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Letters To The Editor

Hats off to RATI staff

To the Journal editor: I write to express appreciation for the staff at Room At The Inn and the difficult tasks they face serving their guests and all members of our community. Last week’s assault on the street in front of the Warming Center was an example of the many challenges they face. Executive Director Chelsie Wilkinson is to be commended for her strong response to the episode, both in thanking agencies and in supporting her guests. “Everyone in our community deserves to be safe, whether housed or unhoused. This incident is a sober reminder of the vulnerability to violence ...

News or not news?

To the Journal editor: Why didn’t the Menominee County Journal print any Democratic primary vote totals alongside the Republicans’ on Aug. 13? What else does the “News” keep from us? The Eagle Herald printed “Democratic Primary Turnout Has Soared…WI Dems voted in numbers not seen in decades.” Record-setting Michigan Dem voters chose winners! Other states did too. Polls show only about the low 30’s% of people approve of this U.S. president. What does the vast majority of the U.S. and other countries know that the Trump-stuck minority doesn’t or cannot believe? More ...

Keep the Forest Service’s Roadless Rule

To the Journal editor: The U.S. Forest Service recently announced plans to repeal the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, established in 2001, that has kept some of our public land free of roads and development. When the Roadless Rule was established, the Forest Service held hearings across the country and received 1.6 million comments supporting the rule. One of my favorite Roadless Areas in Michigan is the Norwich Plains in the Ottawa National Forest. I have hiked in this area to explore the Trap Hills and was impressed by the scenery and the wildflowers there. There are also areas ...

Remembering Dolly Parton and her literacy work

To the Journal editor: This week, we mourn the loss of Dolly Parton, a woman known for her talent, kindness, humor and generosity. But as an educator, I will remember her for her commitment to literacy. Dolly understood that something as simple as putting a book into the hands of a child can open a door that changes a life. Inspired by her father, who could not read or write, she created Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which grew from her Tennessee community into an extraordinary literacy movement reaching millions of children. I know how powerful books can be. I was a shy ...

Living in the present grace: Why faith is about today, not just tomorrow

To the Journal editor: A few evenings ago, I overheard a lively conversation at a local brewery. People were talking about faith, but the dominant note in the room wasn't hope or joy—it was anxiety. The discussion centered on a persistent, nagging worry: Is what I’m doing right now enough to ensure where I go when I die? It was a poignant moment, because it captured a trap so many of us fall into. When our primary view of faith becomes a ledger of works to secure our future after death, we subtly stop living in the present. Faith turns into an insurance policy, and our daily life ...

Bergman is ineffective congressman

To the Journal editor: After nearly a decade in Congress representing the First Congressional District of Michigan, Jack Bergman is ineffective in solving the problems facing our district. While he has voted for everything President Trump wants and has been endorsed by the president in his bid for re-election, apparently Jack Bergman cannot pick up the phone and ask the president for help with issues that matter to the people in our district. Lt. Gen. Bergman touts his rank and position on the Committee on Armed Services, but he is unable to get the Pentagon to take action on ...