Dangerous driving in Detroit deserves the attention of the city and state

I’m writing in response to a letter on last week’s opinion page from an out-of-state transplant who now lives in East Lansing. (“Michigan is the least friendly state,” Detroit Free Press, Sept. 22.)

He had some derogatory things to say about Michiganders. Well sir, I am a transplant too, and I must respectfully say that I disagree with you.

They paint all Michiganders with too broad a brush. I’m from Chicago and moved here in the 90’s after marrying a beautiful woman from Michigan. I have found that Michiganders are some of the friendliest people I have ever known. I really mean that. This is what has kept me here all these years. They also have opinions as complex and varied as people everywhere else.

Since you brought up school boards, elected officials and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, I’m assuming some of your antipathy toward Michiganders comes from politics. I know that politics seems to play an outsized role in our lives these days. They say that all politics is local. You can’t get more local than the local school board. Maybe you’re just outnumbered. That’s how politics works, after all. Maybe you should do what I do. I vent by writing to the newspaper. Avoid internet echo chambers and limit cable news consumption. If you can manage to have sensible conversations with others, you may find that we have a lot more in common than not. Smart people, regardless of party affiliation, find a way to make it work.

Michigan is a beautiful state that has a lot to offer and is full of amazing people. If you’re a transplant like me, you should accept that you came from somewhere else and are shaped by different experiences. The people who have lived here all their lives have a lot of friendship to offer, if you let them.

Eddie Dee

Novi

Letters to the editor: Michigan is the least friendly state

Officials in Detroit must take action against dangerous driving

In July 2021, I was the victim of a reckless driver who crashed into my car at 55 miles per hour as I pulled into my driveway on Lakewood Street in Detroit. That crash almost killed me.

I’m grateful to the Detroit Free Press for its front-page story highlighting that I’ve asked the city for help multiple times, to no avail. Speed ​​bumps were eventually installed — after the Free Press story was published. (“Detroiter begged for speed bumps. No one listened until he almost died when hit by speeder,” Detroit Free Press, September 24, 2021.)

The driver of the Ram pickup that hit me pleaded guilty to “reckless driving causing serious impairment of a bodily function.”

The sentence imposed was probation – the maximum for this charge. Part of this probation was the loss of his driving license. The driver violated his probation and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, which he served this summer. Probation didn’t stop him from driving.

There is a deadly serious problem with drag racing, red light running and reckless driving in the city of Detroit. If the city of Detroit doesn’t have the resources, we need the state.

Our appointed and elected leaders must take this issue seriously. Accidents caused by reckless driving are preventable. Our leaders can attract any business or arena, but people won’t move to a city where driving means entering a full-scale race.

Aaron Dome

Detroit

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There can be no manufacturing renaissance in a trade war

Former President Donald Trump’s recent speech in Georgia heralded a “manufacturing renaissance.” His plan is to penalize American companies that don’t relocate to his federal special zones with “extremely low taxes and regulations” by using low-paid, non-union labor. Water and air pollution is not regulated. In addition, he will impose high tariffs on China and other countries.

His anti-free trade policies will inevitably result in a trade war with other countries retaliating by trading with China instead of the US

James Schuster

Southfield

Some people are looking for excuses to vote for Trump

It has come to my attention that there are people outside of the MAGA cult who know that re-electing former President Donald Trump would not be in the best interest of our democracy and yet are trying to find a way to justify voting for him. I believe these people are uncomfortable voting for a Democrat or a woman, especially a woman of color, for reasons only known to them.

Please don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame anyone for feeling however they feel. Feelings are valid, but sometimes they are not based on truth. Some of the excuses these people are using to disqualify Vice President Kamala Harris are as follows: Harris served as vice president for four years and did nothing during that time. We don’t know enough about their politics. Harris is associated with communism, socialism and Marxism. She laughs a lot.

First, vice presidents don’t do politics, they follow the president’s policies. Harris has given details of several programs she is proposing to help the middle class, none of which reflect the isms she has been accused of, while Trump admits he only has “an idea of ​​a plan.”

After all, why criticize Harris for being cheerful? You don’t have to change your beliefs or agree with all of Harris’ policies to decide that she is better for our future democracy than Trump. I urge citizens to make their voice one they can be proud of, not one they need to apologize for. I believe that true patriots don’t just wave flags, but put country first.

Ernst L. Robinson Jr., Esq.

Southfield

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(Headline has been updated in this story.)

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Letters: Dangerous Driving, Michigan Population, Tariffs and Trade War