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Letters To The Editor

251st Marine Corps birthday to be marked

To the Journal editor: Few institutions possess the storied tradition, resilience and enduring legacy of the United States Marine Corps. On Nov. 10, we commemorate 251 years of distinction, tracing the corps' origins to a tavern where a determined few established a legacy of honor, courage and commitment that continues to unite Marines today. This legacy was forged through sacrifice. Across battlefields throughout the world, Marines have served with valor, carrying the proud spirit of those who came before them from one generation to the next, always ready to answer the ...

Stossel way out of line

To the Journal editor: How sad to hear (columnist) John Stossel whine about jury duty in New York. "Guilty of wasting our time,” The Mining Journal, Oct. 22.  What a piece of work!  He complains about having to wait four hours and cries that he was made to come back the next Monday. Being summoned for jury duty is an obligation we owe when called.  It is never a guarantee that your "precious time" will be instantly accommodated. Stossel is old and needs water?  What he needs is an attitude adjustment. People in the Upper Peninsula might wait as long, or even longer for jury ...

What’s so good about war anyway?

The United States has been involved in some form of war (conflict) for 250 years. People have to realize the United States has not won a war since World War II, which ended in 1945. • Korean War, 1950-53: Reason: stop communism. 36,000 U.S. troops dead, 2 million civilians died and $50 billion cost. Communism still exists. • Vietnam, 1955-75: Twenty years to stop communism. $900 billion and 58,280 troops lost. Inflation for years. Over 2 million civilians passed during the war, millions after the war, and tens of thousands of U.S. troops died after the war. Still, communism ...

Leave wolves alone


To the Journal editor: State representatives Dave Prestin and Greg Markkanen miss the mark by recommending the removal of wolves from the endangered species list and endorsing a wolf hunt here in Michigan. Studies out west have conclusively shown that wolves are apex predators without which ecosystems suffer. We need them to keep the natural world in proper balance. We do not have an overabundance of wolves in northern Michigan, but we most certainly have too many deer causing about 150 human fatalities each year and $1 billion in vehicular damage, as reported in The Mining Journal ...

Bergman unresponsive on critical commitment to democracy

To the Journal editor: U.S. Rep Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, is difficult to get a public position statement (on) any major national issue and he refuses to appear in any open public town hall to be questioned. By his voting record, he supports Trump’s Iran excursion (war), Trump’s Canadian 50% import taxes (including hockey equipment), masked immigration agents assaults on US citizens and huge increases in the U.S. deficit due to tax breaks for the very wealthy and corporations. However, even more concerning is whether his loyalty to Trump will overcome his acceptance of the will ...

Backs Ishpeming library millage

To the Journal editor: Andrew Carnegie – who would become a celebrated steel magnate and the richest man in America – emigrated at age 12 from Scotland to Pennsylvania with his family in 1848. Carnegie’s family was poor. They borrowed money to come to America seeking a better life. Andrew got a job at a Scottish-owned cotton factory as a bobbin boy. He worked 12 hours a day, six days a week, changing out thread spools of thread at a starting wage of $1.20 a week. Something happened during this time that Carnegie often recalled as a life-changing experience. He was given access ...