As a high school student, it has been very easy for me to feel helpless while watching what has been going on in our country this past year. We have watched an elected president start to look more and more like an authoritarian leader as he silences media corporations, persecutes political enemies, harasses innocent civilians and cozies up to the most powerful billionaires in the world.

We no longer have a government that serves the people, as the Founders of the Constitution intended. Seeing all of this has left me feeling: “What can I, as an American teen, do to ensure my government is working for me?”

This has caused me to do some research. Although I cannot personally fix these problems in their entirety, there is a lot I can do to voice my concerns to make this government work for me and the many Americans who are upset right now.

For one, I can attend protests. This year, there have been many demonstrations. From the millions of people who attended the “No Kings” protest, to even the small school walkout I attended to voice my concerns about the abuses of force used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, there are many demonstrations I can attend.

I can also write my representative in Congress, voicing my concerns to compel them to take some action to help.

And most importantly, I can do what I am doing right now, spreading information to teens like me — showing teens what is going on right now and why we need to take action to fix it. This is imperative to the hope that our country can be what it is intended to be, as President Abraham Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address, a “government of the people, by the people, (and) for the people.” We are living in the scariest of times, especially for teens who don’t want to live in a world like the one we’re in for the decades to come, but there is so much we can do.

I am currently registered to vote for the midterms and intend to continue to exercise my rights as an American to make my opinion heard.

— James Woodson, Chicago

Walkouts show disrespect

I understand how students feel about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. Protest against things with which one disagrees is part of our national heritage.  However, walking out of class demonstrates disrespect to the teachers who care for their well-being and support these students on a daily basis.

The truth is that George W. Bush and Barack Obama each saw more people deported during their terms in office than Donald Trump has seen deported during his terms.

— Ira Schafer, Bourbonnais, Illinois

Bravo to today’s teens

When I was in high school almost 70 years ago, the state of the world was not uppermost in my mind. Today’s teenagers are more informed and involved. I salute the thousands of young people who are marching and demonstrating for change in our country.

Their voices will be heard in the next elections and will hopefully make this country stronger and more inclusive.

— Joy Orlowsky, Northbrook

Stop naysaying and act

Please don’t tell me “Congress won’t do anything” unless you’ve really, really tried to make them. I have people tell me, “Congress won’t do anything,” and in the same breath say, “No, I don’t write or call my rep.”

Y’all, you can’t have it both ways. If you’re not trying, then no, you won’t see any change. Politicians respond to the pressure of the people who do care enough to call or write or protest at their office. If that’s not you, then don’t complain when you don’t see any results.

It is our role as citizens in a representative democracy, our right, responsibility and privilege, to tell our reps what we want them to do. So go do it.

— Linda Falcao, Baltimore

Editorial board analysis

Thank you for the thoughtful analysis of the candidates running in the March primary for U.S. senator (“Our thoughts on the primary race for Dick Durbin’s Senate seat,” Feb. 15). When I received my mail-in ballot last week, I had no idea which of the many candidates I would vote for. After reading the editorial, the choice became clear.

I appreciate the Tribune Editorial Board’s help.

— Jeffrey E. Fireman, Deerfield

LaHood looks other way

The front-page interview with U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (“Illinois Republicans weigh fealty to Trump amid backlash, shutdown threat GOP,” Feb. 13), in which the congressman describes strong differences with the Donald Trump administration on immigration enforcement and widespread use of tariffs, reveals exactly why he needs to be replaced in November.

Despite objecting to the tariff policy “from an affordability standpoint, from an inflation standpoint and an open market standpoint,” LaHood joined other Republicans in voting against legislation to rescind Trump’s Canadian tariffs. As long as the GOP is in control of the U.S. House and Senate — and politicians like LaHood continue to look the other way on all the self-dealing, environment-wrecking, health care-gutting and voter-intimidating policies their leader insists on imposing on an American democracy that thousands of veterans have died trying to preserve — these lawmakers are just as culpable as enablers in that destruction.

While downstate Republican U.S. Reps. Mike Bost and Mary Miller preside over what Tribune reporters Daniel C. Vock and Rick Pearson describe as “deep-red” Illinois districts, LaHood’s 16th contains a mix of rural and urban communities with significant population centers such as Bloomington-Normal, Rockford and the outskirts of the Quad Cities. All have residents whose current views deserve honest representation.

Until redrawn after the 2020 census when the state lost a district through reapportionment, the district was represented by Adam Kinzinger, a principled Republican who made it his business to uphold the Constitution in seeking the truth about efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Kinzinger chose not to engage in a primary contest with LaHood; as a commentator who relocated to Texas, he remains an outspoken critic who no longer can vote against the excesses of this administration. Vock and Pearson note that LaHood has no primary challenger in 2026, yet he still appears to be handcuffed as a member of the fragile Republican majority rather than representing his constituents or even acting on his own beliefs.

Perhaps the Democratic primary can fill the void by producing a credible candidate who will return real representation to the people of central Illinois.

— Bob Johnston, Chicago

More choices are needed

A Tribune reader waxes nostalgic when talking about third-party candidates (“Alternative to 2 parties,” Feb. 12).

He thinks they disappeared because voters ignored them. Voters ignored them because they realized our elections are made for only two parties. A third candidate splits the votes of one party and hands the victory to the other party.

We have a serious problem with our elections, and we shouldn’t expect the parties to try to fix it. They don’t want more competition. The only way this will get fixed is if some influential outside entities, such as newspapers, take up the cause. They must apply relentless pressure on our politicians to make the election system amenable to third-party candidates.

The easiest way is when there are three major candidates: Allow the voters to pick a second choice. When there are more serious candidates, things get complicated.

In a nation of 342 million people, we are long overdue for more choices in our elections.

— Larry Craig, Wilmette

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/17/letters-021726-student-walkouts/