“I feel really torn and confused when I go to a store in Chicago that offers both organic and non-organic produce,” writes organic farmer Kimberely Rector of Angelic Organics in Farm News (August 5). “As a farmer, making about $1.50 an hour, I seldom have very much cash in my pockets. I normally don’t have to make a choice between organic and non-organic produce; I eat abundantly out of our all-organic garden. But if I want a mango (a crop that doesn’t grace our farm)–should I buy an organic one for $2.29 (that’s an hour and a half of my sweat), when I can buy 3 chemically ones for $1.49 (that’s just 20 minutes of my sweat per fruit)? Ouch. I feel like I’m shooting myself in the foot either way. If organic farmers can’t count on other organic farmers to support their products–who can we count on? But if I spend an hour and a half working to pay off a mango, I’ll never even get around to my school loans.”
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“The glue that has held the American Jewish community together for almost 50 years is no more,” writes Joseph Aaron in the Chicago Jewish News (September 1-7). “For almost half a century…all one had to say were the words ‘Holocaust’ or ‘Israel,’ to evoke a visceral sense of emotional connection in Jews, causing them to reflexively support Jewish institutions, causing them to instinctively understand the importance of being a part of the Jewish people. For good or bad, that no longer works with Jews in their 20s and 30s. The Holocaust is to them a part of history, as tragic but as far away as the Spanish Inquisition.”
As others see us. What can you find to wear in the Daily Planet “global clothing and gifts” catalog (fall 1995) out of Saint Paul? Himalayan hand-embroidered dresses, hand-batiked jackets from Indonesia, a traditional Thai farmer’s shirt, and–a Chicago policeman’s jacket. The description reads: “Chicago blues, as brave and tough as the city they protect. Here’s their jacket, the real thing in distressed black top grain cowhide with pockets inside and out, brass ‘Chicago Police’ buttons, storm cuffs, button epaulets and double front closure for warmth. Authentic patches [rectangular city flag, octagonal “Chicago Police” logo] are also included for you to attach.” Price: $345.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): illustration/Carl Kock.
