Thank you for marching
Dear Editor,
This letter is in response to the back- to-back columns written by Susan Bromley. The first one was on Jan. 21, “Why I March.”
Thank you Susan Bromley for your beautiful and uplifting words. All the reasons you listed for marching, are the reasons I feel deep within my soul. I was unable to go to the march, so I thank you for marching for me and thousands of others like me. As for your second column of Jan. 28, “This is what democracy looks like,” thank you for taking me along with you. Often reading your column, I felt as though I had been there. I could visualize the sights, I could smell the smells. I could feel the pressure of the crowd. I could hear the words. Thank you for standing and marching for me and thousands of others that feel as I do. We’re out here and we’re not going away.
Can we just begin the impeachment process now, and remove Trump from office before irreparable damage is done to the country we love?
God Bless America.
Sylvia Runyon
Freedom of speech, look it up
(In response to: ‘Like Trump, like follower,’ a letter by Kris Kordella, The Citizen, Feb. 4, page 6)
Dear Editor,
First, I’m about to make Mr. Kordella’s life. Yes, the 53 percent of the women’s majority vote I cited was in error; it was actually 53 percent of the white women’s vote that accounted for Mr. Trump’s sum total. In the worst case scenario, if that many women preferred a bloated and corrupted political hack who happened to be female, then a shout out and call to action is necessary to educate women on the truth about leftist feminism. We have our work cut out for us folks. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work. Now, savor your teensy victory, because here comes my next paragraph.
Just because you prefer facts whether they favor your party or not, it in no way should mean one should deny facts that they don’t like. And the facts are that 56 groups affiliated with George Soros and recipients of his financial backing marched in the self-indulgent temper tantrum Jan. 21, 2017. Among them: Planned Parenthood, Southern Poverty Law Center and a charmless bunch of thugettes known as Code Pink. Writing emphatic denials doesn’t change that.
As for the snippy befuddlement about why I wrote a letter, it’s called freedom of speech. Look it up.
Next, I would suggest that the next women’s march not be in Washington D.C., but perhaps somewhere in Saudi Arabia, Yemen or Iran where persecution and oppression of women might actually be a credible issue. Take the motley assortment of vagina costume and topless duct tape wearers, f-bomb and crude slogan-sporting posters, and all the angry, loud, proud social justice warriors who harbor a perpetual state of outrage and victimization. Strut your bad selves out in front of a few devout Muslims in their native lands. Let us know how that works out for you.
In conclusion, thank you for reporting on the March for Life held on Jan. 27, which actually had merit and a legitimately important message. God Bless.
Tamara Itoney Carden
Why eliminate BAAS?
(In response to: ‘Brandon Schools climbing the top-to-bottom list!!,’ a column by Matt Outlaw, Feb. 4, page 7)
Dear Editor,
Based on MISchoolData.org state rankings, Oakwood ranked at the 86th percentile four years ago, now it’s our lowest ranked school at the 39th percentile. I understand Oakwood’s NWEA test scores in math and reading have risen over the last 3 years, but the overall ranking is spiraling downward.
Brandon Academy of Arts and Science (BAAS) was ranked in the 73rd percentile – the second highest ranking in our district! Additionally, BAAS NWEA scores are consistently among the highest of all our schools!
Under the proposed reorganization, high ranking BAAS will be eliminated. We’ve heard that existing schools can easily absorb all BAAS students. Those students would be absorbed into significantly lower ranking schools (21 and 34 percentage points lower). How is this acceptable?
The district needs to close a building, reduce expenditures, and retain high academic standards! We’ve heard BAAS “costs” too much for too few students. I have financials on all the schools and looked at the percent of per pupil revenue over operating costs (this eliminates the size discrepancy). BAAS is in the black by 12 percent; Oakwood, by 13 percent; and Harvey Swanson barely breaks even. BAAS is not a financial drain on our district and brings high academic standards. Why does the proposed reorganization eliminate BAAS instead of expanding it?
Jillian Malan
Concerned Parent
We saw you
(In response to: an accident at 4:44 p.m, Feb. 2, on M-15 north of Elizabeth Road, see story page 1)
Dear Editor,
To the family involved in the collision on M-15, and the responders:
We saw the collision and our hearts stopped; we said a prayer. “Mom call now, mom call!!” We saw you 9-1-1 operator when you walked us through the emergency call so calmly.
We saw you volunteer fire department when you arrived quickly and took over the situation.
We saw you pull the baby from the back seat and talk to her, hold her with care, calm her.
We saw you get on a phone that looked like it belonged to one of the drivers, and talk calmly to the person on the end of the line.
We saw you Oakland County Sheriff, get there so quickly and jump into action.
We saw you Brandon Fire Department, work through the scene methodically, attending to those that were hurt, ripping open the doors to pull her/him out, and carefully putting him into the ambulance.
My son saw you responders; he was looking for the helpers. My daughter saw you Ms. Oakland County Sheriff, “Look Mom, there’s a girl police officer. How cool…look Mom!” “Mom, I want to be a police officer.”
We saw amazing humans at work, working together.
We saw humanity at its best
Thank you… Lisa Bana
Pursuit of happiness
Dear Editor,
I have not been able to figure out just yet if the difference is between young and old, conservative or liberal, or Republican or Democrat…but I am still working on it.
The thought to break windows, destroy limos, burn flags or harm other people has never entered into my mind as a solution to any political argument I have experienced throughout my 67 years. I have lived through 13 different presidents. Republican and Democrat, extremely liberal to extremely conservative. Honest and dishonest. Black and White. Catholic and Protestant. Many of those years I have adamantly disagreed with things they have done. Wept at times, sent letters at other times and voted each and every time to try and fix what I felt was wrong.
To take to the streets and call for an end to peace transfer of power in a country that must show the world that democracy can and does work, has not once been written on my list of things to do. It has never been even an option to consider.
And now it’s immigration. My dear daughter sits in my home today because she is married to a fine young man from Scotland and she is not allowed to simply fly to Scotland and live happily ever after. Nor is he allowed to simply fly into the United States and be with his bride and live happily ever after. Frustrating as it may be, there are and always have been procedures they have to follow. Laws they have to obey. He from his end and my daughter from her end have worked long hours to try and unwrap all the red tape. Paid their fees which has not come easily to them as he is a full time student and she cleans offices at night to help make ends meet. They have never made the headlines, never on the 11 o’clock news throwing rocks at either the US or Scottish consulate buildings. No…just working, living and making plans to make this world and their own lives better.
The only complaining I have heard is how complicated all this is, not that either Scotland or The United States does not have the right to be careful. I just double checked and my daughter is not out in the garage figuring out how to make a Molotov cocktail or organizing a march that will disrupt the common working man and woman trying to get to work on a Monday morning by blocking traffic. No, they have patiently worked to figure out the system and work within the system.
All I can figure is that they both learned to obey the laws of the land from each of their respective parents. Obey them whether you like them or not. Vote to change them if you want change, but do not destroy the country that has given you all that you have today.
With all my heart I wish my daughter could be with her husband today. But we have learned that good things often come to those who wait. Those that work through adversity. Go to college, work nights, pay your dues, love your country, obey the current laws over you. Then you can live happily ever after…perhaps.
Happy is never the promise. The pursuit of happiness is the promise we are given.
Jerry Boritzki