March 19, 2024

Letters 08-29-2016

Aug. 26, 2016

Religious Bigotry

President Obama has been roundly criticized for his apparent unwillingness to use the term "radical Islamic terrorism." His critics seem to suggest that through the mere use of that terminology, the defeat of ISIS would be assured.

The reason that more thoughtful politicians refuse to use such language is their reluctance to paint the largely peaceful religion of Islam with such a broad and negative brush.

Imagine the response from the religious right if Robert Lewis Dear, who on November 27, 2015 killed a police officer and two civilians in Colorado Springs while attacking a Planned Parenthood clinic in his attempt to "save the babies," was labeled a radical Christian terrorist. I am certain that the religious right would appropriately condemn such terminology which, when applied to any religion, represents a broad brush weapon of religious bigotry.

Bob Ross, Pellston

TC DDA: Focus On Your Mission

What on earth is the Traverse City DDA thinking? Purchasing land around (not within) its TIF boundaries and then offering it at a discount to developers? That is not its mission. Sadly enough, it is already falling down on the job regarding what is its mission. Crosswalks are deteriorating all around downtown, trees aren’t trimmed, sidewalks are uneven. Why can’t the DDA do a better job of maintaining what it already has? And still no public restrooms downtown, despite all the tax dollars captured since 1997. What a joke.

Furthermore, what the DDA claims as "known needs" (i.e., more river walks) are really "wants." All they seem to do is dream up ways of spending monies they don’t have in order to justify their existence, now and in the future. I’m getting a little tired of it.

Deni Scrudato, Traverse City

European-Americans

Are Boring "20 Fascinating People" in northern Michigan -- and every single one is European-American?

Sorry, but this is journalistically incorrect. It’s easy for editors to assign and reporters to write stories about people who are already within their personal and professional networks. It’s harder to dig up stuff about people you don’t know and have never met. Harder is better.

The best storytelling advice I’ve ever heard is, "take us someplace we’ve never been and tell us what it’s like." Writing about 20 "fascinating" white people for your mostly white audience, you’re taking us where we’ve already been and telling us what we already know.

Forget the politics. That’s just a boring way to run a publication.

Roger Kerson, Empire Township

Be Aware Of Lawsuit

While most non-Indians were sleep walking, local Odawa leaders filed a lawsuit seeking to potentially have most of Emmet County and part of Charlevoix County declared within their reservation and thus under their jurisdiction. This assertion of jurisdiction is embedded in their recently constructed constitution as documentation of their intent.

While some see the lawsuit as a tribal fantasy and a vague assertion with no operational significance, it is the biggest event that has ever occurred in the affected area’s history. The following consequences amplify why many would never start a business or buy property within a reservation:

1. Addition of a redundant overlay of jurisdiction enforced by unelected tribal leaders.

2. Neighbors immune from following state, county, city or township regulations, many of which are critical to protecting property value and community aesthetics.

3. Non-Indian business owners competing with tribal-owned businesses that carry none of the costs of regulation, taxes, or licensure.

4. Odawa leadership assuming control of all environmental permits pertaining to water, air and land alteration and development.

5. Tribal law and court proceedings as the starting point for all cases involving a tribe member and a non-Indian.

6. Tribal authority to license and tax all commerce involving alcoholic beverages.

7. Proliferation of gambling facilities outside the reach of state or local government regulation.

8.Damage to community relations with 96 percent of non-Indian residents.

The affected areas and citizen groups fighting this legal challenge need ongoing support to prevent irreversible damage to this special area.

Dick Selvala, Cross Village

More Parking Headaches

I have another comment to make about downtown TC parking following Pat Sullivan’s recent article. My hubby and I parked in a handicap spot (with a meter) behind Mackinaw Brew Pub for lunch. The handicap spot happens to be 8-10 spaces away from the payment center. Now isn’t that interesting. Walking uphill to the restaurant is another chore that I will not repeat anytime soon with my cane.

B Litchfield, Alden

Demand Change At Women’s Resource Center

Change is needed for the Women’s Resource Center for the Grand Traverse Area (WRCGT). As Patrick Sullivan pointed out in his article, former employees and supporters don’t like the direction WRCGT has taken. As former employees, we are downright terrified at the direction Juliette Schultz and Ralph Soffredine have led the organization.

From our first-hand perspective, vital services are being cut, revenues are down, and employees are being mistreated. This group of former WRCGT employees formed out of love for the Women’s Resource Center, its survivors and its community partners. For three long years we were silent. Many were afraid to talk out of fear of the intimidation or of having our reputations smeared in the community. The toxic environment that the current leadership created is what led to the 32 employees either unnecessarily being fired or forced to leave.

Juliette and Ralph will try to distract from the facts, but has dropped more than $200,000 and major grant deadlines have been missed. This loss of revenue is what they are attempting to cover up with talk of "streamlining." This translates to losses for victims of violence. Services have been trimmed in Benzie, Leelanau, Kalkaska counties. The Doula Teen Parent program is ending and a transitional house will close this fall.

We ask the public to re-read Sullivan’s article and to ask questions: if the goal is to realign services with the mission, why has the mission been changed at least three times in three years? How many services have been scaled back? How will survivors in Leelanau, Benzie, and Kalkaska counties receive services?

Aimee Sandula, Barbara JoHan, Carrie Douglass, Jennifer Allen, Carolyn Bearinger, Dawn Schroeder, Marge Loree, Melva Christunas Traverse City

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