:

Amid the current hysteria of toppling statues and renaming things, we keep mindlessly expanding the cancel culture.

We are now seeing efforts to ban classics of Western and American literature. These hallowed texts are suddenly being declared racist or sexist by preening moralists.

Or, as one Massachusetts high school teacher recently boasted on social media, “Very proud to say we got the Odyssey removed from the curriculum this year!”

Proud?

Time for Change on All Sides

Remember in 2011 when tens of thousands of Democrats surged on the Wisconsin Capitol building in Madison and physically occupied it for more than two weeks? We were told, "This is what democracy looks like."

Remember in 2016 when Obama was President and hundreds of BLM blocked interstate highways and violently accosted police (even killing several)? We were told, "To assign the actions of one person to an entire movement is dangerous and irresponsible."

Remember during the Kavanaugh hearings when a mob of Democrats stormed the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, DC, and pounded their fists in rage on the door. We were told, "It's understandable."

Remember this summer's riots in major cities across the country when groups of Democrats marched in the streets, set buildings on fire, looted businesses, assaulted and even killed bystanders and police? We were told, "These are mostly peaceful protests."

Remember when Democrats seized several blocks of the Capitol Hill neighborhood in downtown Seattle, declaring it an autonomous zone? Remember the guns and deaths and utter destruction? We were told, "It's a block party atmosphere."

Remember when a crazed mob gathered after the Republican National Convention and attacked Rand Paul, a sitting U.S. Senator? We were told, "No justice, no peace."

Remember how police were told to stand down, governors refused to call in the national guard, and Democrats paid bail for violent protesters who were arrested? We were told, "This is the only way oppressed people can be heard."

I have condemned violent protests and lawlessness every single time they've been reported. I condemn the actions of those who stormed the Capitol on Jan 6th, But I refuse to condemn hundreds of thousands of peaceful protestors because a handful (52 arrested) chose to be lawless and to defy everything the vast majority of the crowd stood for. Conservatives are defenders of the Constitution, the police, and the rule of law. Because a relative few people decided to do something stupid doesn't nullify the concerns of the many.

The real culprit here? The mainstream media has been telling us for years that violence is the only way people who feel oppressed can be heard, it's the only way to get justice, and this is what democracy looks like. Apparently, a few who were in the crowd on Wednesday listened to them.

The inflammatory rhetoric of the Left caused this, and it's about time Democrats and the mainstream media took responsibility for dividing Americans and attempting to humiliate those who support the President or any conservative ideals.

They have pushed people to the brink, even while claiming, "It's time for unity." It's time for careful reflection and change on all sides. God help us!

Thorner: Looking Ahead to the Next Four Years

By Nancy Thorner - 

Those who spent four years calling former President Trump vile words now have complete and total power.

They have power over the White House, over Congress, over the media, over the internet, and over our own lives and thoughts through the advancement of Cancel Culture.

Should the American people be concerned over the direction of this nation since the election and inauguration of the Biden/Harris team as president and vice president, respectively?

Of concern is the rhetoric being promoted by the radical Left, that the Trump base has been radicalized by Trump, and that all who voted and supported Trump must be destroyed, including Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and the entire Right-Wing ecosystem.

Illinois' 16th CD GOPers to consider censuring Congressman Kinzinger

WASHINGTON - Congressman Adam Kinzinger of IL's 16th CD congratulated Joe Biden on his inauguration Wednesday, just days after calling for Donald Trump's impeachment. Voters within Illinois' 16th CD are not happy with Kinzinger's comments and positions - so much so, a movement is simmering to censure the congressman. 

Following the lead of Republicans in Congresswoman Liz Cheney's Wyoming district who unanimously agreed to condemn their US representative to Congress, Republican Precinct Committeeman Austin Davies called for Kinzinger to be censured. 

The censure statement proposed concludes: ... [T]he Winnebago County Republican Central Committee does hereby censure U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger of the Illinois's 16th Congressional District and disavows him for his acts as stated above, as those acts contravene the values of the Winnebago County Republican Central Committee and its reverence for the Constitution of the United States of America, for which so many have paid the ultimate price to conserve and protect..."

UPDATE: KINZINGER CENSURE REMAINS ON TRACK, DESPITE REPORTS OTHERWISE

Trump leaves DC, saying "Have a good life, we will see you soon"

WASHINGTON - At Joint Base Andrews Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump with First Lady Melania Trump nearby, told supporters "Have a good life, we will see you soon" before they boarded Air Force One - leaving hours before his successor, Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th US President at noon EST. 

"It is my greatest honor and president to have been your president," Trump said to supporters shouting, "Thank you Trump!" 

"I will always fight for you, I will be watching, I will be listening," he said. "I wish the new administration great luck and great success."

He concluded with, "Have a good life. We will see you soon..."  

Beckman: For the record, define "coup d'etat," "sedition," or maybe "insurrection"

By Hank Beckman - 

You might have heard that a group of Trump supporters attempted "a coup d’etat" two weeks ago.

On the day that Congress was to certify the electoral votes confirming that Joe Biden was officially our next president, a group of MAGA hat—wearing, flag-waving Trump enthusiasts stormed the Capital protesting what they believe was an election that was stolen through various fraudulent voting practices, including dubious mail-in votes, states ignoring their own election laws, and manipulation of electronic votes.

Whether or not any of these allegations have merit is beside the point and should be the subject of a congressional investigation.

The important point is that the Trump supporters operate under the sincere perception that the election was stolen from their hero, and they saw it as their patriotic duty to vigorously protest what they see as a historic injustice. And as has often been said, perception has a way of becoming reality; at least in the minds of those holding the perception.

Thorner: “Moving the Movement" Midwest Tour Promotes Life

By Nancy Thorner - 

On Sunday, January 17, 2021, "Moving the Movement" Midwest Tour, presented by the group weDignify, made a stop at Carmel Catholic High School, Mundelein, IL,  Mundelein was the 5th stop along the way. The tour started in Madison, Wisconsin on January 2, 2021, continuing to Des Moines, Iowa on January 9; Omaha, NE on January 10; Fort Wayne, Indiana on January 16; Mundelein, lL on January 17; Indianapolis, Indiana on January 22, ending up in Chicago, IL on January 23, 2021.

The group's mission is to teach students how to "effectively save lives on their campus," while mentoring students into skilled, virtuous pro-life leaders. Those leaders then will build and nurture a culture of life on campus and in their future communities. 

As was the nature of the rally in Mundelein, and for all the rallies presented by the Moving the Movement Midwest Tour, the word "march" has been taken out to to be replaced by "Moving the Movement."

There Is No Apolitical Classroom

Do you know what’s going on in your kid’s school? The three R’s – reading, writing, and arithmetic – have taken a back seat to a fourth R. Max Eden, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, explains what that fourth R is, and why it’s so destructive.

Jeanne Ives on the Future of the Republican Party

The Republican Party is going through major changes both at the national level and at the state level. President Trump put his stamp on the party -- will this remain? And at the state level, the Republican Party of Illinois has new leadership in the Senate, a new Chairman is coming, and now candidates for governor are beginning to emerge.

So what is the future of the Illinois Republican Party and what issues can lead the Republicans back to gaining a competitive edge? Jeanne Ives, a former member of the Illinois House, former gubernatorial candidate and a 2020 candidate for Congress, shares her considerable experience and insights into the direction she would wish to see Republicans go, how to reach out to Democratic voters and bring new people into the party.

Discouraged about the way things are? There's training for that ...

PALATINE - Conservatives fed up with the way things are at the federal, state and local levels can simply gripe and complain, or they can do something constructive that can change the political environment. 

The renowned Leadership Institute will be offering training classes in Illinois over the next several weeks - from northern Illinois' Palatine (January 23) and Lake County all the way south to Effingham. 

These trainings will cover the most important topics for running winning campaigns, especially in our political environment in Illinois. Session topics will include:

• Strategic Research
• Developing a Campaign Plan
• Fundraising
• Message Development
• Communicating Effectively with Voters
• Grassroots Voter Contact
• Paid Voter Contact

Don't know where/how to start making a difference? The experience the training instructors offer will encourage you - you can make a difference! All for a mere $25 per person. It's worth it! 

Here's the list of sessions coming up.

Di Leo: Dear Lawmakers: An Open Plea for a New Beginning

By John F. Di Leo - 

As federal and state governments begin their next terms, there may be a feeling of a new beginning, a clean slate.   

Bills that had been introduced but not passed in the last session are gone forever, needing to be reintroduced from scratch or abandoned.  Campaign promises get transformed into bills, newbie candidates walk into the brick wall of the real world when they first encounter the smoke-filled rooms of their party caucuses. 

It might be useful for some in government, who have perhaps not studied civics for twenty, thirty, or even fifty years, to have a refresher course.  So, in no particular order, here are a few of the fundamentals that most of our politicians have forgotten: 

Update 1x: Prolife hero Joe Scheidler dies at age 93

Illinois Review photo from August 2015

Joe Scheidler, founder of the Pro-Life Action League, passed away Monday morning at age 93. A hero to the prolife movement for decades, Scheidler's leadership and commitment to unborn babies will be sorely missed, but has been multiplied by countless others, due to his example.

Scheidler is best known for being the target of an abortion industry lawsuit, NOW v Scheidler.

The landmark case went to the US Supreme Court three times and through which he secured the rights of pro-life advocates across the United States to witness for life and protest outside of abortion clinics.

Schneider’s iconic involvement with life advocacy helped birth the Thomas More Society - a national not-for-profit law firm actively involved in preserving the sanctity of human life and protecting the rights of life advocates.

UPDATE 1x: From Illinois Right to Life -