Author: pvbella

“Few things in this building shock the conscience because we hear things in this building every day of violent nature. … But this shocks the conscience,” the judge said. “Throwing a person over a railing, beating them with implements, kicking him without provocation. Grabbing him by the hood. Dragging him. The list goes on and on. I’m not gonna repeat the state’s proffer. And all of this caught on video. Clearly, the evidence is there ….” (Block Club Chicago)

We hear about crime on the CTA regularly. But, when the criminal is a CTA employee, there is something very wrong going on. The employee’s actions were unconscionable. For one hour, he beat, kicked, dragged, and threw the victim downstairs. One hour, all caught on video. The victim died. The Medical Examiner is still determining the cause and manner of death.

The CTA employee was charged with aggravated battery in a public place and aggravated battery to a transit passenger. He is being held on $3 million dollars bond. The bond is unusually high in the lenient Cook County Court system. Charges may be upgraded when the cause and manner of death are determined. Or maybe Kim Foxx will claim this was mutual combat- whatever that is- and set the employee free.

From the description of the videos, this was a horrendous crime. I cannot remember if a CTA employee committed such a crime while working. There is something very wrong in this city when public employees who are supposed to provide service resort to violence and killing innocent people.

The CTA employee did not think they would catch his violent actions on video. It appears he acted with impunity, just like the other violent criminals who terrorize Chicago. It is not bad enough we must fear common criminals, but now we must fear CTA employees. Yes, this was a one off, but perception counts. Will we be looking over our shoulders or giving the eye to transit workers because of this?

Where were the security guards or Chicago Police officers who were supposed to be patrolling the El stations? If it wasn’t for the security cameras, the employee may have gotten away with this appalling crime.

“I am appalled by this person’s behavior, which not only is completely contrary to CTA policies but also showed a stunning lack of humanity,” Carter said in a statement. “His actions are an insult to the thousands of hardworking and dedicated men and women who serve CTA customers every day.” (CTA President Dorval Carter Jr./Block Club Chicago)

We will probably find out later what led to the CTA employee’s violent outburst resulting in the death of an innocent person. It will not lessen the fact that for approximately one hour, the employee literally tortured a person to death.

On April 4^th, we will learn who the new mayor of Chicago will be. Lori Lightfoot will be a bad memory. I do not envy whoever wins the election, Vallas or Johnson.

Lori Lightfoot left no legacy except the major mess she leaves behind. They are inheriting a mess that will take a long time to clean up. Public safety is on the ballot. But there are other issues that are just as important. City finances, pensions, public education, property taxes, crumbling infrastructure, and a host of other issues are plaguing the city. Lightfoot neglected many.

The mayor neglected the downtown, Michigan Avenue, and Near North business communities. Too many storefronts are shuttered. That is not only a loss of revenue for the businesses but also a loss of tax revenue for the city. She was more concerned with bread and circuses like Lollapalooza, other concerts, and NASCAR. We are stuck with Lollapalooza for years because of the long-term contract she signed.

The new mayor must deal with the city council. Lightfoot, from day one, had a rocky relationship with the council. She angered many of the alderpersons throughout her tenure. Her promise of reform was broken. The Chicago Way is still alive and kicking, not quite on life support, as many believe.

Lightfoot forgot how important the alderpersons are in their wards. They are the de facto mayors of each ward. People look to the aldermen to solve day-to-day issues. I do not agree with my alderman on many of his positions. But he takes care of the ward’s day-to-day problems. He walks to and from many places throughout the ward. When he sees a problem, he gets on the phone to solve it. The same holds true for the alderman in the adjoining ward.

Lightfoot hunkered down on the fifth floor of City Hall and forgot there are 50 wards with 50 alderpersons. She never learned how to make friends and influence people. Everyone I know who supported her and voted for her the last time is disappointed. Many are furious.

Lightfoot brooked no criticism. She lashed out at critics instead of looking for solutions to problems. Public safety is a perfect example. She refused to fire the totally inept and incompetent former Superintendent of Police David Brown. She dug her heels in while crime was rampant in every neighborhood in Chicago. When riots, arson, and mass looting broke out during the George Floyd protests, she almost let parts of the city almost to be destroyed.  

She backed down from criticizing State’s Attorney Kim Foxx for her horrid and legally questionable prosecutorial actions. She endorsed Foxx’s reelection because of the intercession of Chicago Machine Boss, Toni Preckwinkle. It was the act of a coward.

Perception is the new reality. If people perceive the city as not safe, the city is not safe. Lightfoot never understood that. Armed robberies, carjackings, and other violent crimes are a daily occurrence in every neighborhood in Chicago. Crime prevention and control are almost non-existent. The Chicago Police Department is short-staffed. They cannot hire enough new police officers. Priority calls response times are too slow.

Whether Vallas or Johnson steps into the fifth floor of City Hall, they will face too many major issues. None can be solved quickly. One could even say they are set up to fail. There will be no easy or quick solutions. They will need to work with the City Council and the governor. I will wish them well, but I am prepared to be disappointed.

Spring still hasn’t sprung in Chicago. It is windy and chilly. The wind cuts through you. There is a reason the wind is called the hawk in Chicago. It is predatory.

My photo exhibition was rescheduled and will be held in June. I am finalizing the limited edition prints to be exhibited and will send them to a printer specializing in black and white Giclée printing. Then they will go to the framer. I will set up a website soon to sell more prints.

I am glad baseball is back. Opening day for the Cubs is March 30 and the White Sox opener is April 3. I might splurge and attend a game or two this year. I prefer watching the games in a saloon with friends yelling at the televisions.

I have been tracking the supposed mayoral debates between Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson. These are not debates. They are fingerprinting contests between the two candidates. The supposed moderator asks questions. Neither candidate answers them. The moderator stands by stupidly allowing the candidates to avoid answering questions. Some moderators were members of the Chicago news media, which tells you all you need to know about the state of media in this city.

The newspapers sanitize the debates. Evidently, they are afraid of offending tender sensitivities or something. I never believe what candidates say while running. I witness what they do when elected. They never fail to disappoint. Vallas and Johnson will be no different if elected. They will realize the immensity of the job and all the moving parts that go with it.

I hope the Chicago City Council will no longer be a rubber stamp to the mayor and they get to make their own rules and appoint their own committee heads. It would be nice to have an independent council after decades of alderpersons showing fealty to the mayor. They must work with the mayor too and the mayor must work with them.

Public safety is the number one priority on the ballot. Neither candidate is offering much in cleaning up Lori Lightfoot’s mess. There will be no instant change. Chicago will not become safer overnight. Civic messes take time to clean up, and the public safety mess is knee deep. It is going to take more than a new Superintendent of Police to clean things up. With the warmer weather arriving, crime will go up. People will still complain about their personal safety. It may be another long, hot, violent summer until things finally turn around.

Without help from the supposed prosecutor’s office and Boss Toni Preckwinkle’s policies, things may still be bad. Criminals know there will be little accountability for their actions. At worst, they will get a slap on the wrist. How the next mayor will handle this is questionable.

All I can say is get out there and vote. The 30+ percentage of the preliminary election was horrendous. If you do not vote, you have no right to complain. You caused the problems. Not the ones who get elected.

On Saturday, I was in my office away from home, at my neighborhood saloon. There was a large private party celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Um, I guess no one told these slap d**ks that St. Patrick’s Day is Friday, not one week before.

All week drunken pukes will drink all day, pretending to be Irish, and acting like fools. Geez, Americans are the dumbest, most culturally insensitive people on the planet. A regular bunch of drooling backwoods rubes, bark chewers, pork swords, and peckerheads. This whole concept of everyone being Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, smacks of cultural appropriation at its worst.

No one claims to be Chinese on Chinese New Year, Italian or Polish on St. Joseph’s Day, African American for Bud Bilikin Day, Mexican on Cinco de Mayo… You get the drift. Yet, dumb, mostly stupid non-Irish White a**wipes think it is perfectly appropriate to claim Irish heritage even though they know little to nothing about Ireland, its people, history, or Irish Americans. Talk about elite privilege.

The only reason non-Irish people celebrate the day for an entire week now is that the liquor and beer companies, along with the saloons, promote it. It gives amateur drinkers an excuse to drink, puke, wash, rinse, and repeat all week long.

My friend, the artist, Tony Fitzpatrick, has his take on the day and the Irish, along with some mythology about the “Luck” of the Irish: Almost every year in Chicago, it’s the same story on St. Patrick’s Day–a bunch of drunken, green-wearing slap-dicks spilling out of bars all over the city and projectile-vomiting foamy green puke on everything in sight.

Some years back, a Greek acquaintance stated the obvious in a saloon full of St. Patrick and St. Joseph revelers wearing their “Kiss me I’m Irish or Kiss me I’m Italian pins. “Man, you guys have it made. St. Patrick and St. Joseph. Kiss me I’ ‘m Irish. Kiss me I’m Italian. What do we Greeks have? St. Nicholas? F**k me I’m Greek?”

We should not make this day a week-long trial of alcohol-fueled debauchery and puking from fake Irish pub crawls. On Friday, hungover fake Irish people will line up in front of fake Irish pubs early and throughout the day, no matter the weather to drink themselves silly, only to wait in line to get in the next one and repeat. I took the picture of the young person above at 2:30 PM on St. Patrick’s Day a few years ago. While she was commiserating, her drunken friends were deciding where to go next to get even drunker.

The Irish should rebel against this cultural appropriation like other races and ethnicities have done. This is their day to celebrate in the fashion they choose. The Alcohol Industrial Complex should not hijack it to include non-Irish people. The Irish should protest loudly against non-Irish amateur drinking people, claiming their heritage for one day or week just to get plastered and leave trails of puke all over the city. I realize I am pi**ing off the Alcohol Industrial Complex, but too f**king bad. This concept of appropriating other cultures just to sell hootch is socially and morally wrong.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I took some time off to handle some important tasks. Life interferes with everything. It looks like spring may come early to Chicago. Except for a few brutal days, winter was mild this year. I hate to see the dry-cleaning bill for all my sweaters. The weather is still like a Yo-Yo, but it appears the worst is behind us.

I thought the Chicago mayoral runoff election would heat up. Instead, the two candidates, Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson, have gone relatively silent. Both are accumulating endorsements from Chicago pols and organizations. I have not followed the money flowing into their campaign funds since Lori Lightfoot’s loss. I only know Vallas has a roughly 2-1 lead over Johnson in fundraising so far.

From all the polls, public safety is the number one issue on the ballot. Crime, especially violent crime, is still out of control in Chicago. It affects all the neighborhoods. People are tired of being victimized or their friends and family members being victimized. People are tired of living in terror when they leave their homes, especially in the evenings.

It is all irrelevant if people do not come out to vote in droves. If you do not vote, pack up and leave. You do not deserve to live in our city. We need to break the curse of only one third of voters coming out in a municipal election.

Baseball is back with spring preseason games. The Cubs and the Sox look pretty good and I hope they can stay the course during the season. I may break the bank and go to one or two games this year. It is a pity tickets, food, and drink are so expensive. Baseball is no longer a sport for all. Like most professional sports, it is for those who can afford to splurge.

The other day I was watching rugby, the Chicago Hounds vs. the Utah Warriors. The Hounds lost. A friend reminded me that Irish Football was more brutal than the British style. I will have to see if Irish football is on any channels in the saloon. Rugby, like soccer, is real football, unlike the NFL’s fakeball.

I have been keeping tabs on the circus, the Greatest Show on Earth, both houses of Congress. I cannot believe people elected so many clowns in public office from both parties. It seems the electorate are as ignorant as the people they elect to Congress. We truly are a nation of backwoods, bark chewing, pecker heads. Both of houses of Congress rendered themselves useless. They are not doing the people’s work. They are playing political, cultural, and morality war games. We are in for a long term of no accomplishments and a lot of hot air from these useless farceurs.

I also have been tracking the war in Ukraine. Russia proved one thing. Their armed forces are not the most feared in the world, as many western leaders, including our own, believed. Their armed forces are incompetent, undertrained, and were never ready to fight a war. The Ukrainians proved they could hold off what was once thought of as one of the best armed forces in the world. Pity the Russians duped the West through all these decades. 

Now is the time for western nations to stop pussyfooting around and dragging their feet. They should act with speed to give Ukraine all the weaponry they need and want to defeat Russia and take back all their land, including Crimea. They should even send long range munitions they keep refusing. Those calling for negotiated appeasement should be ignored. If Russia keeps even one acre of Ukraine, who knows where they will strike next in Eastern Europe.

Lori Lightfoot lost her bid for a second term as mayor of Chicago. She is the first mayor to lose a second term since 1983, when Jane Byrne, the city’s first female mayor, lost her second bid for the Fifth Floor. There are parallels between the two. Both were pugnacious and did not make friends and influence people. As Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza stated about Lightfoot, “I have never met anybody who has managed to piss off every single person they come in contact with — police, fire, teachers, aldermen, businesses, manufacturing, and that’s it.”

Lightfoot failed to build a political coalition during her tenure as mayor. Going into her second election, she had very little support. She fought with everyone and had a tenuous relation with Illinois governor, J.B. Pritzker. She failed to build coalitions with the business community, either. She went to war with business leaders, such as the CEO of McDonalds.

Lightfoot reveled and doubled down on her failures. Two prime examples are the Superintendent of Police and the head of the CTA, both who should have been fired long ago.

The worst thing about this election was the pitiful turnout, roughly 32%. It is shameful that so few people exercised their right and duty to vote. Apathy is destroying this city. People complain loudly about critical issues, yet they refuse to vote. There is no excuse for this. The non-voters are the reason this city is failing. Yet, it is a good bet these non-voters complain the loudest.

The runoff will be between Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson. One of them will walk into the Fifth Floor of City Hall. From day one, they will wear the hat of Lightfoot’s failures. We will expect them to wave a magic wand to correct the problems. From day one, we will criticize them for failures they did not cause and solutions too slow to come.

It will take time to fix the Lightfoot disaster. Time is not something they have with all the impatient voters and the pitiful non-voters. It is not the problems we know about that will bite them on the keesters. It is the problems we do not know about and will come to light quickly. They will take the blame for those too.

I do not envy the next mayor. There is too much to clean up and too little time to do it. Public safety or the lack of it is a major campaign issue. That will take time to turn around, a long time. There is no short-term solution to the out-of-control crime in Chicago.

Chicago is a city of factions with tribal mentalities. Race, ethnicity, class, neighborhoods, businesses of all sizes, and others create sometimes hostile relationships with each other and city hall. Sometimes these factions can be unreasonable. The next mayor will have to deal with these factions. It is hoped they have the temperament to take their grievances seriously. The last thing we need is another mayor who picks fights with everyone. People need the confidence that their issues they will listen and take them seriously, whether or not there are straightforward solutions.

I do not envy the next mayor. Whether it is Vallas or Johnson, I will wish them well. I will be ready to be surprised or disappointed. That’s just the Chicago way.

This was written a long time ago by the now-retired Chicago Police Chaplain, who is also a friend. He sent it in an email to several friends. Some reproduced it on social media. I hope he doesn’t mind me reproducing this. I would hate to have him bring the wrath of the Great Comedian down on me.

“It was about 4:15 on a very cold, snowy morning in the early ‘70’s, and the two wagon men were waiting to leave the E.R. of Children’s Memorial Hospital. Both had some mileage on them, just as the big squadrol did (CPD runs its own livery service like TLC here in the county). They both had leather jackets, and they showed some wear and tear. Topping off the whole picture were the checkered hatbands that mean The Real Police to every Chicagoan.

One wagon man loitered at the nursing desk, waiting for some paperwork to be completed so they could begin their run to the near west side. The other wagon man stood staring out the door, holding a bundle of blankets and bedspreads in his arms. I said hello, and asked what was going on, just to make small talk. His reply moved the moment from small talk to no talk: “Two little ones, Father…dead…carbon monoxide. Take a look.”

He pulled back the fringed edge of the bedspread and two little faces were nestled together, a sight that took my breath away. There was some talk about a space heater in an apartment and other family members being treated at St. Mary’s and St. Elizabeth’s Hospitals, but I didn’t really hear or comprehend very much. I said a brief prayer; probably more for me than anyone else, and when I touched their tiny foreheads there was still a hint of human warmth there.

The wagon man gently pulled the bedspread up and covered the little faces. The partner came over; paperwork rolled up loosely in his hand and connected with us near the exit door. “All set,” he said. And I said, “I don’t know how you guys do it.” And the bundle-bearer replied softly, in words I will always remember, “You can’t let it get to you, Father.” We all walked out into the snow and cold to the squadrol, and I walked toward the wagon’s rear door. Again, the bundle-bearer spoke words that are still in my soul’s memory: “No, no… they ride up front with us.”

We said goodbye, the driver walked around and got in, and the bundle-bearer worked his way into the passenger seat without ever giving up his precious armload. The driver started the wagon, turned on the headlights, and slowly pulled out of the hospital driveway to begin the unrushed journey down Halsted Street.

Religious histories and myths are interwoven with stories of God’s anger at human evil and they are filled with just as many stories of God’s wrath being washed away by the simple goodness or quiet heroism of a single human being. As I walked back to the rectory through the beautiful falling snow, the thought kept running through my mind that whatever evil had occurred on earth since midnight five hours previous, the leather-jacketed bundle-bearer had caught God’s eye, and the earth was safe for another day.”

I would like to congratulate Ukraine for holding the Russian Bear at bay for one solid year. They made the Russian army and Vladimir Putin the laughingstock of the world. Too bad world leaders have no sense of humor or the courage to make fun of him and his rag-tag army.

I listened to interviews with Ukrainians. Some were heartbreaking. Most were encouraging. The people showed courage and grit in the face of death and destruction. Russia generated pure hatred for itself. The Ukrainians are determined to drive Russia out of their country. They will fight one way or another to keep Russia from winning.

In Chicago, the war on the streets continues. Crime is still out of control, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot is oblivious to the victims. She does not care how many citizens in this city are terrorized, shot, killed, or afraid to walk the streets. This is the worst mayor in my lifetime. People I know are considering getting Concealed Carry Permits or already got one, some I would never think would own, let alone carry a firearm.

One would think when Lightfoot started her reelection campaign, there would be some kind of crackdown. One would think wrong. Things are getting worse. Public transportation is also failing. If it gets worse, it will impact the economy, especially downtown, Michigan Avenue, and Near North. Aside from crime, the trains and busses are filthy, as are the El Stations.

Nothing works in the city that used to work. Lightfoot did more damage in almost three years than any mayor since Big Bill Thompson. Spring and warmer weather will be here soon. The crime will spike and there are no plans in effect to change direction. Superintendent of Police David Brown is an abject failure and has been since day one. The rank and file have no confidence in him or the mayor. When you lose the confidence of the rank and file, you failed them and the city.

Chicago needs new leadership and a big broom to sweep out all of Lightfoot’s failing department heads. The same holds true for the alderpersons, very few who have been vocal about Lightfoot’s failures. Hell, most of them do not deserve another term.

It will take a long time to clean up the disaster created by Lightfoot. The next mayor, no matter who it is, will have their hands full putting out the second Great Chicago Fire Lightfoot will leave behind. They will walk into it wearing a gasoline-soaked coat. Change will come slowly. There are no short-range solutions. Until things turn around, they too will wear the hat, taking the blame for Lightfoot’s disaster.

We have more Yo-Yo weather here in Chicago. We went from false spring to winter overnight. It appears the weather will Yo-Yo for the next week. Today it i cold, rainy, fugly weather.

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday, Paczki Day. Paczki Day is celebrated in the Midwest, especially Chicago, by eating fried Polish pastries. My local saloon provided some for the patrons. There is nothing like drinking beer while eating Paczki.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent for many Christians. Easter is nigh. Lent is a time to give things up as we await Holy Week, Holy Thursday (The Last Supper), Good Friday, and finally, Easter. Easter is a day of feasting, usually on ham or lamb, and sides. It is also a seasonal shift. I hope the Yo-Yo weather will not follow through.

Before Easter is St. Patrick’s Day. This year it is on a Friday, which means a three-day weekend for amateur drinkers and pukers. The fake Irish bars and others will be filled with revelers showing why too many people should not drink. Much corned beef and cabbage will be consumed too. I will cook corned beef along with colcannon, as I do most years.

The Chicago mayor’s race is tightening up. So far it is a three-way race Between Paul Vallas, Lori Lightfoot, and Chuy Garcia. Willie Wilson is in a strong fourth place. Whoever beats Lightfoot will inherit a broken city. She resorted to calling one candidate a racist and attacked others with similar ugly smears. When you do not have a record of accomplishment to run on, you break out the dog whistles.

If Lightfoot ekes by, she will complete her destruction of our once great city. As a lifelong resident, I am devastated by how Lightfoot destroyed Chicago in her 3-plus years as mayor. It is heartbreaking. Lightfoot has no accomplishments to brag about. She is the worst mayor in my lifetime.

The leader of the United Soviet Republic of Florida, Ron DeSantis, came to the Chicago burbs to talk about law enforcement, a subject he, like most politicians, knows nothing about. He also injected his warped ideas on education, another topic he knows little about. If Lightfoot was smart (Doubtful), she would have intercepted his plane at the airport with Chicago and Illinois State Police and their SWAT teams. She would have escorted DeSantis and his entourage to a bus at gunpoint. The bus would take them to, I don’t know, maybe the middle of Detroit, and leave them there.

My political position on social and cultural issues is to leave me the f**k alone and I will leave you the f**k alone. Live and let live. That is what a free country is supposed to be. Both sides of the political spectrum are trying to either impose their wills on us or take away our rights, especially the extremist ends of the spectrum. Politicians have no right to dictate morals and values to us. Especially the Christer preachers, who do not practice what they preach. As the Great Comedian’s Son said, “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

Those mackerel-snapping preacher politicians probably do more he-in and she-in, he-in- and he-in, she-in and she-in, and me-in and me-in than most normal people. What a bunch of lowlife hypocrites. It is like the People of Walmart took over our government.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged Black residents to support her campaign for reelection or risk losing the seat and told people who don’t support her not to vote in a vivid display of the city’s racial politics Saturday at a Grand Crossing neighborhood church.. “Any vote coming from the South Side for somebody not named Lightfoot is a vote for Chuy Garcia or Paul Vallas,” Lightfoot said, naming the only Latino and white challengers in the race… “If you want them controlling your destiny, then stay home. Then don’t vote. But we’ve got to do better.” (Chicago Tribune/Emphasis mine)

Oops. There she goes. Mayor Lori Lightfoot put her foot in her mouth again. After the immediate critical responses from her challengers, she flip-flopped, again. Maybe she could be the next rep for one of the many companies that manufacture those sandals.

The damage is done. Reading her remarks harkens back to the days of voter suppression of people of color. How dare she tell the people who shed blood, lost lives, marched, and rallied for the right to vote? How dare she tell anyone in this city not to vote?

Not so curious, neither one of our supposed newspapers ran an editorial castigating the mayor for her irresponsible rhetoric. It proves the point that journalism is on life support in Chicago.

Chicago is not Black, White, or Hispanic. It is a rich stew of multi-ethnicity and race. The mayor’s office does not belong to one particular race or ethnicity. It belongs to all of us and anyone who has the will to take on the job, regardless of race or ethnicity. Lightfoot failed this city. There has been little improvement during her time in office. The city is worse off now than it was when she was elected. It is time for her to go.

No one should vote for a candidate because of race, ethnicity, or to make history. People should vote for the candidate they believe will do the best for all of us. The candidate who will listen to all our voices. Lightfoot is not that candidate. Her comments were divisive, damaging, and hurtful.

Lightfoot finally proved to all that she does not deserve another term. Her flip flopping on her comments was disingenuous and insulting to all Chicagoans. So, to all people, get out and vote. Vote the disastrous Lightfoot out.

One thing I learned in my 52 years of voting . All candidates say one thing during their campaigns. They usually do the opposite on most while in office. Lightfoot was no different. Neither are all the other candidates running against her. We hold their jobs in our hands. When they get elected, reality sets in. Their pipe dreams go out the window when they have to grapple with actual problems daily.

Below are comments from some of her challengers. Source: Chicago Tribune.

“This is disqualifying rhetoric for anyone hoping to lead a Chicago that is a multiracial and multiethnic city,” Garcia said. “We need unity not division.”

Cook County commissioner Brandon Johnson’s campaign also responded.

“Another mayoral challenger, businessman Willie Wilson, also criticized Lightfoot for what he said were “race baiting” comments.”

“Mayor Lightfoot’s comments are delusional, divisive, dangerous, and disappointing!” Wilson said in a statement. “Our city deserves a mayor that does not use race to divide us.”