Breaking News

Letters To The Editor

Trouble in DC

To the Journal editor: To my fellow Americans who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election: I suspect that the majority of you (with the exception of a small percentage of MAGA extremists), are not happy with what’s happening in Washington, D.C. right now. You didn’t vote for Elon Musk. You voted for Donald Trump and believed he would provide leadership of a different flavor than Joe Biden. You did not vote for the chaos and institutional destruction that is occurring right now in our Treasury Department, the Department of State, the CIA, the FBI, the Centers for Disease ...

‘Blessed are the merciful …’

To the Journal editor: Mercy is one of the basic tenets of the Christian church. It teaches that there is a deep connection between one’s relationship with others and the mercy that God may show towards us. Being merciful to others brings happiness and forgiveness to ourselves. Having an unforgiving spirit and holding onto hurt or offense brings pain and bitterness towards ourselves. Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde asked President Trump “to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared right now,” children who are afraid that their parents will be taken away and ...

Inspectors needed

It is hard to say what being American is. Valuing independence, hard work and freedom are part of it. So are advertising, consumerism and over-the-top entertainment. When I think about being an American citizen, I think about how we structure our government and public conversations. Americans don’t trust their government completely, even if we agree with those in power. Checks and balances came even before democracy in this country. We value separation of powers, individual rights, democracy, and the rule of law, and we spell those out in our Constitution. We expect our government ...

Self reflection needed today

To the Journal editor: On Jan. 22, at 9:40 a.m. elected president-Donald Trump — who possesses and can wield the power to do so, did not declare a state of emergency for the severely impacted by natural disasters on United States soils. States can and do and have done so. The disaster relief is a lengthy process and great devastation requires supplemental federal aid to be restorative beyond daily provisions and temporary shelters. Ever since we hit the ground running toward where we all are today, distinguishing ourselves as the human species, we have had among us those who ...

Bill will not do the job

To the Journal editor: As an elder law attorney in Marquette, I’ve seen firsthand how credit cards provide critical tools for financial stability, especially for seniors and working families in the Upper Peninsula. Many in our community use credit card rewards programs to help cover essentials like groceries, gas, and medical bills. Unfortunately, that financial lifeline is now under threat from federal legislation known as the Credit Card Competition Act (S. 1838). While its name suggests that it will promote competition, the reality is much different. If passed, this bill would ...

Peace at hand

To the Journal editor: After 15 months of fighting and many failed international attempts to broker a truce, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal that will pause fighting in Gaza and lead to a phased release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and our TV screens have been genuinely focused on the historic value of all the pains both Palestinians and Israelis have been facing for the longest period of an exhausting war. After more than a year of fighting in Gaza, at great cost in blood, through enormous security, diplomatic and societal efforts, we seem to have created a ...