Leelanau ordained minister goes to Washington to protest “Christians United for Israel”

“I am an ordained Presbyterian minister whose Christian denomination has a long commitment to ending the occupation of Palestine. And yet, for most of my life, I never realized the role my fellow Christians have played in the creation of this apartheid state,” writes Rev. Lucy Waechter Webb, a Leelanau citizen who traveled to Washington, D.C., in August together with the Interfaith Action for Palestine Coalition to pray and organize alongside Jewish neighbors on Capitol Hill and protest the Christian United for Israel, which boasts 10 million members and is by far the largest Zionist organization in the United States.

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In defense of journalism, civil liberties, and a more perfect union

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Longtime Leelanau Enterprise reporter Eric Carlson delivered the following address at Old Settlers Park on July 4 as part of the Glen Lake Woman’s Club annual Flag Raising ceremony. Carlson spoke about his career in journalism, both locally and in conflict zones, about the importance (and sometimes inconvenience) of a free press, about civil liberties, and this fraught political moment in American history.

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Opposes Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail Little Traverse Lake extension

This op-ed by Doug Verellen, former vice president of the Little Traverse Lake Association, addresses previous op-eds published in the Sun last month that express support for the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail’s northeast extension along Little Traverse Lake. The National Park System was founded based on this purpose: “To conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” It’s on the back of their business card. This Heritage Trail Segment 9 initiative is the opposite of that directive, opines Verellen.

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Op-ed: Heritage Trail extension offers positive recreational opportunity

The following op-eds by Bob Sutherland and Julie Zapoli—both Little Traverse Lake residents and Glen Arbor business owners—were written in response to the Sun’s coverage of Little Traverse Lake Association opposition to an expansion of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, a portion of which would run near the north shore of the lake. Sutherland writes, “It is unfortunate that we are going to lose more trees in the development of this trail, but in the big picture, this four-mile extension completes an infinitely positive recreational trail and a key transportation alternative for residents and vacationers in Leelanau County. The recent study that opposition used to stir up doubt in this final section should not take away from the decade of environmentally sensitive planning the National Park Service, Michigan Department of Transportation, Leelanau County Road Commission, and Army Corp of Engineers executed to meet all the federal wetlands, dune and endangered species regulations.”

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Op-ed: The Palestinian side of the story

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“In Michigan’s primary election tomorrow, Democratic-leaning voters can either vote for President Biden or they can vote ‘Uncommitted’—with the goal of urging his administration to change course on the unfolding genocide that is occurring in Gaza with the ongoing complicity of the U.S. government toward Israel’s military,” writes Leelanau County resident and co-founder of MidEast:JustPeace Gina Aranki in this op-ed for the Glen Arbor Sun. Based on her personal experiences and trips to the Middle East, Aranki, a first-generation American of Palestinian parents, offers “The Palestinian side of the story.” Tomorrow’s vote has no bearing on how one votes in the November general election.

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Confessions of a once reluctant Michigan Wolverine

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I admit it: I tried hard to not become a Michigan football fan. As a freshman in Ann Arbor in the fall of 1996 I found myself turned off by the manic, even cultish obsession with the team and the worship that transpired each autumnal Saturday. This wasn’t what attracted me to choose U of M for college. No, I wanted the great university, the vibrant college town, the oasis for radical politics. Then a funny thing happened. The following season Michigan ran the table and won every single game. What I experienced during the Rose Bowl-bound team’s 20-14 victory over Ohio State on a cold late November day at the Big House wasn’t about football, or even sports. It was the power of unity, of euphoria among strangers, of a trance as thousands of us move together in the same rhythm, with the same objective. I felt it again, albeit this time as an adult, when the Wolverines won the national championship last week. We are in our mid-40s now—adults with responsibilities—but we still need that youthful kinship, that unity.

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Op-Ed: Clouds Continue to Hang Over Michigan’s Government Transparency Laws

Michigan remains at the bottom of the bottom for government openness among the 50 states. The Center for Public Integrity gave the Great Lakes State an “F” grade in 2015. In 2020 Michigan ranked 47th out of 50 for anti-corruption measures for public officials according to the Coalition for Integrity. Leaders from the Michigan Press Association have recently reached out to legislative leaders and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer requesting action with specific amendments to improve the open government climate in our state. This op-ed was written by the Michigan Press Association, of which the Glen Arbor Sun is a member.

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Come on, people now …

On Memorial Day, my wife persuaded me to accompany her to County Road 651 Beach on Good Harbor Bay for a few hours of rest and relaxation in the afternoon, writes Tim Mulherin in this opinion essay we published in our June 29 edition. There we were. Along with perhaps 150 other folks who wanted to recreate at one of the most publicized scenic destinations in the United States. While we dismantled our sun tent, I observed two large dogs running off their leashes, owned by two unassociated dog lovers. That’s not only breaking National Park Service rules, it’s also downright rude. Not everyone loves dogs, including some people and all wild animals protected by the park.

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Reduced access to abortions, reduced access to freedom

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As we approach Independence Day, I wonder at the concepts of “freedom” and “equality.” At the ways our governing bodies have historically made laws that only represent a portion of our population, writes Mae Stier in our Fourth of July weekend edition of the Glen Arbor Sun. From the inception of our country, wealthy white men have been protected by the laws they created for themselves, but people of color, women, children, and impoverished people have not received the same protections. As a woman born in the late 1980s, it feels difficult to see Roe v. Wade overturned. Women now have less autonomy than they did when I was born, and I fear what comes next. I now see abortion access as a necessary step toward equity, especially in a society that does little for parents and their children once they have left the womb.

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Public health, vaccinations increase U.S. lifespan. But political agendas undercut gains

As a local health officer serving six counties in northern Michigan, I see the profound impact of prevention and direct services delivered through public health professionals and innovative community partnerships on the health of people and environments. Successes of public health have contributed in a vital way to a 30-year increase in life expectancy since 1900 in the United States. Thanks to vaccinations for children and adults, there is decreased illness and mortality. However, I write this out of concern as a citizen for the future of our health and well-being.

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