Don't add to problems
It is profoundly disturbing to me that, in this time of statewide economic and social crisis, two northern Michigan legislators are focused on allowing concealed weapons on college campuses. Wayne Schmidt and Michelle McManus are forming a two-pronged attack that would simultaneously prevent colleges from banning concealed weapons and roll back Michigan's restrictions regarding weapons on campus. Not only is this legislation unnecessary, it is irresponsible and potentially deadly.
Research clearly indicates that impulse control is weak in young adults, with reasoning and judgment still developing well into the 20s. This data doesn't really seem to encourage the concept of young people carrying in the dorm or classroom. Let's not overlook the fact that alcohol can be quite prevalent in a college atmosphere as well. Booze and guns are not such a good mix.
Anyone watching the nightly news should be able to figure out that preventing violence in school is already a big enough challenge without help from these two. Don't we have enough problems Michigan? Let's not add to them.
David McGinnis
Traverse City
Lansing is laughing
If anyone needs more evidence as to why Lansing does not take our northern Michigan legislators seriously, one need look no further than your story regarding our representatives pushing for handguns being allowed on college campuses.
Michelle McManus and Wayne Schmidt have become the laughing stock of legislators, along with Alan Cropsey, R-Dewitt, who is pushing hard for guns to be allowed in Michigan high schools.
The voters of Grand Traverse keep sending these right wing nuts to Lansing even though they are obviously out of touch with the majority and are very ineffective when it comes to representing our real interests. From school financing to return on tax investment to the amount spent on roads, northern Michigan has been getting the short end of it for years. We are not taken seriously in Lansing!
Allowing kids to have guns on college campuses, or arming public school teachers with weapons designed only to kill fellow human beings, is antithetical to the education purpose and process. (Duh!) It also is against the majority's wishes and flies in the face of common sense and human dignity.
No wonder Lansing laughs at us -- look no further than McManus and Schmidt.
Gary S. Powell
Traverse City
Immunizing not justified
Schools are closed and others are teetering on closure due to the "sweeping" grip of the H1N1 virus. Our county medical director has seen this much-anticipated and, by Centers for Disease Control accounts, overrated, virus parade through our community.
Alas, people are healing! How? No one has been vaccinated.
The virus has virtually come and gone. How will officials and medical experts justify their planned mass inoculations of thousands who have survived H1N1?
On what moral and ethical grounds can the vaccine be administered to those already exposed, particularly children? Those exposed have innately developed a permanent and natural resistance. Will tests be run on individuals to determine their immune status prior to a potentially harmful injection?
The vaccine industry now uses the government, the media, pseudoscience and fear to make a profit. Can they count on a scared and threatened medical community to play along, too? Science shows -- you've been exposed, you're immune. Immunizing in such cases may not only be unsafe and unjustified, it's a lie!
I wonder if our educated medical professionals will allow this to occur in our community, to their neighbors, when they know it's not right! We trust "do no harm" applies.
Donald F Piche, D.C.
Julie Brons, D.C.
Traverse City
The writers are area chiropractors.
Can't subsidize abortions
As Congress prepares to debate health care reform on the House and Senate floors the American people will have the opportunity to know, the true nature of this bill and whether it will contain an abortion mandate forcing Americans to subsidize abortion through their taxes and insurance premiums.
Our President promised "no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place" but now we see he and the Democrats brashly ramming this type of "reform" down the throats of the American people, disguising the Freedom of Choice Act for health care and being more beholden to those in the abortion business like Planned Parenthood than to the wishes and desires of Americans who vehemently oppose paying for or participating in the killing of innocent life.
The truth about their intent will be measured in part by whether they will allow Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak's amendment to be discussed and voted on by our representatives in Washington.
To do less will be to impose upon the entire country an abortion regime that violates our freedom and the integrity of our government will be forever eroded in the hearts and minds of the American people.
Peggy Stinnet
Ave Maria, Fla.
The writer is a former Traverse City resident.
Greetings from Sweden
Greetings from Svinnersta, Sweden! A few impressions while visiting close friends and taking in two Red Wings games: The countryside reminds us of up north Michigan with granite boulders added. Traffic cameras keep speeders down. Watch out for moose crossings. Swedes are very courteous, friendly and helpful. My Wings ball cap inspired several strangers to stop and chat about hockey and our very popular Swedish stars; Zetterberg is nicknamed "Zata" instead of the "Zee" we call him.
Stockholm is beautiful, and the Globe arena is a fantastic venue. Using the metro is easy, although the trains returning from the games had fans jammed in like sardines. Crown Princess Victoria attended the first game and judging from the fans' reactions to her picture on the jumbotron, the royal family is extremely popular.
But maybe not as popular with hockey fans as newly-retired Mats Sundin, who dropped the puck in the second game to a roaring standing ovation. Every Swedish spectator in the arena sang their national anthem loudly and with great emotion; I wish we Americans would do that with ours.
Although the outcomes were disappointing, the games were still a thrilling experience, and the visit is worth every kroner we're spending.
Roger Dewey
Beulah
