Skip to content
  • Subscribe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Features
  • Subscribe FREE to Ray Hanania’s Columns
  • Advertise
Suburban Chicagoland

Suburban Chicagoland

Original News, Features & Opinion

  • About
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Our Writers
      • Ray Hanania
      • Bill Lipinski
      • Aaron Hanania
      • Steve Metsch
      • Steve Neuhaus
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Reach Out
    • Submit a Press Release
  • Sections
    • Events
    • Opinion
    • News
    • Features
    • Seniors
    • Comic Strip
  • Library
    • “MIdnight Flight” Online Book
      • Midnight Flight Book Overview
      • Midnight Flight Introduction
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 1
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 2
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 3
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 4
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 5
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 6
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 7
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 8
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 9
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 10
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 11
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 12
      • Midnight Flight Chapter 13
    • Villages, Cities & Towns
    • Federal Office Holders
    • County Officials
    • Legislators
  • Seniors
  • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
  • Comment
  • Podcast
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Toggle search form
  • State Rep. Cyril Nichols
    Arab Americans oppose “MENA” bill and urge “ARAB” be recognized as an MBE and in Census Census
  • Town President Larry Dominick and the Cicero Senior Center hosted the annual Hearts and Shamrocks luncheon. Cicero's senior services program is one of the most extensive in the Midwest offering an array of services including lawn cutting, snow shoveling, handiman assistance, transportation and a range of healthcare services. For more information visit www.TheTownofCicero.com
    The Town of Cicero Senior Center hosted the annual Hearts & Shamrocks dance Baby Boomers
  • Harlem Avenue closed from 86th and 87th pending investigation of pedestrian struck by vehicle News
  • Jeffery M. Leving fights for your rights
    Court orders ex to provide transportation so Dad can see his daughter Civil Rights
  • Brandon Johnson leads a protest demanding to defund the Police. Phot courtesy of the Vallas for Mayor Campaign
    Johnson Refuses to Answer Whether He Would Pursue Stricter Penalties for Repeat Gun Offenders At WGN Debate  Chicago
  • Orland Fire Protection District extinguish fire in apartment building at 144th and Ravinia Sunday Jan. 30, 2022
    One fatality in Orland Hills Home fire Cook County
  • Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau continues to lie and slander people Blogger
  • Writing my very first news story that ran in the Messenger Press Baby Boomers
  • Illinois State Senator Michael Hastings. Photo courtesy of the Illinois State Senate
    Senator Michael Hastings supports bill to protect consumers from pesky auto-renewal charges Features
  • Major League Rugby 2023 Championship to take place at SeatGeek Stadium July 8
    Major League Rugby 2023 Championship to take place at SeatGeek Stadium July 8 Entertainment
  • Paul Vallas candidate for Chicago Mayor 2023. Photo courtesy of the Paul Vallas website
    Paul Vallas calls out Johnson’s lies walking back calls to defund and undermine police Chicago
  • Jeffery M. Leving fights for your rights
    Psychological support for divorcing dads topic of CLE at Leving firm Chicago
  • Ronette McCarthy, a candidate for Mayor of Palos Park, addresses the Palos Park Village Board on the issue of expanding Wu's House parking into land adjacent to the huge restaurant on the east.
    Whoa is Wu’s House in Palos Park Blogger
  • Pekau campaign signs violate village ordinances News
  • Rotary Club of Orland Park Logo
    Orland Park Rotary offering scholarships to graduating seniors Education

Merry Christmas, and clean up that garbage mess!

Posted on December 22, 2017November 29, 2019 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Merry Christmas, and clean up that garbage mess!
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

Loading

Merry Christmas, and clean up that garbage mess!

I live my life by certain principles and conduct and I think that everyone should respect some basic commonsense and acts of respect in our society. These are mine.

By Ray Hanania

I live my life by certain concepts.

Don’t move next door to an airport and complain about the noise.

Don’t buy a big home at a cheap price in a region filled with forest preserves, and complain about the coyotes. Stand by the door and watch your dog when you let it out!

Pay attention to your children. Know what your kids do during the day. Do you realize they might be in a street gang and up to no good? Or do you close your eyes to the truth and when something happens you blame everyone except yourself?

Garbage cans line the streets in Chicagos suburbs. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
Garbage cans line the streets in Chicagos suburbs. Lined up the way they should be. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

If your son is out on the street at midnight with a knife in his hand, don’t blame the police when they refuse to disarm or get down on the ground.

Say “Merry Christmas.” I don’t care if some people think it’s politically incorrect to say it. So, I’ll say it again. “Merry Christmas.” Christmas is both a religious celebration and a national holiday that is a major part of American culture.

From Jimmy Stewart in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Merry Christmas, movie house! Merry Christmas, Emporium! Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan!”

That doesn’t mean we don’t respect other religions. Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza and Happy Ramadan, too.

America is more diverse today than ever, but that doesn’t mean that we must erase our cultural foundations. If you’re Jewish or Muslim, say “Merry Christmas” to a Christian. It’s the right thing to do. And I’ll say, “Happy Hanukkah” to Jews, “Happy Kwanza” to Blacks – if they celebrate it – and, “Happy Ramadan” to Muslims.

Don’t demand respect for yourself and not give it to others.

Handicapped parking spaces should be reserved for people who need assistance walking, not just because they are old or have another disability.

If you have a disability and can drive, that probably means you can park anywhere in a parking lot without a problem. If you don’t have a wheelchair, walker or cane do you really need to take that handicapped parking space?

Keep your home clean. It’s your reflection. Mow the lawn in the Spring and the Summer. Rake the leaves in the Fall. Shovel the snow during the Winter. Pick up the litter on your property.

Does your refrigerator look like a mess when you open it? That’s a reflection of your life, too. Clean up that reflection.

Slow down when you drive. You’re not Vin Diesel in a remake of “The Fast and the Furious.” The newly widened LaGrange Road is not the Indianapolis 500. Do you really have to go 55 in a 35 mph stretch of the road? Do you really have to speed to get in front of someone, and then slow down?

If you’re a real man, open the door and let the woman walk through first. You’re not being sexist! It’s amazing how many women look at me with surprise when I do that. Are today’s men that bad?

Thank the people who do those tough jobs no one wants. Give them some Christmas cash. The garbage man, the recycler, the mailman, and the lawn waste collector. They deserve it.

How about taking time to put that trash out properly? Have you seen how people just throw their garbage along the curb in broken boxes, ripped bags and knocked over garbage cans? Don’t just toss the garbage into a pile and expect it to be picked up. Put it out properly.

Finally, remember this holiday season a great conversation from one of my favorite Humphrey Bogart movies, “We’re No Angels” (1955):

Bogart: “I’m going to buy them their Christmas turkey.”

Aldo Ray: “Buy? Do you really mean ‘buy’?”

Bogart: “Yes, buy! In the Spirit of Christmas … The hard part’s going to be stealing the money to pay for it.”

END

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

Follow RayHanania on Gettr.com, the uncensored Twitter Ray Hanania on Gettr, the new Twitter
Ray Hanania
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
  • The Town of Cicero Senior Center hosted the annual Hearts & Shamrocks dance - March 25, 2023
  • Harlem Avenue closed from 86th and 87th pending investigation of pedestrian struck by vehicle - March 24, 2023
  • Court orders ex to provide transportation so Dad can see his daughter - March 23, 2023
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
Baby Boomers, Blogger, Commentary, Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland Tags:clean your home, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, Happy Ramadan, Merry Christmas, Police officers, politically correct, respect police, street gangs, watch your kids

Post navigation

Previous Post: 23-year-old Berwyn man charged in DUI related deaths Oct. 9
Next Post: Suspect charged in killing of 16 year old at a Cicero park

Related Posts

  • Southbund lanes of Laramie Avenue in Cicero will be closed during evening hours for construction
    Southbound Laramie Avenue in Cicero blocked because of road construction News
  • Orland Township Supervisor Paul O'Grady at the 2019 Holiday Program donation distribution.
    Orland Township offers Holiday Giving opportunities for needy families Cook County
  • Orland Fire Protection District extinguish fire in apartment building at 144th and Ravinia Sunday Jan. 30, 2022
    No injuries in basement fire in Orland Park Apartment Fire
  • Midnight Flight: Chapter 5 — Black is Bad Baby Boomers
  • Ray Hanania
    Who was Chicago’s Best Mayor? Blogger
  • CoronaVirus courtesy of Wikipedia
    Illinois identifies 25 patients with Coronavirus Chicago

More Related Articles

Lyons gets new truck News
“No regrets” News
Lisa Vanderpump. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Popular reality show Vanderpump Rules is reprehensible Blogger
Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau at the Bike Ride for the Special Olympics Aug. 30 hosted by the Orland Park Police Department is the only person in the village photo that is not wearing a mask. Photo courtesy of the Orland Park Police Department. Largest spike in COVID-19 cases yet in Orland Park Cook County
Technology: Don’t get fooled by Magzter Editors Pick
Lyons SD 103 improvements News

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau continues to lie and slander people
    March 21, 2023
  • Writing my very first news story that ran in the Messenger Press
    March 19, 2023
  • Ronette McCarthy, a candidate for Mayor of Palos Park, addresses the Palos Park Village Board on the issue of expanding Wu's House parking into land adjacent to the huge restaurant on the east.
    Whoa is Wu’s House in Palos Park
    March 14, 2023
  • Foxx policies punish police rather than the criminals
    March 8, 2023
  • Pekau silences accountability to expand his political power
    February 27, 2023
  • Terrorist Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin who is guilty of massacring civilians in his war against Ukraine. Photo credit Wikipedia
    America should stand with Ukraine and set aside internal politics
    February 24, 2023

Subscribe

  • Ray-Hanania-Newsletter-300-wide-Banner.jpg

Trending

  • Ronette McCarthy, a candidate for Mayor of Palos Park, addresses the Palos Park Village Board on the issue of expanding Wu's House parking into land adjacent to the huge restaurant on the east. Whoa is Wu’s House... Whoa is Wu's House in Palos Park Residents in Palos Park thought they had t... posted on March 14, 2023
  • Harlem Avenue closed from... Harlem Avenue closed from 86th and 87th pending investigation of pedestrian... posted on March 24, 2023
  • Orland Park Mayor Keith P... Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau continues to lie and slander people By Ray Ha... posted on March 21, 2023
  • Brandon Johnson leads a protest demanding to defund the Police. Phot courtesy of the Vallas for Mayor Campaign Johnson Refuses to Answer... Johnson Refuses to Answer Whether He Would Pursue Stricter Penalties for Re... posted on March 22, 2023
  • Pekau campaign signs viol... Pekau campaign signs violate village ordinances Pekau and his endorsed cand... posted on March 13, 2023
  • NEWS
  • State Rep. Cyril Nichols
    Arab Americans oppose “MENA” bill and urge “ARAB” be recognized as an MBE and in Census
    March 25, 2023
  • Town President Larry Dominick and the Cicero Senior Center hosted the annual Hearts and Shamrocks luncheon. Cicero's senior services program is one of the most extensive in the Midwest offering an array of services including lawn cutting, snow shoveling, handiman assistance, transportation and a range of healthcare services. For more information visit www.TheTownofCicero.com
    The Town of Cicero Senior Center hosted the annual Hearts & Shamrocks dance
    March 25, 2023
  • Harlem Avenue closed from 86th and 87th pending investigation of pedestrian struck by vehicle
    March 24, 2023
  • Jeffery M. Leving fights for your rights
    Court orders ex to provide transportation so Dad can see his daughter
    March 23, 2023
  • Brandon Johnson leads a protest demanding to defund the Police. Phot courtesy of the Vallas for Mayor Campaign
    Johnson Refuses to Answer Whether He Would Pursue Stricter Penalties for Repeat Gun Offenders At WGN Debate 
    March 22, 2023
  • Orland Fire Protection District extinguish fire in apartment building at 144th and Ravinia Sunday Jan. 30, 2022
    One fatality in Orland Hills Home fire
    March 22, 2023
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png

The Political Pundit

Political Pundit Aug. 24, 2021. Taliban thanks president for boxes of MAGA hats
  • WORD PRESS REVIEWS
  • MyCloud by Western Digital, a hard drive that doesn't last. Don't purchase Western Digital.
    Western Digital tubes its loyal customers for profit
    October 17, 2021
  • Macho Themes website front page. Don't buy their themes. They don't work
    Difficulties with Macho Themes for WordPress
    August 21, 2021
  • TECHNOLOGY REVIEWS
  • Illinois State Senator Michael Hastings. Photo courtesy of the Illinois State Senate
    Senator Michael Hastings supports bill to protect consumers from pesky auto-renewal charges
    March 18, 2023
  • Wreaths Across America Radio logo
    Wreaths Across America Radio Announces New Strategic Partnerships with Veteran Radio Programs
    February 6, 2023
  • Dr. Helen Edwards Fermilab particle physicist
    Foster, Durbin, Duckworth introduce resolution to name Fermilab Research Center after renowned physicist Dr. Helen Edwards
    February 3, 2023

Follow Ray Hanania at
Gab.com, MeWe.com
IDobbinate.com,
Twitter, Facebook

Creative Commons License
All works on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

First Installment of the Property Tax

What We’re Reading

Arab News Newspaper Leading English Language Publication in the GulfArab News Newspaper

Ray Hanania on Politics
SW News Newspaper Group

  • SPORTS
  • Major League Rugby 2023 Championship to take place at SeatGeek Stadium July 8
    Major League Rugby 2023 Championship to take place at SeatGeek Stadium July 8
    March 17, 2023
  • Chicago Wolves 2022-2023 season
    Chicago Wolves top Stars for second win in a row
    October 25, 2022
  • Stagg Marching Band Pit Crew as efficient as a NASCAR pit stop! The team that does a lot of the work to help the Stagg High school band perform works behind the scenes like a NASCAR pit stop. The students are profiled in this feature
    Stagg Marching Band Pit Crew as efficient as a NASCAR pit stop!
    August 31, 2022
  • Soccer. Photo by Md Mahdi on Unsplash
    International soccer returns to SeatGeek Stadium
    August 7, 2022
  • NEWS RELEASES
  • State Rep. Cyril Nichols
    Arab Americans oppose “MENA” bill and urge “ARAB” be recognized as an MBE and in Census
    March 25, 2023
  • Town President Larry Dominick and the Cicero Senior Center hosted the annual Hearts and Shamrocks luncheon. Cicero's senior services program is one of the most extensive in the Midwest offering an array of services including lawn cutting, snow shoveling, handiman assistance, transportation and a range of healthcare services. For more information visit www.TheTownofCicero.com
    The Town of Cicero Senior Center hosted the annual Hearts & Shamrocks dance
    March 25, 2023
  • Jeffery M. Leving fights for your rights
    Psychological support for divorcing dads topic of CLE at Leving firm
    March 14, 2023
  • Tony Award Winner Robert Falls returns to Goodman Theatre to direct his adaptation of "The Cherry Orchard" Photo courtesy Goodman Theatre
    Tony Award Winner Robert Falls returns to Goodman Theatre to direct his adaptation of “The Cherry Orchard”
    March 6, 2023
  • Popular Ziyad Brand Green Za'ater. Photo courtesy of Ziyad Brothers
    Ziyad Brothers reports that the appeal of Mediterranean foods continues to rise among consumers
    February 16, 2023
John Kass Columns

Order the book PoweR PR; Ethnic Activists Guide to Strategic Communications

  • BUSINESS NEWS
  • Ronette McCarthy, a candidate for Mayor of Palos Park, addresses the Palos Park Village Board on the issue of expanding Wu's House parking into land adjacent to the huge restaurant on the east.
    Whoa is Wu’s House in Palos Park
    March 14, 2023
  • Popular Ziyad Brand Green Za'ater. Photo courtesy of Ziyad Brothers
    Ziyad Brothers reports that the appeal of Mediterranean foods continues to rise among consumers
    February 16, 2023
  • Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar
    Cook County Announces Call for Transportation and Community Grant Program Applications
    January 23, 2023
  • money $20 dollar bill, dollars, cash
    Buckner unveils plan to help businesses and strengthen job
    January 19, 2023

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

Click this link to watch or use the widget below:

Click here to view the video on YouTube or use the widget below.
Email Ray Hanania for more information about performing at your event at rghanania@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2022 Suburban Chicagoland & Urban Strategies Group

Powered by PressBook Premium theme