Letters to the Editor: Dig deep to identify the true values we have

Dig deep to identify the true values we have

Letters to the editor on April 4 stung me for their relevance and truthfulness (“The company he keeps,” “It’s time we rally to the flag and restore sanity.”)

In Ottawa County, where Ottawa Impact county commission Chair Joe Moss altered a pattern of committee assignments (committees where discussion and decisions are usually made before being heard by the full commission), and assigned Ottawa Impact-affiliated commissioners to six, five and four committees while assigning Commissioners Zylstra, Bonnema and Bergman to one each leading Commissioner Bonnema to say: ”In fact, only commissioners loyal to Ottawa Impact received multiple committee assignments, continuing a pattern of lies, small-mindedness and authoritative control over the Ottawa Commission agenda.”

Then there is the delay and continuing inaction on the public health nutrition and health education line item in the budget that had been in place for a food coordinator position — needed and supported by local agencies working together to distribute food for persons in need. On March 19, in the Health and Human Services Committee, Committee Chair Sylvia Rhodea said commissioners “needed some more time to think about this subject and gather more information on it.” There were multiple times that information had been provided.

The faith that is so often proudly claimed in the founding of this community and the values that came from it need to exist here today, not supporting leaders who are willing to use deceit to hold power as Ottawa Impact does — those early values held concern for the well-being of the whole community, looking to the future to be a thriving community, not existing as a stumbling block to good people sharing food.

At a national level, they would surely not offer gold Bibles while denigrating all migrants and constantly using violent rhetoric. I urge us to be clear about the values and strengths undergirding this community in viewing leadership chosen through our votes.

Norma Killilea

Holland

Polarizing a tragic murder is polarizing at best

The recent edition of the Huizenga Huddle confirms Huizenga’s willingness to use a tragic event for blatant political advantage. It also confirms his willingness to confound and confuse his constituents concerning serious issues.

First, the tragic event.

Some weeks ago, a woman from the congressman’s district was killed by her boyfriend, an individual who was an undocumented immigrant. Huizenga suggests that the death was the result of the Biden Administration’s border policies. He says the woman would be alive today if Biden would act to secure the border. While this woman should, in fact, be alive today, blaming her death on lax border policies is pure politics. Her death was due to the prevalence of domestic violence and the easy availability of guns, both legal and illegal.

A few questions about Huizenga are appropriate. When was the last time, in his Huddle, Huizenga reported a murder due to domestic violence? Is it only outrageous when committed by an undocumented immigrant? When did Huizenga last vote in favor of stronger gun laws that might have kept this murder from taking place? Did Huizenga support or oppose bringing the recent bipartisan border security bill to the floor of the House for a vote, or did he follow the instructions of Trump and oppose holding a vote? (My bet is he took his marching orders from Trump.)

Yes, this undocumented individual should not have been in the U.S., but he was and to use this death to complain about border policies when you are unwilling to take action(s), when given the chance, is pure demagoguery for political advantage alone. This death is tragic whether it was caused by an undocumented immigrant or a U.S. citizen.

And, of course, Huizenga’s guru, Trump, also had to cash in on this tragedy by falsely claiming he had talked to the family of the young woman when in fact he did no such thing. Republicans like Huizenga are not interested in “fixing” the border(s) but instead want to “close” the border, cutting off the entry of those who they deem to be, in Trump’s words, “ANIMALS” who are polluting the blood of our nation.

Could we all agree that polarizing a tragic murder for political points is unethical at best and morally repugnant at its worst? Fix the border, YES! Obstructing a fix with the hope of using the problem for personal political advantage is unacceptable or should be by good people everywhere. Maybe, just maybe, this death would have not occurred if Huizenga and his party had made a serious effort to fix the border when they had the chance. Is Huizenga willing to accept some of the blame for this death?

Rich Herbig

Hamilton

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Letters to the Editor: Dig deep to identify the true values we have