Letters 03-07-2016

March 4, 2016

Not A Good Record Kudos to Michigan Republicans. Not only have they allowed our roads to deteriorate to the point of being dangerous, they are allowing an old pipeline carrying corrosive chemicals to threaten the largest body of fresh water in the world. They have knowingly poisoned the whole city of Flint so the children will suffer physical and mental problems their whole lives. And they are forcing the children of Detroit to go to school with rats and black mold. But thanks be to God they have not raised our taxes.

Randy Bond , Beulah

The Real Oscar Math The irony of the State Theatre’s mast (#OscarsSoWhite) exhibiting its solidarity with the supposed dearth of black Oscar nominees is perhaps more prodigious than the ego of its beloved founder.

In a town that is 98 percent caucasian, who should be calling the kettle white? The greater misinformation is that in the last 27 years, African Americans have enjoyed rates of nomination and Oscar wins relative to their representation in the Oscar population. Since 1989, a total of 58 nominations were received by African Americans in six top categories. The nominations yielded 15 winners. Since they represent roughly 8-10 percent of the population served by the Oscars, assuming six nominations per category, African Americans represented roughly 6 percent of all nominees and 9 percent of all winners. So where is the big injustice?

Considering the known biases that Oscar voters have against action pictures, comedies, small independent films and the large bias in favor of pictures from England, LGBTQ and people with disabilities, one could argue that they have done favorably in comparison. Stuffy has always won over modern or fluffy, black or white. Many white actors, some screen legends like Cary Grant had to wait until near death to get honorary awards. In general, I don’t mind people whining; I do it a lot. But when the crying comes from very rich entertainers who don’t seem to have a grasp on recent Oscar history, it does ring hollow.

A better approach would have been to say that they were donating their Oscar travel money to the Flint water crisis, or in twitter speak, #WaterSoBrown.

Michael Ullman, Traverse City

Help At Home I am disgusted by the cover that shows how white locals are changing Africa. I wonder what it would be like if these locals did work in their own backyard: Flint, Detroit, Benton Harbor, Saginaw, etc. My life work is around racial justice in Indigenous-Native American communities. As 0.5 percent of the U.S. population, I am an invisible minority as a mixed-race Native American. There is plenty of racism in northern Michigan and instead of buying organic dental floss, white liberals could help dismantle the oppressive system they benefit from. Instead to get that pat on the back, they fly to where brown and black people are overseas. Don’t feel so good about what you do; I’ve been fighting racism and injustice since I was born just by existing in the body I do. My ancestral roots span Anishinaabe Aki, much of what is now Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ontario. I think these locals should try and change their state but may get escorted out of Detroit because "helping" isn’t necessarily welcome from white people. My friends in the city aren’t happy about gentrification occurring in places like Cass Corridor when people need jobs instead of hippie, hipster, and yuppie crap. My family and relatives are multi-racial and this work for racial justice is every day and every step. I live within reservation boundaries in the city of Manistee. My family’s reservation is up in the U.P., isolated from the privileged white liberals in Traverse City. Northern Express has proved what it supports. It doesn’t support marginalized voices and sure doesn’t support actual diversity. You can’t clear your karma by thinking you are "helping" us. As a minority and person of color, I would rather have you work to dismantle racism, oppression, and injustice on this soil.

Cecelia LaPointe, Anishinaabe Aki (Manistee)

A Heapin’ Helpin’ of Why with a Dash of Would I would like to know: Why aren’t corporations held completely accountable for the environmental devastation that they create? Why aren’t corporate heads prosecuted when they break laws? Why does our government keep giving corporations huge tax breaks and subsidies? Why is so much of the wealth in the hands of the one percent?

Why is Social security threatened? Why aren’t there enough jobs? Why haven’t wages kept up with inflation? Why aren’t there ever enough tax dollars to give help to the people in need? Why aren’t there enough tax dollars to keep our cities in good shape? Why are our public institutions failing? Why are veterans suffering? Why don’t our representatives represent the 99 percent of us? Would an establishment politician give a straight answer to any of these questions? Why don’t people realize that the establishment politicians are working only for the one percent? Why do people in the 99 percent keep voting for corporately connected, establishment politicians?

Why is it that so many people don’t seem to care enough to do what is needed to change all of this? Why haven’t the masses risen up in unison? Why do people in the 99 percent choose to be divided by labels such as Democrats and Republicans? Why do people believe that anyone running for president but Bernie Sanders will change anything?

One thing I do know for certain: Your vote won’t count if you don’t get out and use it!

Patrick McDuff, Manistee

Aquaculture Fish Pens It seems we have a never-ending task of monitoring our Great Lakes water and keeping it pure for our health and recreation (not to mention the creatures that live and swim in it). We have a new threat upon us – aquaculture – the farming of large quantities of non-native fish in cages (fish pens) in the near shore waters. At this point is it is mostly a proposal introduced by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and generally sanctioned by that ever vigilant and protector of our "pure" water – the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

There are several issues with aquaculture that could raise havoc with the water and/or the wild fish that swim in it:

- aquaculture dumps untreated waste directly into the water, adding tons of phosphorus and nitrogen each year and potentially triggering toxic algae outbreaks.

- aquaculture provides a breeding ground for diseases that could spread from caged fish to wild populations, putting the Great Lakes fishery and ecosystem at risk. Antibiotics used to control these diseases wind up in somebody else’s water and fish on the table.

- aquaculture inevitably leads to escapes that can have wide-ranging negative genetic effects on native populations

Our present fishery in the Great Lakes and their rivers – both sport fishing and commercial fishing – is too valuable to risk potential contamination. Economically, they provide much more income than fish farms can.

Be advised there is a set of bills currently being considered in the Michigan legislature that would ban or oversee aquaculture.

I am thankful the Traverse City community is so resilient; we need to be.

Charlie Weaver, fly fishing guide, Kalkaska