The legacy of 9/11

9/11/2001 was a crime, not an act of war. Four women from New Jersey, whose spouses had been killed in the Twin Towers, forced an investigation. Those in power fought the concept, and then stacked the Commission on 9/11 so that the toughest questions would not be asked...

Call of the Wind

One sunlit and breezy summer day I had the pleasure of experiencing first-hand the beauty of what a wind farm could be.

Just off 115, south of Cadillac across rolling farmland not so unlike our own Benzie County, windmills stand in exquisite harmony with their surroundings. As I watched those marvels hard at their work it became clearer than ever; these are not things to fear or dread, for as in many manmade creations there is a gentle and artistic grace to them...

Different strokes...

I read Teresa Baker’s letter to the editor regarding your “My Style” column (Letters, 9/12). I applaud the editor’s comments about fashion creating millions of jobs and how it colors our world. I have a few comments to add.

Teresa, I’m sorry that you have such a problem with what some people will pay for an outfit. I have to say that I can only agree with you if we knew that these people were walking around in $400+ outfits while their children were unfed and their bills unpaid. But, for the sake of your comments and mine we don’t know that. Just like any reality TV show the “My Style” column is a voyeuristic look into other people’s lives and was created solely for entertainment purposes. If you weren’t so entertained you wouldn’t look at it every week.

I have a couple of questions for you...

Where our money goes

There was once a frequent public service announcement on the radio, asking parents, “Do you know where your children are?” With cell phones, that is far less of a concern now. It’s time to change the announcement to “Do you know where your money, personal and taxes, has gone?” Walking away from a cashier, we don’t think twice about our spending and the consequences.

Your taxes buy death as do many of your purchases. Your taxes buy inhumanity to others, degradation, starvation, and worse...

Services beyond abortion

Thanks to Claire Scerbak for her perspective on utilizing tax payer money for education and family services. I have utilized services at Planned Parenthood and all the services I have benefitted from included education and family services.

My spouse and I received our HIV education in order to get our marriage license there. I got my reproductive health care, including birth control and care and follow up when I was diagnosed with precancerous lesions...

Hold all acccountable

Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying something like “Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.”

In 2001 after 9/11, Bush said more than once, paraphrased here because his actual statements are now obscured, “We will not change anything due to these attacks – doing so would be giving in to terrorists.”

Yet the so-called ‘Patriot’ Act and related laws say and do otherwise – see aclu.org/reform-patriot-act for details.

I recall a work manager saying who cares about electronic privacy – if you have nothing to hide then why worry about it!

Imagine the Nazis being able to use the snooping that we allow today – and remember our Declaration of Independence...

Sport, not war

While watching the NCAA playoffs on TV a very violent ad appeared many times. It had music and action. It showed weapons and rockets being fired. Jets swooped. Tanks and soldiers moved across an open area.

The message was clear to me – violence is cool. Violence is exhilarating. Violence is like a sport. Violence is how the USA solves conflicts. This ad is paid for by the tax payers and watched by all age groups. The Few, The Proud . . . they do it best. Wave the flag!

Give Gitmo back

In last week’s issue Mr. Tuttle called for ending our fruitless blockade of Cuba. This is laudable and sensible.

The blockade has been an abject failure. Fidel Castro has outlasted now nine presidents. More importantly, had our blockade been ended decades ago, communism in Cuba would have been long gone and Cuba would now be a major trading partner and American vacation destination.

It was disappointing, however, that an editorial calling for an end to the blockade didn’t have a word about “Gitmo.” You know, the prison nickname for our Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba...