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
    • Two Guys on Politics Podcast: A Centrist View on Politics
    • Two Guys on Politics
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • The Arab street Podcast
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Toggle search form
  • Orland First Responders candidates Matthew G. Rafferty and William Bonnar Jr.
    First Responders announce candidacies for Orland Fire District Board seats Cook County
  • D230 students win prestigious art awards Education
  • Alderman Raymond Lopez would have made a great mayor Blogger
  • Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar
    Cook County Announces Call for Transportation and Community Grant Program Applications Business
  • Inappropriate Illinois license plates
    New Secretary of State reaffirms rejection of inappropriate license plates Chicago
  • Justice Department Health Care Fraud Unit
    Chicago Man Convicted of Participating in Illegal Kickback Conspiracy Chicago
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas receives the American Arab Chamber of Commerce 2021 Action Award for her support of Arab and Muslim Americans, returning more than $1.3 million to Arab and Muslim taxpayers.
    Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas refunding more than $47 million to homeowners Cook County
  • money $20 dollar bill, dollars, cash
    Buckner unveils plan to help businesses and strengthen job Business
  • Chicago Mayoral candidate Kam Buckner 2023
    Buckner slams Garcia, Johnson and Lightfoot for Crypto hypocrisies, supports probes Chicago
  • Fighting oppressive taxes in Cook County Editors Pick
  • Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman
    Suburbs lose a great leader in Liz Gorman Blogger
  • Elizabeth "Liz" Doody Gorman
    Liz Gorman brings sanity and services back to Cook County Board Blogger
  • Alexi Giannoulias, former Illinois state treasurer and candidate for Illinois Secretary of State
    Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias releases comprehensive Transition Team report Government
  • Assault weapons, courtesy of WIkipedia
    Pritzker’s assault weapons ban not enough to make law abiding citizens safe Blogger
  • Paul Vallas candidate for Chicago Mayor 2023. Photo courtesy of the Paul Vallas website
    Vallas urges probe in Lightfoot’s CPD scandal and accuses of Congressman Garcia of being AWOL from Chicagoland needs Chicago
English: Rod Blagojevich, Emil Jones and Jeffrey Schoenberg at Illinois Executive Mansion (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hard to feel sorry for Blagojevich, but it’s not about him

Posted on August 10, 2021August 10, 2021 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Hard to feel sorry for Blagojevich, but it’s not about him
SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  

Hard to feel sorry for Blagojevich, but it’s not about him

It’s hard to feel sorry for former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. He was so obnoxious and arrogant. But the decision on whether he should return to public office doesn’t belong with Big Brother and the politicians. It belongs to voters. Censorship is wrong.

By Ray Hanania

Rod Blagojevich was always his own worst enemy.

An arrogant and selfish politician who cared more for himself than he did the people of Illinois, Blagojevich was an easy target for his many political enemies.

His enemies, Republicans and Democrats, not only ousted him from office but they inflicted punishment on him that was tougher than what Cook County State’s attorney Kim Foxx dishes out for real criminals who actually threaten people.

So, it is hard to feel sorry for him as he files a lawsuit to remove a ban that prevents him from running for public office again.

I am no fan of Rod Blagojevich. But I am a big believer that the public is not as stupid as some politicians, and powerful social media nerds, think we are.

English: Rod Blagojevich, Emil Jones and Jeffrey Schoenberg at Illinois Executive Mansion (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Rod Blagojevich, Emil Jones and Jeffrey Schoenberg at Illinois Executive Mansion (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every day, we are being told what we can hear and what we can’t hear. What we can think and what we can’t think. There is this new kind of partisan censorship that targets people based not on what you say, but rather on who you are and what you believe. Often times, conservatives are the biggest victims of this new form of censorship and their views are removed and they are blocked from “social media.”

Suddenly, Big Brother is some techie loner who lacks social skills and knows little about the real life challenges facing everyday Americans. But they are nerds, or spoiled children of the wealthy, and they made billions because they know how to write computer code.

The privileged and wealthy few — the robber barons at Twitter, Facebook, and the struggling-to-survive, desperate mainstream news media — who know absolutely nothing about what it is really like to struggle and survive in America want to control America. They want to tell us what to think. When you challenge them, they bully you and use their platforms to demonize you. They prevent your voice from being heard.

That’s the real sickness that exists in America. Censorship. A cabal of evil media elites who do whatever they want to do for themselves, but do everything they can to prevent you from living your own life the way you want to live it.

You see, I believe in the intelligence of the American public. Knowing how to create a billion dollar tech company doesn’t make you smart. Chances are those billionaires broke more laws, and violated more ethical guidelines and morals than you could even imagine.

The real geniuses are those like you and me. We get up in the morning and we make one promise to ourselves. We want to do what’s right for our families, our friends and our community. We loathe criminals, especially the violent ones, and wish they would be held accountable. We watch “Forensic Files” on TV every night and cheer when the guilty get snagged and punished.

We, the average every day American, feel for the victims of crime and political unfairness, unlike the media privileged, many of whom squirmed their way into prosperity and fame and bully their critics and adversaries.

Most importantly, we want to see and hear everything for ourselves, so we can decide what really is right and what really is wrong. We don’t need some moron to tell us what is right and what is wrong. I don’t want to be told what to think. I want the freedom that God gave me, and that is allegedly protected in the U.S. Constitution, to think whatever and however I want.

Rod Blagojevich wants to run for public office again, and that’s something Big Brother doesn’t want. Why? It’s not about Blagojevich. It is about Big Brother’s power. It is about control. It is about Big Brother denying the public’s right to decide. They want the choice to be their choice, not yours. They want to control your thinking and your lives.

They think the public is stupid. But I don’t. I think the public and voters are smart enough to decide for themselves if Blagojevich should or shouldn’t get another chance to run for public office.

I am not advocating for Blagojevich or against him. Blagojevich may be a jerk. But that’s up to me to decide. It’s not up to the Big Brother manipulators, who censor social media and throttle your social media presence to stop your voice from being heard, and who want to tell you and me what to think.

Let Rod Blagojevich put his name on a ballot and let the voters decide to accept or reject him. The power to decide belongs with the voters, not with the authoritarian Big Brother manipulators.

(Ray Hanania is an award winning former Chicago City Hall reporter and political columnist. This column was originally published in the Southwest News Newspaper Group in the Des Plaines Valley News, Southwest News-Herald, The Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers. For more information on Ray Hanania visit www.Hanania.com or email him at rghanania@gmail.com.)

 

Subscribe to Ray Hanania’s Columns

* indicates required field.

 

Select Email Format


  • 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)
  • D230 students win prestigious art awards - January 26, 2023
  • Alderman Raymond Lopez would have made a great mayor - January 26, 2023
  • Hurley Named Chair of Police and Fire Committee - January 25, 2023
  • Tweet

SHARE THIS STORY
            
 
  
 
 
 
           
Blogger, Commentary, Government, Illinois Legislature, Opinion, Politics, rayhanania Tags:arrogant loudmouth, Big Brother, censorship, corruption, felon, Illinois, jail time, politics, Rod Blagojevich, should be allowed to run for office, voters should decide

Post navigation

Previous Post: WordPress Update: Google’s SiteKit crashing websites across internet
Next Post: Garage fire in Orland Park, no injuries

Related Posts

  • Closure sign placed by a Task Force of Police and Inspectors harassing Arab American owned businesses in Chicago. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    How Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is a minority community abuser Blogger
  • Metra 207 pulls in lightly smoking and hauling 6 cars into Mokena – Hickory Creek station. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    Opportunity, Transitions coming to Mokena station area Business
  • Police car, this one from Chicago. Photo courtesy WIkipedia
    House Democrats Pass Sweeping Gun Safety Measures, Answering Nationwide Call from Student Activists breaking news
  • John Bolton speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on February 12, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
    Group slams appointment of Bolton as National Security Advisor Government
  • Underground transit tunnel. Photo courtesy of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association.
    Highspeed rail association questions Chicago-O’Hare transit plans Business
  • Bill Conway, Democratic Candidate for Cook County State's Attorney and former Iraq War veteran
    Bill Conway slams Kim Foxx in new TV Commercial Chicago

More Related Articles

DNAInfo.com shuts its doors this week Blogger
Christopher Columbus statue Chicago Grant Park. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Chicago’s Italian American Community responds to Monuments Project Chicago
Face mask signs posted by businesses in Orland Park that are demonstrating concern and leadership is helping to suppress the spread of the coronavirus. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania Should you wear two face masks or one in confronting COVID-19? Blogger
American Flag. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania Now that the election is over, we need to bring America together Bill Lipinski
Former Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is the lead candidate to succeed Jessie White as Secretary of State. Photo courtesy of WIkipedia Alexi Giannoulias easily captures Democratic nomination for Secretary of State Chicago
President Trump pushing back against media lies that he removed the MLK bust from the White House. Photo courtesy of the Republican Party. Trump factor in Illinois being over-played Blogger

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with your Social ID
  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Alderman Raymond Lopez would have made a great mayor
    January 26, 2023
  • Assault weapons, courtesy of WIkipedia
    Pritzker’s assault weapons ban not enough to make law abiding citizens safe
    January 16, 2023
  • Lori Lightfoot speaking at Police Accountability Task Force hearing in 2016. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot must go
    January 15, 2023
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: Return semi-conductor and chip-making industries to America
    January 15, 2023
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: The China threat to Asia’s Democracy
    January 9, 2023
  • Harry and Patricia Michalski courtesy of their facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10105680464226180&set=t.100009314491026&type=3
    Remembering Pat Michalski who dedicated her life to diversity and fairness
    December 30, 2022

Subscribe

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

Trending

  • Lori Lightfoot speaking at Police Accountability Task Force hearing in 2016. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Chicago Mayor Lori Lightf... Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot must go Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has faile... posted on January 15, 2023
  • Paul Vallas candidate for Chicago Mayor 2023. Photo courtesy of the Paul Vallas website Vallas urges probe in Lig... Vallas urges probe in Lightfoot's CPD scandal and accuses of Congressman Ga... posted on January 16, 2023
  • Chicago Mayoral candidate Kam Buckner 2023 Black and Latinx Elected... Black and Latinx Elected Officials Unite Against the Chaos Caused by Mayor... posted on January 8, 2023
  • money $20 dollar bill, dollars, cash First Installment Cook Co... First Installment Cook County property taxes due date pushed to April 3 Coo... posted on January 4, 2023
  • Alexi Giannoulias, former Illinois state treasurer and candidate for Illinois Secretary of State Secretary of State Alexi... Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias releases comprehensive Transition Team... posted on January 17, 2023
  • NEWS
  • Orland First Responders candidates Matthew G. Rafferty and William Bonnar Jr.
    First Responders announce candidacies for Orland Fire District Board seats
    January 31, 2023
  • D230 students win prestigious art awards
    January 26, 2023
  • State Rep Fran Hurley 35th district
    Hurley Named Chair of Police and Fire Committee
    January 25, 2023
  • Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar
    Cook County Announces Call for Transportation and Community Grant Program Applications
    January 23, 2023
  • Inappropriate Illinois license plates
    New Secretary of State reaffirms rejection of inappropriate license plates
    January 23, 2023
  • Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
    Arrest and Criminal Charges Announced Against British and Russian Businessmen for Facilitating Sanctions Evasion of Russian Oligarch’s $90 Million Yacht
    January 23, 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
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: Return semi-conductor and chip-making industries to America
    January 15, 2023
  • William O. Lipinski former Congressman from Illinois (5th and later 3rd District). Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Right from the Middle: The China threat to Asia’s Democracy
    January 9, 2023
  • Sam Bankman-Fried in an interview during the Bitcoin 2021 conference. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Demands continue for Lightfoot and Garcia to detail ties to FTX scandal
    December 15, 2022

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.

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
  • 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
  • Stefan Noesen, Chicago Wolves
    Chicago Wolves Noesen wins President’s Award
    July 22, 2022
  • NEWS RELEASES
  • Orland First Responders candidates Matthew G. Rafferty and William Bonnar Jr.
    First Responders announce candidacies for Orland Fire District Board seats
    January 31, 2023
  • Paul Vallas candidate for Chicago Mayor 2023. Photo courtesy of the Paul Vallas website
    Paul Vallas demands Lightfoot explain email scandal, and use of government resources for political campaign
    January 12, 2023
  • David Crowley, Milwaukee County Executive. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee County
    Milwaukee County sells 90 lots for single family homes
    January 11, 2023
  • Paul Vallas candidate for Chicago Mayor 2023. Photo courtesy of the Paul Vallas website
    Chicago’s Police Officers Endorse Paul Vallas for Mayor
    January 9, 2023
  • Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. Photo courtesy of the Cook County government
    Pappas: Cook County property taxes due by December 30
    December 28, 2022
John Kass Columns

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

  • BUSINESS NEWS
  • 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
  • United Airlines Flight at O'Hare Airport
    United offers endless airline travel problems for travelers
    December 25, 2022
  • Sam Bankman-Fried in an interview during the Bitcoin 2021 conference. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia
    Demands continue for Lightfoot and Garcia to detail ties to FTX scandal
    December 15, 2022

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