My alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, faces many challenges but one even more daunting to its politically correct leadership: the choice of a new mascot.
The university really never had a mascot. It had a symbol: Chief Illiniwek. However, the university did away with the Chief. He was replaced (sort of) by a big orange capital “I.”
The university has been accepting recommendations for a new — actually, its first — mascot. The front-runner appears to be a fairly unimpressive bird called the kingfisher.
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The most glorious choice for University of Illinois mascot is the Tully Monster. I’m serious.
The Tully Monster (Tullimonstrum gregarium) is the official state fossil of Illinois and inhabited the waters covering the state some 300 million years ago. It was discovered in 1958 by Francis Tully.
Why would Tully be a great mascot?
These fossils have been found only in the Mazon Creek fossil beds of Illinois. That means it is Illinois’ fossil, and nobody else can claim it. Lots of universities have mascots named after birds or furry animals, but they are hardly unique.
The Tully Monster was a highly flexible creature that grew as long as 18 inches. It was a voracious carnivore with a long jaw and sharp teeth. You would not have wanted to encounter Tully in the prehistoric waters of Illinois. It is easy to picture a vicious depiction of the creature on athletic uniforms and banners. At minimum, the unusual image would distract other teams and give Illinois athletes an advantage.
Unlike Chief Illiniwek, Tully is unlikely to rouse the ire of anyone. I doubt there are fossil rights activists.
— Jim Fair, Glen Ellyn
Smart plan for butterflies
Thanks for the excellent editorial on saving the monarch butterflies (“Plan now to help save monarch butterflies next summer,” Jan. 1). I’m happy that the Illinois Department of Transportation plans to mow less area along the roadways. This will allow milkweed to thrive, and other naturalization to occur.
Being a Texan, I’ve long wished the Texas Department of Transportation would mow less area. I plan to forward your editorial to them and encourage them to cut back on their cutting.
— Donna Glass, Washington, Texas
Republican’s ambitions
Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley’s announcement that he will object when Congress counts the Electoral College votes has nothing to do with protecting the underpinnings of our constitutional democracy. It is naked political calculus.
Hawley is simply pandering to the mentality of President Donald Trump’s base in an effort to position himself for a White House run in 2024.
It is essentially a foregone conclusion that Joe Biden will be a one-term president, with Kamala Harris and a slew of Democratic candidates running in his stead. Odds are there will be other Republicans who crave their center stage moment, jumping on the bandwagon on Jan. 6, 2021.
— Jim Paladino, Tampa, Florida
Police serve critical role
Undoubtedly those who clamored to “defund the police” cost the Democrats seats in the House and Senate that they were projected to win Nov. 3.
Imagine the lives that would have been lost on Christmas morning in Nashville, Tennessee, if it weren’t for the courageous action of six police officers who alerted people in the neighborhood of the impending explosion.
Imagine the death toll in Rockford if police officers hadn’t been patrolling the vicinity of the bowling alley and immediately disarmed the man after the fatal shooting of three people and the wounding of three others.
Although there have been many cases of police brutality that have resulted in deaths, and the grave problem must be addressed, police play a vital role. Just like those who charge that the presidential election was rigged, assert that climate change is a hoax and claim that President Donald Trump was sent by God to smash the “deep state” pedophile ring, those who want to defund or disband police departments and remove police officers from school buildings are unhinged from reality.
The common denominator of the two sides is their ignorance.
— Neil Milbert, Wilmette
Vibrant newspaper town
Letter writer Howard Kirschner grew up in Chicago with two daily newspapers (“Keeping free press alive,” Dec. 31). Nice! But I grew up when there were five: the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Daily News, Chicago Herald American, Chicago Sun and Chicago Times.
My dad sold newspapers, so I was able to read them all, and as a child during World War II, I was terrified at the war news. I remember the LaSalle Hotel fire in June 1946.
— Marilynn Miller, Crest Hill
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