WSV’s Aundrea Sayrie writes, “I don’t want to see another hashtag. I want to see the dismantling of White Supremacy. It is a monster that is coming for you if you are a person of color, a woman, young, old, poor, or a member of a dispensable marginalized group. Shock, thoughts and prayers… it’s a useless cycle. We need real reform.”
Category Archive: Opinion
WSV columnist Torrey Brown writes about a recent shopping experience that left him feeling like “less than a person.”
Watershed Voice’s Aundrea Sayrie writes, “Never abandon personal discernment. Not even within the spiritual sect. A person’s title doesn’t always align with their heart posture. Gaslighting can happen in church too. So if you have to leave an environment because it is causing you trauma, leave. Leave the trauma, leave the person(s), leave a trail (by reporting it), but don’t leave God.”
Watershed Voice’s Aundrea Sayrie writes, “Mother’ships’ come in all forms. Grandmothers, aunties, teachers, first ladies, etc. So even if your situation doesn’t look traditional or ideal, hopefully you can still celebrate a special woman in your life. And if it’s been a while, and won’t cause you stress…call your mother.”
Spoiler: Disney made Steph cry.
Ron Bieber writes, “Every year, thousands of workers are killed and millions more suffer injuries or illnesses on the job that are entirely preventable. Being safe at work is a fundamental right — and under OSHA, employers must provide workplaces free from hazards.”
St. Joseph County Commissioner Kathy Pangle announces her intent to seek reelection.
The bipartisan $5 billion Building Michigan Together Plan is a major first step in addressing the state’s housing crisis. The funding, mostly from Michigan’s federal American Rescue Plan Act money, addresses a number of housing needs in underserved communities and both urban and rural areas.
“Central Michigan University has long been known for giving low-income, middle-class and first-generation college students the opportunity to earn a four-year degree and lead a fruitful life. But the Mt. Pleasant university, like many other higher-education institutions across the country, is facing hard times.”
Julie Cassidy writes, “Michigan has suffered from a crisis-level shortage of affordable homes for years and housing programs have been underfunded for decades, but our policy choices in this brief moment will have an impact for generations. By focusing these unprecedented federal resources and our political will on safer, accessible, and inclusive housing for people with disabilities and older adults, we will ensure that all individuals and families are valued.”
Monique Stanton writes, “Broad tax cuts, such as the Legislature’s move to reduce the personal income tax rate from 4.25% to 3.9%, are inequitable and funnel most of the benefits to the wealthiest Michigan residents.”
WSV’s Nancy Boyd writes, “I find that life surely does not give us any promises that all will be easy, good or fair. Often these days we are so inundated with negativity, hatred and discord, that we may easily find ourselves buried underneath it all. I only know that for me, my faith is the only thing that is predictable, even though it does not come with a guarantee that life will go according to plan.”
In this week’s #MomLife, Steph Hightree laments over the burdens of motherhood in sickness and in health.
Glen Oaks Community College President David Devier tells the story behind GOCC’s high graduation rate, which ranks near the top among all Michigan community colleges.
WSV’s Dan Robinson writes, “May we take up that responsibility and declare a season of reconciliation and healing along the Dnieper River in Ukraine, the rivers of the Great Lakes, and waterways around the world.”
Emme Zanotti writes, “American moms and dads are being punished for loving their transgender children. Stop and think about that. The LGBTQ community is on the verge of access to vital familial and societal acceptance, but from Lansing to Washington D.C., Republicans are impeding that progress — by prosecuting parents.”
The following letter was submitted for publication by St. Joseph County Clerk Lindsay Oswald on behalf of the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks ahead of the 2022 state primary and general election.
WSV’s Charles Thomas suggests three steps to take when learning how to lose with grace.