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Letters to the Editor

Does my vote matter?

I know, I know, we now live in a time that everyone doesn’t believe in a God that created the universe. Rather, we have chose to convince ourselves that God doesn’t exist. For the sake of this article, humor me for a few short paragraphs and allow yourself to consider there is a God and we are responsible for all of our decisions, all of our actions. A trip down “Memory Lane” is in order: My school day started exactly the same. All students would arrive for school at least ten minutes before classes began. Students were on the play-ground waiting for the bell to ring. When the ...

Time to hate wolves – again?

In the September 21 Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton) I read of legislation proposed in the State House to require hunting and trapping of gray wolves in Michigan if and when the species is removed from the federal list of endangered species. This is not the first time, and probably not the last, for such a proposal. What is new, of course, is that voters go to the polls in another month and will see the names of the sponsor and co-sponsor, respectively, of the proposed bill - state Representatives Dave Prestin, R-Cedar River, and Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock. Prestin’s news release implies ...

President Trump’s destruction of the virtues of duty, honor and courage

This letter was jointly submitted to the office of Jack Bergman. President Trump has a pattern of destroying duty, honor, and courage. In the past, he reportedly disparaged veterans in general, calling them “suckers,” including Marines who died in Belleau Wood, and individually like John McCain by mocking his five years of imprisonment and torture after being shot down over North Vietnam. If he understood duty, honor, and courage, he would work to preserve the Kennedy Center and not insist that his name be placed on the building before the $257 million allotted by Congress one year ...

Rebuttal to “Why did Michiganders elect El-Sayed?”

This letter is a rebuttal to a letter published on Sept. 24, 2026. The letter titled “Why did Michiganders elect El-Sayed?” takes a complicated problem and presents a simple solution: put everything under one government payer, call it “free,” and tell taxpayers they will somehow have more money in their pockets. That isn't a serious explanation of how health care works. Abdul El-Sayed is not a licensed practicing physician. He earned a medical degree but never completed a medical residency and therefore did not become a licensed practicing doctor. His public-health background ...

Why did Michiganders elect El-Sayed?

Abdul El-Sayed was born, raised, & schooled in Michigan. His parents had relatives in Egypt. He never met some since they died young of preventable diseases because they didn’t get the childhood vaccines there we do. So he became an Epidemiologist: a public health investigator of effects of diseases & injuries in populations. He worked in public health, not big money medical practices because he cares about people & families. He sees how U.S. lower wage earners get less healthcare & their life expectancy is 10-15 years less than wealthier people! Why is that OK in ...

Two Ballot Proposals, Two Very Different Choices

In November, Michigan voters will decide on two state ballot proposals. They may sound hard to understand, but both would affect everyday people. Proposal 2026-1 asks voters if Michigan should hold a meeting in 2027 to rewrite the state constitution. Proposal 2026-2 would change campaign finance rules. It would stop some utilities and large government contractors from giving campaign money to officials who make decisions that affect them. It would also make more political ads show who paid for them. Proposal 1 may sound like a fresh start, but it could cost taxpayers a lot of money. ...