Open Line

Did I hear right? Illinois, so tough on gun laws, now capitulates and allows licensed registered gun owners to carry an encased weapon in their vehicle? This has to be a message that our personal safety is becoming more and more compromised.

Mel Dormer

Aurora

I see that immigration activists are asking CNN to get rid of Lou Dobbs because of his stance on illegal immigrants in the United States. I can relate to Mr. Dobbs in the fact that as soon as you point out some true facts or real issues, you get accused of being a racist or a bigot. I do agree that Mr. Dobbs should not be on CNN, though. He should be in the White House.

Dale Nichols

Aurora

Why would they want to give Brian Dugan another life sentence? He already has two. What is another one? If there ever was any man that should be put in the electric chair, it's him. I say electric chair because a shot in the arm is too good. You do that to pets that you love and you have to put down. You don't do it to people like this. I would happily pull the switch if I could.

Bonnie Drew

Montgomery

I would like to know why are they making out like Dugan is a Hollywood celebrity. He is nothing but scum and he is mocking our system. And he loves it. And the people who run it, he is mocking them also. If he gets the death penalty, it will mean another 20 years of him moving through all his appeals. He should have been put away many years ago.

Shirley Keller

Aurora

I just wanted to compliment and say hats off to Aurora Pancake House on Lake Street in Aurora. We went there Friday night. It was wonderful and great. We had a wonderful waiter. His name was Miguel. Terrific. Great food. They have a senior menu all the time that includes dessert.

Sandy Popp

Batavia

Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas. Let's go back to the old days. They were certainly better than they are now. The more we did without, the more we appreciated life and a good hot meal with family and friends. We all hurt, but let's be thankful for what we have or as little we have. That's how you feel when you reach maturity. Stay well and God bless.

Wilma Hauer

Aurora

Health care has become one of the more important issues of the day. Even though many of us are healthier and living longer, there is a growing segment of us who are responsible for increasing health care costs. We as a whole are becoming globally fat. I see it in my own family, and this is causing our health care costs to go up and up. In many tax structures, the more you make, the more you pay. I am beginning to like the idea of taxing overweight people. -- age, gender and height will be taken into consideration. Thus taxing so much a pound over an established weight because obese people are candidates for diabetes, high blood pressure, leg problems and so forth, we would be doing them a favor.

Earl Johnson

St. Charles

The suggestion in Monday's letters to the editor that we bring factories back here is a good one. Isolationism doesn't work, however. Without significant tax cuts so they can compete, the thing about bringing businesses here is they'd only close their doors.

David Craig

Aurora

I'm calling in regard to the gentleman who wanted to compare the salaries of our military to the police officer at Northern Illinois University. My son is currently on his third deployment in Afghanistan, and most of the military who are overseas are comprised of what is classified as an E5 or under, which means that their salaries are less than $29,000 a year. Hardly seems justified, if you ask me. I believe that might even be poverty rate. I just wanted to clarify that so people can see just how underpaid the people who are protecting our country actually are.

Sharon O'Brien

Oswego