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Regarding the editorial “Americans sorting themselves by ideology in worrying trend” (July 12): About a half century ago, I reluctantly moved from the Northeast to Birmingham, Alabama, to finish graduate school. The first words I heard when trying to rent an apartment were: “I don’t rent to Yankees.” It took about five more calls and the same response before one person told me that the only way I would be able to get an apartment was by getting a recommendation from the graduate student housing office. It wasn’t like that landlord was willing to rent to me either. I can’t imagine that I would have gotten an apartment had I decided to move there on my own.
From the moment I arrived until the moment I left nearly four years later, I was almost always made to feel unwelcome. I volunteered to work on the 1972 George McGovern campaign. It was a lonely experience with some very nasty comments thrown my way on more than one occasion.
I go back only because my wife’s family still lives there. And what is worse, prior to working on the McGovern campaign, no one would have known that I might have had similar views as anyone who lived there.
For the life of me, I can’t understand why anyone would want to live where a state attorney general threatens Target for displaying gay-themed merchandise, a governor thinks that supplying outdoor workers with water is unnecessary (Texas) or a governor exudes as much hatred for anyone other than white heterosexual Christians as does Ron DeSantis.
— David Kempner, Vernon Hills
Drawn by jobs, not ideology
The July 12 editorial stating that “Americans increasingly are picking up and moving to where they feel at one with the dominant cultural norms” is inconsistent with data that shows red or formerly red states such as Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Arizona becoming purple or blue because of a steady influx of moderate to liberal Northern migrants more concerned about job opportunities, weather and additional factors other than cultural influences.
— John F. Hogan, Chicago
Taking Israeli protesters’ lead
When the judicial branch of our government begins to legislate changes in laws against what the majority of its citizens want, we, too, need to have a “day of disruption.”
— Maria Cristina Vargas, Chicago
Couple dumped by Uber driver
Here is a bit more explanation to Marjorie and Dick Ettlinger’s letter (“Thank you to helpful officers,” July 12).
My parents, ages 94 and 101, reserved an Uber to drive them to a memorial service for lifelong friends. The Uber driver took them to the wrong place and then refused to take them any farther, saying she had to leave. She left them alone, with no shelter or even a bench, in the rain, in a deserted parking lot near Soldier Field. They attempted to call another Uber but were unable to place a call.
Fortunately, they were able to call the police and had no choice but to wait there for them to arrive. The police were very solicitous and kind to them and took them to the proper address. Unfortunately, they missed the occasion by that time, but from there, they were able to get a taxi back to their home. The taxi driver uttered not one word and did not help my elderly parents get in or out of the car.
Where is the common courtesy one expects when one hires a driver? Where is the respect? My parents were so brave to attempt this trip to honor their old friends, and it became a near disaster. They were totally shaken (and frozen) by this sad experience.
Drivers need to be trained to help their passengers when needed. Efforts to reach Uber on behalf of my parents were completely frustrating: Uber does its best to keep a wall around itself. The taxi from Flash was not much better but did at least take them to the proper address.
These are service jobs. Do people not understand the word “service”?
Only the police were kind and helpful. As they should be. But they should never have needed to be called.
— Jan Ettlinger Tymorek, Madison, Wisconsin
Fed up with All-Star Game
Ever since my 10th summer, I loved watching the MLB All-Star Game. I was fortunate to attend six of these games in person. With one exception for military service, I watched the others live on television.
It was truly exciting for baseball nerds like me to witness the game’s best players in their traditional uniforms playing a game they seemed to take seriously. You could identify a player by his uniform, alone. If it was a White Sox uniform, so much the better.
Sadly, however, after 68 years, I find the game unwatchable. I turned off Tuesday’s game in the fifth inning.
Chicago Tribune Opinion
Today, both teams wear stylized uniforms that would embarrass players on a Chicago softball field.
It’s become very difficult to determine the actual players in the game. Not only are they wearing the same meaningless outfits, but also, all their caps are the same drab shade of gray. Obviously, MLB wants to sell merchandise and will do so at any cost to the game.
Add to this that Fox Sports has actually found announcers worse than Joe Buck. Pointless interviews with players — while they’re actually on the field and in the game — render the pitcher-batter matchup an afterthought. How many times do we need to hear clichéd responses to: “What does this game mean to you?”
Well, if I’m asked what the game means to me, they won’t like the answer.
— John McHugh, Lake Forest
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