A DAY IN THE LIFE (of Chicago): Jackson’s health public, or a secret?

In just under one month, Jesse Jackson, Jr., is going to face sentencing for the criminal charges he pleaded guilty to as they relate to his use of campaign funds for personal expenditures.


JACKSON: Public, or private?

Attorneys for Jackson, the former Congressman from Chicago’s Far South Side and surrounding suburbs, have made it clear they want his health issues (he’s been diagnosed as being bipolar) to be a factor in what a federal judge for the District of Columbia takes into account when imposing a sentence.

BUT THOSE ATTORNEYS this week made it clear there are limits as to how much of his health data ought to be public. They want part of a sentencing memorandum to be sealed to the public.

The parts related to his health; specifically the parts that contain letters written by doctors who provide medical details of just how ill Jackson truly is.

There have been enough people who oppose Jackson for politically partisan reasons who hate the idea that health and physical fitness will be a factor at all. I’m sure they’re prepared to start ranting about how this is some sort of cover-up.

As though they won’t be happy unless they get personal details that they can then use to try to humiliate Jackson further than he already feels.

WHICH MEANS WE have to figure whether we agree with the attorneys, who this week said that releasing those doctor letters would, “disclose unnecessarily the defendant’s and his family member’s medical information, diagnoses and treatment to the public.”

Personally, I’m amazed that the Mayo Clinic (where Jackson went for some treatment prior to his indictment) provided as much detail as they did about bipolar disorder.

Although I’m pretty sure some people (the ones who think that the potential for a five-year prison term that Jackson faces isn’t sufficient) are going to complain no matter how this situation turns out on July 1 – the date that Jackson and spouse Sandi (the former 7^th Ward alderman) are scheduled for sentencing.

What else is notable in the land along Lake Michigan where two mediocre-to-sorry baseball teams prevail?

MOVING ON?:  First Crete. Now Joliet.

... except for detention

The latter city this week said it was no longer interested in being the location for a detention center designed for people who face federal immigration law violations.

Federal officials want to hire Nashville-based Corrections Corp. of America to build five privately-run facilities to hold people facing deportation – including one in the Midwest near Chicago.

But every single site considered thus far has aroused the anger of locals who don’t want any such structure built near them. Combined with the people who hate the idea of privately-run facilities for these offenses, it’s a wonder if any place will ever be willing to have a jail-like facility located nearby.

LET THEM COME. HECKLE THEM INSTEAD:  The Gay Pride Parade will be held this year on June 30, and the question is whether any political people will be seen among its participants.

 

They usually are. But there’s a petition drive these days from people who say they want the elected officials kept out – on account of the fact that the Illinois House of Representatives could not be bothered to vote on the measure that would have legitimized marriage for gay couples.

Personally, I think that’s short-sighted. Keep in mind that the Illinois state Senate approved the measure (back on Valentine’s Day). Perhaps any political gesture should be aimed at the Illinois House.

Or better yet, let the political people march in the parade – if they have the nerve. Because I suspect the boos, heckles and taunts they would receive would make for a very uncomfortable environment. Maybe that’s what it will take to make them realize the short-sightedness of their actions last week.

DEFINE ABORTION!:  Rev. Michael Pfleger of the St. Sabina Parish is used to saying things that manage to tick people off. Although I suspect he will upset, and confuse, many interests when it comes to abortion.

FLEGER: Looking out for poor, regardless of who's offended

Pfleger, who spoke Monday night at Governors State University about how he thinks our society these days is doing harmful things to children, used the “A” word. Although he didn’t define it as a medical procedure.

He says that corporate entities, schools and others commit acts all the time that harm the chances of children to grow to adulthood and succeed in life, and he considers those just as bad.

“Whatever harms a child from growing to term, that is an abortion,” he said.

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St. Xavier football gives local politicos only chance to brandish a trophy

Cook County officials were in their glory on Wednesday as they got to engage in a bit of fluff before delving into such serious issues as immigration “detainers” and how messed up are Stroger Hospital finances?

It was football time.

What fun is football without cheerleaders?



AND SINCE THE Chicago Bears had their season in 2011 delve into a level of complete dreck, it turned to the St. Xavier Cougars from the Southwest Side to provide the occasion.

St. Xavier last month beat Carroll College (in the Milwaukee suburbs) for the NAIA national championship title for last year. Which makes them the first college football team from Chicago proper to be able to make such a claim in 99 years.

It seems the University of Chicago (back in the days when they were Big Ten) can make a claim of sharing a title with Harvard University for 1913. That was the last, until the athletes from St. Xavier gave us something to cheer for – had we been paying attention this autumn.

Which is why team and university officials were at the Cook County Board meeting, bringing their huge trophy to show off, while Commissioner John Daley boasted that his father (the late Mayor Richard J.) helped to develop the neighborhood around 103^rd Street just west of Central Park Avenue.

AND COMMISSIONER JERRY “the Iceman” Butler mocked the student-athletes by asking them, “I’m wondering why it took you 99 years” to win.

Of course, it doesn’t say much that St. Xavier is the first Chicago college football team to win a championship in so long. It’s not like the Chicago White Sox going 88 years between World Series victories or the Chicago Cubs still waiting for a World Series victory after 104 seasons of coming up short (some years, way short).



Chicago's latest athletic champion. Photographs provided by St. Xavier University



For to the best of my knowledge, there are few Chicago-based colleges that have football programs – St. Xavier, the aforementioned University of Chicago and North Park University up around Foster and Kedzie avenues.

And North Park’s moment of athletic glory came back in the late 1970s-early 1980s when their basketball program won four consecutive national titles.

IN SHORT, MOST of our urban universities have scaled back athletic programs (compared to the major conference state universities) that tend to focus on basketball as their main endeavor. In short, Chicago hasn’t had a championship college football team in 99 years because there simply aren’t many teams.

For those of you who want to cite the Northwestern Wildcats football program, keep in mind that they technically are an Evanston-based entity. They belong to the suburbs and don’t really count in this particular achievement.

I wonder how much locals really care about college athletics – unless they went to a particular school. I know in my own case, most of my attention goes to my alma mater – which I recall had basketball teams in the mid-1980s that used to play extremely well, UNTIL North Park would come to town and whomp on our butts.

It is the reason why that Northwest Side college is one part of Chicago that I just can’t get into. The old IWU Titan fan in me holds me back. Even if North Park ever put together a football program that would manage to do the city proud by accomplishing what St. Xavier managed to do.

IT WILL BE interesting to see if St. Xavier is able to follow up in future seasons on their achievements of 2011. At the very least, it must be a highlight for the athletes on that team who by-and-large are Chicago-area kids from places like Mount Carmel High School, Thornton High in Harvey or Joliet Central.

They got to say they played college football, and have some memories of a championship – even though most of us weren’t watching closely as they ratcheted up their record of 14-1 (their only loss was a 27-9 game on Nov. 5 against Indiana-based Marian University).

Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another 99 years before some local institution of higher learning gives our city another championship of a sort.

Because if we have to wait for the Cubs to do something right – I don’t think any of us can live that long!

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