Skokie Pride Follows President's Comments

SKOKIE, IL - Hometown pride can mean different things in different places, and Skokie residents are not shy about showing off.

Even if their town name draws a few chuckles.

President Barack Obama’s appearance at the University of Chicago last week was dominated by talk about Merrick Garland, the U.S. Appeals court judge who Obama has nominated as the next member of the Supreme Court of the United States.

And even though Garland hails from the nearby village of Lincolnwood, Obama had a little fun with the name “Skokie.”

He answered a question about what diversity Garland would bring to the court with a nod to him being from “Skokie” and later used the phrase “black lesbian from Skokie” while discussing other diversity-related issues.

The president’s lines had “Skokie, Illinois” trending on Facebook and Twitter. And Skokie natives responded by touting their home village.

“I’ve often wondered if Skokie might be the most diverse community per capita in the U.S.,” Noelle Colquhon Sullivan wrote on the Skokie Patch Facebook page, stating that more than 94 languages are spoken in Skokie homes.

“That’s got to be a record,” Sullivan said. “It’s such a great place to live.”

Eugene Salganik offered the idea that had Obama come from Skokie, perhaps he “could have balanced the budget.”

“We have very good economics, great services from the village, a strong diverse community, a strong school system that turns out educated people, and one of the top police forces in the nation,” Sam Corcione wrote. “Laugh at the name, but the Village of Skokie is a great place to live and work.

To which Salganik replied, “the whole U.S. should be as economically sound as Skokie.”