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Letters to the Editor

Rebuttal: Keeping it ‘sixth-grade simple’

It is sad in the extreme to read a letter from a local resident confidently lecturing a board-certified OB/GYN after watching a viral clip rather than the hearing it came from. In Michael A. Glass’s letter, "Medical professionals shouldn’t need a biology lesson" from Jan. 29, he claims a medical professional “could not answer yes or no” when asked whether a man can have a baby. The physician in question is Dr. Nisha Verma, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist who works with Physicians for Reproductive Health and serves as a senior advisor on reproductive health policy for ...

When ‘sanctuary’ becomes obstruction of the law

The virulent actions in Minnesota render the traditional concept of “sanctuary” meaningless. Originally, sanctuary was for protection of vulnerable persons or populations from mob violence or unlawful pursuit. It involved religious institutions, such as churches. Sanctuary outside places of worship has never been recognized as providing protection from criminal apprehension or prosecution. Withholding persons from legitimate jurisdictions (federal) has been against U.S. law since before 1980, when large numbers of Latin Americans sought protection from war and persecution in their ...

Reforms needed after incidents in Minnesota

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen living in an open carry state, was shot 10 times and killed by a Border Patrol agent or agents Jan. 24 after being disarmed. Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, offered a chilling defense of the agents’ actions, claiming they were acting in accordance with their training. A federal judge appointed by Ronald Reagan has found it necessary to issue an order forbidding the federal government from altering or destroying evidence related to Pretti’s death. Attorney General Pam Bondi has offered to withdraw federal ...

What cannot be forgotten

We’ve all experienced “indelible moments,” you know, when something happens that you will never forget, etched in your mind forever. For those who have served in the military, there are moments in their lives they would like to forget but can’t! Veterans who experienced, first-hand, the hell of war come home with physical and emotional scars that those who have not served in the military cannot possibly understand. Veterans are easily and emotionally moved when they see slogans such as “All gave some, some gave all.” Every veteran who has served in a combat mission and has ...

Michigan legislators should make careful decisions about ICE

While I know that I am not a direct constituent of every office or an acquaintance of all reading this message, we are all Michiganders and Americans, and I respectfully ask that you consider my concerns outlined below and choose to contact all of our Michigan legislators in Washington. To my Michigan Senators and Representatives, I am deeply troubled by reports of ICE operations and treatment of individuals in other states. It seems inevitable that Michigan will experience ICE presence in the future. For that reason, I urge you to exercise great care in any votes related to ICE ...

Democratic presidents = better economies?

When I learned that Democratic presidents created significantly better economies than Republican presidents since World War II, I was sceptical. I looked for official government documents that might prove or debunk this claim and found an Oct. 6, 2024, report called “THE US ECONOMY PERFORMS BETTER UNDER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTS” from the U.S. Joint Economic Committee, a bipartisan U.S. congressional committee with members from both the House and Senate. The JEC studies economic conditions, coordinates economic policy, and advises Congress on achieving national economic goals like full ...