(In response to, “Trump, lessor of two evils,” a letter by John Wudarcki, The Citizen, Sept. 30, page 6)
Obama’s speech
Dear Editor,
I don’t know where he gets his information from but if you take time to read the text of Obama’s speech there is no mention of the Muslim brotherhood which is a political organisation that was banned in Egypt.
In addition his assertion that Obama handed over military equipment to Isis is nonsense. The American trucks that he probably is referring to are Humvees and other equipment seized by Isis from Iraqi army bases that they overran. I am also a veteran.
Colin Harrison, Ortonville
(In response to, “Commission votes to dump senior housing complex rezoing, The Citizen, Sept. 9, page 1)
Be compassionate
Dear Editor,
In recent months I have been following coverage of the proposed low-income housing complex for Ortonville’s elderly citizens and have been disheartened by the opposition it has faced. The concerns I have read about have centered around our identity as a community- the people who might be attracted by low-income housing, the atmosphere this measure might create, etc. I have been a citizen of Ortonville for three years and love living here. We are a peaceful small town of natural beauty and quiet safety. I would like to suggest that we should also try to be a community that is compassionate to the poor and the elderly.
My feelings are based off of what I’ve read in the Bible. While I realize that scripture doesn’t hold the social sway that it used to, I believe that the Bible is still full of powerful truth and relevance. James 1:27 tells us, “ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Has anybody considered the fact that many of the seniors living in the proposed complex would be people with nowhere else to go and nobody to take care of them?
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us that whatever we do for the least among us we do for him. He says, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” When there are people in our community who need a place to live, shouldn’t we offer it to them?
As far as whether the people attracted by such a complex are people that we want in Ortonville, let’s look at Proverbs 17:5, which says that “Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their maker.” I don’t believe that we have the authority to claim that the poor have no place in our town.
What we have here is an opportunity to welcome the less fortunate and shelter the vulnerable, not a threat to life as we know it. Instead of focusing solely on our own prosperity, let’s take some steps to help those in need. Ortonville is a lovely place to live, and I believe it would be all the lovelier for our generosity.
Lynette Schinke
Stop hate in the village
Dear Editor,
For many years the Village of Ortonville had a motto: proud past and promising future. It was a good motto and very true.
Now I feel it has been changed by four people on the current board to proud past and no future.
The four people who stick together and fight all things to help the village should rethink your past positions and stop acting by bullying and hate.
The village has many needs. To help its future, work on them to make them happier, be positive instead of so negative.
Ron Stutton
Ortonville resident for 77 years