August 17, 2010

Who’s Buried in Roland Burris’s Tomb?

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Chicago, Illinois—The most ridiculous thing about Sen. Roland Burris’s tomb at Oak Woods Cemetery on the South Side isn’t the fact that it already exists, even though he still does too. It’s not the inscription, loaded with trail-blazing factoids like “First African-American in Illinois to become SIU exchange student to University of Hamburg, Germany.” It’s not even the scale—it’s big enough to have its own bench inside, convenient for taking a break from the heat or, depending on how you feel about the Senator’s legacy, leaving political offerings.

No, the most ridiculous thing about Roland Burris’s tomb is that it’s right next to this guy.

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With just 4 days left, we need a huge surge in reader support to get to our $400,000 year-end goal. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters. All gifts are 3X matched and tax-deductible.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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