City needs ‘Conclave on Civility’

I am a 71-year- old white male. I was born, raised and live in Chicago, and by God’s grace I will someday die in Chicago. I spent 34 years in government service at the federal, state and city levels, dealing with people from every walk of life and every color in the rainbow, from elected and government officials to everyday people, from elites to those from middle class neighborhoods to Cabrini- Green. It has helped me to be a fairly good judge of human nature and the human condition.

We all want basically the same thing: a good and safe life for our families, the ability to make a good living, to be free to fairly pursue our desires, and to be respected and to give respect in return.

I challenge the mayor, the governor, the business community and religious leaders to come together and form a Conclave of Civility, or whatever you may choose to call it. Bring people together from every walk of life and every neighborhood. Have them sit together in small groups, with middleclass folks of every race sharing their desires and fears, with a gang member sitting across from a Chicago police officer, with a homeless person speaking with a Gold Coast resident. You get the picture.

We all need to air our grievances, to not only hear one another but to listen to each other. In doing so, we might learn to respect each other more because we understand each other better. This is Chicago, the City that Works, but it needs to work much better and more harmoniously.

To the powers that be, will you accept the challenge?

James J. Mose Sr., Garfield Ridge