The following Letters to the Editor are from the March 2024 issue of The Lenawee Voice. Letters should be 350 words or fewer and may be emailed to [email protected]. Please include your town of residence and a phone number for verification.
Walberg’s position on Uganda crosses the line
It’s important to listen and be respectful of other people’s positions on topics of concern. However, when one’s position crosses the line of civility, morality or ethical behavior, people of conscience must speak up. I’m speaking up because I believe our congressman, Tim Walberg, crossed that line. In the January/February issue of the Lenawee Voice, it was reported that in October 2023, Walberg flew to Uganda to be the keynote speaker for a government-supported prayer breakfast. He endorsed that country’s recently passed Anti-Homosexuality Act which calls for the imprisonment or death of anyone convicted under that act.
I listened to his entire speech. It is true that specific reference to the words homosexual or LGBTQ+ were not made in the speech. But he made a significant number of biblical references regarding homosexuality and LGBTQ+ people. Walberg is an experienced political figure able to infer something specific without using a specific word. When referencing Uganda’s new law, he told the President of Uganda to “Stay Firm. … Whose side do you want to be on? God’s side. Not the World Bank, not the United States of America necessarily, not the U.N. …”
Wait a minute. Our congressman is saying that not necessarily being on the side of the United States is OK!
The White House, many countries and a host of organizations condemned the law. Even Ted Cruz spoke up and tweeted “This Uganda law is horrific & wrong. Any law criminalizing homosexuality or imposing the death penalty for ‘aggravated homosexuality’ is grotesque & an abomination. ALL civilized nations should join together in condemning this human rights abuse.” Walberg’s position crossed the line not only for me but apparently for Ted Cruz as well.
Whatever position you have on LGBTQ+ rights, I respect the right for you to have that position. In the upcoming election for congressman, make a choice not only on which U.S. policy positions you support, but also on the civil, moral and ethical positions that are important to you. Ask yourself if are you comfortable with Walberg’s support of the Ugandan law? Then, vote your conscience and conviction.
— Mitch Myers, Adrian
City’s support for events should be evenhanded
At the Feb. 5 city commission meeting, commissioners seemed open to providing logistical support and waiving fees for a Shakespeare in the Park event this summer.
I am definitely in agreement with the city supporting that and any other cultural and diverse events that will improve the quality of life in Adrian. Free theater events will benefit city residents who may never be able to afford a ticket to a Croswell show.
That being said, if the city provides any financial support or city employee manpower to any events, they will be expected to provide the same support to other nonprofit events such as Juneteenth, Pride events, and Cinco De Mayo. When we had Juneteenth at Trestle Park for three years, the city offered nothing except trash bags to put in the cans in the park. We were required to clean up and move trash, pay all fees, provide proof of insurance, and pay for our own portajohns. We had the same situation downtown as well.
Fairness and equal treatment are very important and affect public opinion about city government and the commissioners that are charged with making decisions. Even though commissioners may have the best intentions, perception is important.
— Jeanette Henagan, Adrian
Anti-solar drive would hurt farmers to help oil industry
The statewide ballot initiative to overturn the state control of zoning for alternative energy is an attempt by the fossil fuel industry to maintain their market share of energy in Michigan.
The fossil fuel industry spends millions of dollars a year across the country on political campaigns,and lobbying to further their interests. Local control would not have been an issue if townships had done their jobs. The state wouldn’t have had to step in and take over that portion of the accepted land use practices due to the exclusionary zoning. The funny thing is that they forfeited the opportunity to do their own zoning for those land uses and now are crying foul!
Unfortunately, this issue is not as simple as township boards and planning commissions not doing their jobs. It has to do with pressure from rural residents who moved from a residentially zoned area to an agriculturally zoned area and insist on having everything they had in the residentially zoned area. In agriculturally zoned area, farmers are protected by the right-to-farm law and should also be able to expect the same property rights as anybody else has in their own specifically zoned areas.
So in comes the statewide ballot initiative that needs 350,000 signatures statewide and $10 million in funding. In case you’re wondering, the $10 million is in part to pay petition circulators to collect signatures. They get paid for getting the petition signed so they don’t have much of an incentive to be honest with what they say to get you to sign!
As far as I’m concerned, they’ve reaped what they have sown! I don’t want to see my agricultural property rights traded for a bunch of billion-dollar oil companies’ benefit!
Don’t sign this misleading and self-serving ballot initiative.
— John Tuckerman, Blissfield
Don’t let townships steal farmers’ property rights
Local control starts with the guy who owns the land. The state ballot initiative on local control is really about landowner rights in agricultural-zoned districts. Many farmers are being squeezed by rising input costs and diminishing commodity prices.
The average age of farmers has hit a new high and many are looking to diversify their operations. Farmers have few options: either they start a business, rent the ground for little return, or sell the land to developers piece by piece. This is why green energy is a godsend to the beleaguered farmer. Solar and wind developments will save farms for future generations while paying the community taxes from the economic development. Any other development will destroy farmland forever.
The problem is that there is a local cottage business that has successfully eliminated these options for farmers across three states. They started with the 2010 Riga wind farm and have taken their dog and pony show across the tristate area. The exclusionary zoning they promote allows no compromise.They’ve stopped progress so completely that the state had to step in and offer options to control the hysteria and misinformation being disseminated.
Many who have built their homes in agricultural districts are now demanding the protections of a residential district. Ag districts are for those who choose to make a living off the land. To allow the traveling anti-green energy crowd to convince them otherwise does a disservice to the hardworking, land-owning farmers who want to stay on the land of their forefathers.
This ballot initiative is about agricultural districts and who has rights in these districts: the landowner, or people stealing their rights.
— Paul Wohlfarth, Ottawa Lake
