Saturday Soapbox

Cut it out:Some readers may have responded to Friday's story about allegations of hazing by wrestlers at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake with a shrug or a "Hey, kids have always done that." Well, it's wrong. It's always been wrong. And it needs to stop. If you think it's harmless fun, it's probably never happened to you.Safer Naperville:It's a logical step for Naperville to ease the downtown overnight parking ban so late-night club and restaurant patrons can leave their cars and seek other transportation home. If it takes even one or two drunken drivers off the streets, we're all for it.And on that subject:After St. Charles police pulled over a drunken driving suspect last weekend and he refused a breath test, they chose to pursue a search warrant for a blood test. When the suspect saw the warrant he submitted to the breath test, and felony charges resulted. We'd like to see police consider using this law enforcement tool, typically reserved for crackdown weekends, more often.Going round in circles:Des Plaines' notorious traffic circle at Wolf and Golf roads makes suburban drivers suspicious of roundabouts, but they seem to work fine for drivers in other areas. Planners of a roundabout at Everett and Riverwoods roads in Lincolnshire swear we'll love it, and we'll give them the benefit of the doubt. We hope they're right, because if there's one lesson from the Des Plaines circle, it's that the new roundabout will be around for a long, long time.Decency despite controversy:To the McHenry County College crowd at lawyer Mark Falkoff's lecture about his defense of 17 Guantanamo Bay detainees, we congratulate you for your decorum. Today's political climate might have predicted otherwise.Take the deal:We don't blame the Maine Township teachers union for being angry about how the administration handled its attempt to get the union to rollback promised raises to save 40 jobs - doing it to put maximum public pressure on the union. Nonetheless, it seems like a deal the union would be wise to accept.Did you get the message?Attention DuPage Sheriff John Zaruba: You campaigned on a platform that promised to provide the most efficient service possible accomplished in part "through transparency and open communication." We called you many times on election day but still haven't heard back. I think we might have a different definition of open communication.You've inspired us again:We find inspiring stories in our newspaper every day. This week, we'll highlight Glen Ellyn resident Willie DiFabio, who hiked 2,175 miles on the Appalachian Trail to "get out of his comfort zone" as he transitioned careers. This walk in the woods sends a message to anyone facing changes. Thank you, Mr. DiFabio.Griswold as the ultimate suburbanite:Every December, we see Clark Griswold's inspiration all over the suburbs in over-the-top Christmas displays. Wheaton's Gary Schneider honored the Chevy Chase character in a different way, by re-creating the station wagon from "National Lampoon's Vacation," which will be featured in a Super Bowl commercial Sunday. We love how suburbanites keep finding ways paying homage to a fictional hometown hero.