EDITOR'S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not of Ottawa News Network.

New 'Golden Age' more like abuse of power

During his campaign, he vowed to stop government waste, fraud and abuse. Now his administration's priorities have utter disregard for the principles that define our democracy.

The "new-fangled values" of the "new" U.S. government is a danger to our health, safety and security. The barrage of accusations, arrogance, bullying, cruelty, disappearing information, disruption, harassment, ignorance, intimidation, lies, misinformation, prosecution, rewriting history, turmoil.

This is not an April Fool's Joke. The "Golden Age of America" is an unconstitutional abuse of power against many people, business and countries. This may be my last letter to the editor. I might be deported for my political views.

Barb Rowe
Grand Haven

Christian nationalism should concern us all

In 1934, a group of Christians from Lutheran, Reformed, and United Church backgrounds joined together to write an objection to the usurpation and nationalization of the church in Germany. It was called “The Barmen Declaration,” and it opposed what was called the deutsche Kirche (German church) or Reichskirche (church of the Reich). At that time, the state had appropriated the church, and the church had acquiesced, submitting to the values and policies of National Socialism. 

The church in the U.S. desires something disturbingly similar to the church in Germany in the 1930s. Indeed, the church in this country wants an American church, a church at odds with the Christian gospel, for the church is never national nor patriotic, but universal, ecumenical, nonpartisan, multinational, and multicultural. The church is imperiled today much as it was during the years of National Socialism. It is again threatened by anti-christian commitments and objectives. 

A nationalist Christianity has endorsed and given its blessing to political actors who speak contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Arrogance, corruption, deception, dishonesty, duplicity, mendacity, cruelty, and vengefulness characterize their political agenda. It foments hatred and violence, scorns the weak and lowly, despises the meek and merciful and the peacemakers.  The nationalist church excuses and embraces anti-Christian convictions. 

Such a transformation should trouble and be of great concern for the many churchgoers of Ottawa County. They must reject the notion that the United States is God’s chosen nation and that it could fulfill the vocation of the church and that the church should become an organ of the state or the state an organ of the church. They must reject the false doctrines informing such a Christianity, false doctrines of political power, of self-interest, of xenophobia, of white supremacy.

The establishment of a Christian nationalism, of a national Christian religion, should be worrisome to both Christians and non-Christians alike. For Christians, it means a perversion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For non-Christians, it means a threat to religious freedom, that is, to the choice to believe something else.

J.M. van der Laan  
Holland

Power plant closure still the right thing to do

On top of the national chaos we are all currently living through, now some members of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners would like to sow further chaos into the well thought out closure plan for the J.H. Campbell coal power plant in Port Sheldon Township. 

Since 2021, this 2025 closure timeline has been thoroughly studied by Consumers Energy, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), and the Michigan Public Power Agency (MPPA). Holland and Grand Haven are participants in the MPPA.

And now in the 11th hour, when the noxious coal plant is scheduled for shutdown in May 2025, along comes some Ottawa County commissioners with the ill-advised idea to bring yet another expensive lawsuit, this time against Consumers Energy and the MPSC, in order to prevent the coal plant shutdown. 

This plan would never have been approved by the MPSC if the MISO grid couldn’t handle the electrical needs of Ottawa County. Qualified engineers across all these multiple organizations have weighed in on this plan, but some County Commissioners without relative expertise have decided to turn the issue into a political football at the expense of County taxpayers.

And let’s not forget the vast lung-damaging, asthma-inducing and land/air/water polluting emissions this coal plant estimated to release:

• Sulphur dioxide (5,780 tons per year)

• Nitrogen oxides (3,217 tons per year)

• Carbon dioixde (9,084,148 tons per year)

That alone should cause Ottawa County to embrace the closure of this outdated coal plant whose useful life is at an economically viable end and whose emissions threaten the health of local residents.

We should all be proud that Consumers Energy has taken the steps to become one of the country’s top clean energy utilities and stop the cycle of dirty coal that pollutes our local air, water and land.

Ottawa County Commissioners should vote "no" on proceeding with this lawsuit on April 22.

Laura Judge
Holland

Should we punish all kids for measles?

A question for the remaining Ottawa Impact commissioners: Given OI's public policy regarding so-called "health freedom," ("[OI sponsored candidates] will protect the individual and parental rights to make personal and natural health choices ... rather than [observe] through orders..."):

1. Should MMR vaccinations continue to be mandatory for school admission?
2. Should students presenting any symptoms whatsoever consistent with measles be required to quarantine at home?

Richard Wolfe
Park Township

Be wary of petitions seeking signatures

Something's afoot that could cause Michiganders to stumble in future encounters with the voter-registration process. I'm referring to House Joint Resolution B.
HJRB is a state-level copycat version of the federal bill called the SAVE Act, and both represent an assault on voters’ rights.

Because the organizers behind HJRB know it won't secure passage in the state legislature, they plan to conduct a petition drive which they'll pitch to Michigan voters as a voter ID initiative. But that’s not really what it is.

If passed, this constitutional-amendment ballot initiative would change both the initial voter-registration and change of address-related registration update processes by requiring citizens to present proof-of-citizenship documentation to their local clerk.

Since the typical photo ID most Michigan voters own and use for voting purposes doesn't prove citizenship, we'd need to provide instead either a passport or a birth certificate on which the last name matches our current legal name. This means that those of us who are among the majority of married women who assumed our husband's last name — and don't have a current passport — would need additional documentation to prove our citizenship.

In 2022, Michigan voters passed Proposal 2, which amended the state constitution to expand access to the ballot box that included the early in-person voting option that proved very popular with voters in 2024. By contrast, HJRB seeks to amend our state constitution in a way that erects barriers to voting and creates a burden of time — and financial resources — for voters and local clerks alike.

So we all need to watch our step as we enter petition-circulation season. If asked to sign a petition, read the language closely to determine whether it unnecessarily restricts eligible voters’ access to the ballot box. If so, step away and decline to sign.

Karen Obits
Spring Lake

How to submit an opinion

Ottawa News Network accepts columns and letters to the editor from everyone. Letters should be about 300 words and columns should not exceed 1,000 words. ONN reserves the right to fact-check submissions as well as edit for length, clarity and grammar. Please send submissions to newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.