Letter To The Editor: Meaning Of Rusty Wheat's Chain Gang

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Letter To The Editor:

I have performed clean-up efforts in Edwardsville, Alton, East Alton, Wood River, Roxana, and Bethalto (please check my public post under Rusty Wheat on Facebook) and each time I have my Chain gang signs out for public view, I use the county issued IDOT orange bags to draw attention.

Recently people have contacted Senator Harriss's office in Springfield and have even spoken out at the Wood River City Council meeting regarding the use of my not-for-profit charter name "Chain Gang" as being a racist organization and being insensitive to the plight of less fortunate individuals.

People can think what they want about the name, but what it means to me and why I use it is very simple.

It means "Ties to my Community" and nothing more. The Chain is my "Tie", and the Gang is "MY Community."

Ties to my community, it's straightforward and nothing about it is racist, I work alone and believe in leading by example.

Rusty Wheat

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