It may be too soon for students to celebrate marijuana legalization because NIU’s marijuana policy will still stand. This is a blessing in disguise.Beginning Jan. 1, recreational marijuana will be legal in Illinois. Residents of Illinois will be allowed...
Gov. J.B. Pritzker passed legislation Feb. 19 to gradually increase minimum wage to $15 by 2025. This is the first state-wide increase since 2010. The perspective staff weighs in on the potential impact of the increase.Increase bodes well for part-time...
The Northern Star Editorial Board believes Sean T. Frazier, Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics, should not be allowed to sign off on contract negotiations without the consent of the Board of Trustees.This statement comes following the...
NIU Housing hosted Sex In The Dark Oct. 16 in the New Orleans Room located in Stevenson North Residence Hall to promote sex education among students.The event was informative and needed, as there may be some college students who don’t have knowledge...
The Northern Star Editorial Board feels the hearings and election of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court perpetuate rape culture, the belittling of sex crimes as a result of societal attitudes about gender and sexuality.President Donald Trump...
DeKALB — After unexpectedly stepping into the role of acting president for the last year, Lisa Freeman has reconsidered her candidacy for president.NIU has been preparing for the presidential search after Doug Baker’s unexpected departure in June...
Elected officials should use their right of free speech when candidates who are attempting to unseat the representatives employ bigotry, hate and fear to win a race.
Republican Rep. Jeanne Ives has a bigoted political advertisement sarcastically “thanking” Gov. Bruce Rauner for his support of birth control, unions, sanctuary cities and for allowing grown men in dresses to use girls’ bathrooms, according to the BenedictRauner.com ad.
Ives mocked the transgender community and inflamed the bathroom debate by mischaracterizing Rauner’s support of House Bill 1785. The ad depicts a man wearing a dress thanking Rauner because he can now use the women’s bathroom. This representation is inflammatory as Ives is insinuating the transgender community is illegitimate and bills that grant them equal rights are just tools for illegitimate members of the trans community to be sexual predators.
House Bill 1785 actually amends the Vital Records Act. The bill requires those who have undergone “gender transition treatment” to have a licensed health care or mental health care professional make a declaration about the individual’s transition before issuing an updated birth certificate with their new gender and name, according to the bill.
When Ives’ decision to run the commercial and its intent were questioned, her spokesperson doubled down and said “she is not pulling the ad because she is not intimidated by Gov. Rauner and what she called his paid party mouthpieces,” according to a Feb. 3 WGN article.
What’s most interesting about Ives’ political ad is Rauner never publicly denounced her bigoted ad; he remained silent on the topic altogether.
While Ives is in her own right to say and think what she wants about the transgender community, her ad is not a true reflection of the bill passed by Rauner.
Elected officials especially Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner ,should be representing all communities, and Ives’ misleading attack against Rauner was also an attack against the very communities Illinois elected officials are supposed to represent.
The only way to combat an individual’s right to spew hate and bigotry is by using the same right to counter their words.
People in power have an obligation as elected officials to use their voice to represent people. By staying silent, they aren’t doing their job.
