'Thank you, former Gov. Rauner, for letting us all enjoy your tax write-off' at Art Institute of Chicago

Thank you, former Gov. Bruce Rauner. Although I felt gratitude when his anti-union, don't-tax-the-rich administration was voted out of office, I never thought that I would ever type that sentence.

We remember the robber barons of the past, mostly by the bequests their enormous wealth left us: Vanderbilt University, Carnegie Hall, our own Rockefeller Memorial Chapel at the University of Chicago, etc. In our own time, we plebeians now can enjoy a Norman Rockwell original at the Art Institute of Chicago, thanks to Rauner. While we're in a grateful mood, let's also remember the contributions of his buddy, Ken Griffin: a bicycle bridge on the lakefront path and the addition of his name to the venerable Museum of Science and Industry.

In these — to say the least — divisive political times, we can all agree it's good that everyone can now enjoy a fine work of art. Again, thank you, Gov. Rauner, for letting us all enjoy your tax write-off.

Jim Bruton, Avondale

Bad Bunny rises above hate

Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican-born musician, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, headlined the Super Bowl halftime show. Condemned by some, folks in our community saw it as a vindication.

Puerto Ricans contribute significantly to society as poets, prophets, doctors, lawyers and engineers. Similarly, America is enriched by diverse communities, including Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans and Cubans.

Bad Bunny has taken a cue from the prophet Marvin Gaye: "War is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate.” Bad Bunny's emphasis on love and unity mirrors the significant societal changes we have seen historically.

There comes a moment in the continuum of human history when the tides of opinion shift so dramatically that what was once widely accepted becomes universally condemned. This phenomenon, while gradual and often imperceptible in its nascent stages, culminates in a collective epiphany that compels societies to reassess their values, beliefs and actions.

At the heart of this transformative process lies dissent. Dissenters, often marginalized and ridiculed in their time, play a crucial role in highlighting the flaws and injustices of prevailing systems. Their voices, though initially drowned out by the clamor of conformity, plant the seeds of doubt and introspection. Over time, these seeds grow into a groundswell of opposition that cannot be ignored.

History shows many paradigm shifts. Slavery, once widely accepted, faced strong opposition from abolitionists driven by moral conviction. Through persistent advocacy, they changed public opinion. Now, slavery is universally condemned, and past justifications are scorned.

Similarly, the suffrage movement, which sought to secure voting rights for women, faced substantial resistance. The notion that women were incapable of participating in democratic processes was deeply entrenched. However, the tireless efforts of suffragists gradually eroded these prejudices, leading to a global acknowledgment of women's rights. What was once a radical idea is now a fundamental principle of modern democracies.

Bad Bunny’s performance resonates with timeless wisdom and profound truth: "The only thing more powerful than hate is love."

Ramon Ocasio III and Beatriz Santiago, members, Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois

Joe McCarthy lives rent-free in Trump’s head

I am a tried and true son of Wisconsin, immensely proud of larger than life and positively impactful daughters and sons of Wisconsin who came before, such as famed conservationist Gaylord Nelson.

I am also painfully aware of the prominently nefarious son of Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy. For those who need a reminder, McCarthy — “America’s most hated senator” — ruined careers and lives through baseless persecution of fellow Americans under his Red Scare of the 1950s. You may have heard of the definitive "Have you no sense of decency?" query by U.S. Army attorney Joseph Welch.

McCarthy also fomented a Lavender Scare — persecution of purported gays serving in the State Department, particularly irksome to me, as an openly gay international civil servant and senior presidential appointee in the Obama administration. And particularly ironic, since McCarthy’s closest adviser, Roy Cohn, was himself a torturously closeted gay man.

Cohn went on to serve as mentor and lawyer to the Trump business in New York City, using deeply unscrupulous methods to ensure Trump’s emerging real estate empire avoided prosecution for things like discriminatory housing practices. Throughout Cohn’s career, his defining mantra was deny, deny, deny; attack, attack, attack; claim victory, whatever the outcome. The end always justifies the means.

Sound familiar? Trump was indeed a dutiful student of Cohn over those years. A bromance too distasteful to analyze in psycho-sexual detail. But a few facts do jump out.

Cohn referred to Donald Trump as his best friend. Cohn told journalists Trump phoned him 15 to 20 times a day. According to Christine Seymour, Cohn’s longtime switchboard operator, Trump was the last person to speak to Cohn on the phone before he died ignominiously in 1986.

Trump reportedly asked, "Where's my Roy Cohn?’ in frustration when Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation in 2018 (perhaps Stephen Miller is Roy Cohn reincarnated).

As Trump’s remaining mental faculties fade, it is clear that McCarthy, via Cohn, continues to live rent-free in the increasingly spacious real estate of Trump’s head.

Todd Larson, Blanchardville, Wisconsin