Page 13 - August 2018

Field Representative’s Report
The importance of your vote in the upcoming elections
The incidents that occurred on July 7, in which pro- testors were allowed to take over the Dan Ryan, are ex- amples of how many public officials have turned their backs on the police and the good citizens of this City. Instead of our public officials ensuring the enforce- ment of laws, they allow protestors to have their way. This act of lawlessness not only put our members at risk in having to contend with an active expressway, but it also cost the taxpayers of the state $200,000.
In the riot on 71st Street following the police-in- volved shooting on July 14, citizens without any jus- tification or proof of wrongdoing again attacked police. The mob mentality that has been allowed — and sometimes encouraged — by those who have been elected was once again ignored by our public officials, giving protestors the belief that they have the right
to act as they did.
Our mayor stated that it was a teaching experience, and he was
100 percent correct.
It was a teaching experience to every law-abiding member of the
City, every resident who has to live among the criminals of this City and every member of this Lodge. There needs to be a change, and that change starts at the voting booth.
The November election is just around the corner, and the Lodge is looking for a large presence by our members both in this one and — even more importantly — the one that follows in April. For far
too long, we as a voting bloc have allowed others to dictate who our public officials are. In doing so, we have given the wrong people a voice. A voice that has created the environment in which we now have to live and work.
It takes little effort to look around and realize that the policies and laws being created are the reasons for many of the issues plagu- ing our City.
When public officials choose to cater to the organizations that have anti-police ideologies; when they are more worried about the rights of criminals than the citizens who live in the communities across our City; when they are afraid to offend a person’s right to protest over the rule of law — they allow a lawless environment to be created.
It’s an environment that has allowed criminals to go unpunished and police to be the focus of microscopic examinations of every decision they make. It’s an environment that allows people to con- demn our members in every interaction they have with the com- munity they protect and serve.
If you are tired of it, like many others, the upcoming elections are a time to voice that through your vote. The change is simple on your part. If you are not registered to vote, get registered. Simply go to: ova.elections.il.gov. Take the few minutes to register. Get out and vote, and encourage your family, friends and coworkers to do the same. Vote for change. d
ROBERT BARTLETT
Knapp Medical Center
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• Convenient Location with Free Parking in rear
Knapp Medical Center LTD Keith C. Knapp, Jr, MD
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CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ AUGUST 2018 13