Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
In Suburbs vs Chicago, the city needs to improve By Ray Hanania I don’t hate the people of Chicago, but I do worry about the city where they live. The fact that everyday at least one or two people are murdered on the streets of the city is enough to cause worry. You can’t blame…
Read More “In Suburbs vs Chicago, the city needs to improve” »
State Rep. Lou Lang has proposed a brilliant and fair plan to help the state of Illinois dig itself out of its multi-billion dollar debt. Change the state’s fixed income tax rate for everyone and replace it with a scaled tax that actually reduces the state tax for most taxpayers, those earning under $200,000, and…
Read More “Graduated state income tax for Illinois makes sense” »
State should prevent candidates from suing each other By Ray Hanania Part of the job of running for office is to tell the voters why you should be elected. And another part of the job of being a candidate is to tell the voters why your opponent shouldn’t be elected. That means that you give…
Read More “State should prevent candidates from suing each other” »
Red light cameras would be good, if they were fair By Ray Hanania If there is one thing that most drivers hate, it’s red light cameras. But I think red light cameras, and even speed cameras, are necessary to crack down on reckless drivers who we all see blow red lights, or who race 20…
Read More “Red light cameras would be good, if they were fair” »
Most communities are automatically given Home Rule powers. But some communities have to fight for it, and overcome the ignorance of some politically active whiners who complain about everything because they are not in power By Ray Hanania The last election shows that newly appointed Mayor Sergio Rodriguez is very popular in the Village of…
Read More “Home Rule makes Summit equal to other communities” »
I finally found a great place to work out, at Charter Fitness. I’ve bounced around a few health clubs but Charter fitness so far is the best. And I think seniors in Southwest Suburban Chicago should give it a closer look. It’s also the least expensive of all the clubs By Ray Hanania I think…
Read More “Finding a new place to lose weight & hang my iPod” »
Midnight Flight: Chapter 13 — Notes from Readers One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania (C) 1990-2022 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved Send us your comments, letters and memories and I will post them here. Email me by clicking here. You must let…
Read More “Midnight Flight: Chapter 13 — Notes from Readers” »
Midnight Flight: Chapter 12 — Looking Back One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2020 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved The families that moved out of South Shore Valley were the real losers. We were the victims, too, the people…
Midnight Flight: Chapter 11 — Friends Left Behind One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved Rely on memory for inspiration, but always check it for perfection and accuracy. Memory is human. So, it is…
Read More “Midnight Flight: Chapter 11 — Friends Left Behind” »
Midnight Flight: Chapter 10 — The Sub-Urban Life One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “Wash your whiskey in your water, sugar in your tea …” “Wuz all this crazy questions you askin’ me …”…
Read More “Midnight Flight: Chapter 10 — The Sub-Urban Life” »
Midnight Flight: Chapter 9 — Midnight Flight One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “I’m gonna leave the city, got to get away. “I’m gonna leave the city, got to get away. “All this fussing…
Midnight Flight: Chapter 8 — In the Eye of the Storm One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “I can fly like a bird in the sky. “I can buy anything that money can buy….
Read More “Midnight Flight: Chapter 8 — In the Eye of the Storm” »
Midnight Flight: Chapter 7 — Bowen High School One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “Give me a head with Hair, long beautiful Hair, “Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen, “Give me down to there, Hair!…
Read More “Midnight Flight: Chapter 7 — Bowen High School” »
Midnight Flight: Chapter 6 — Alone in the Playground One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “There she was just a walking down the street, “singing do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do “Snapping her…
Read More “Midnight Flight: Chapter 6 — Alone in the Playground” »
Midnight Flight: Chapter 5 — Black is Bad One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2018 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “I’m from Milwaukee, and I ought to know. “It’s Blatz, Blatz, Blatz, Blatz, wherever you go. “Blatz is the…
Midnight Flight: Chapter 4 — Written Long Before One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2019 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved Chicago’s borders, literally, marked the end of civilization as we knew it. Beyond the city’s borders was a vast wasteland…
Read More “Midnight Flight: Chapter 4 — Written Long Before” »
Midnight Flight: Chapter 3 — A Beautiful, Idyllic Community One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2020 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “You don’t know, what we can find. “Why don’t you come home with me little girl, “on…
Read More “Midnight Flight: Chapter 3 — A Beautiful, Idyllic Community” »
Midnight Flight: Chapter 2, Dividing Lines One family’s experience of White Flight and the racial transformation of Chicago’s South Side (an online novel) By Ray Hanania Midnight Flight, (C) 1990-2020 Ray Hanania, All Rights Reserved “You never really knew a man until you stood in his shoes and walked around in them.” — To Kill…