Hi Rina Risper,
I caught sight of a little blurb of yours in the January 1 edition of your newspaper, and this reminded me (yet again!) to send you a quick note.
I spoke with you in 2005 or 2006, when my former department (Writing/Rhetoric and America Cultures) had a HUGE passel of books to give away, and I was looking for some ‘worthy’ place and you mentioned Mount Hope Ministries, it was at the time I found you, and we talked a bit. You told me about your newspaper…..….and look!: here you are, Newspaper Publisher extraordinaire! I think you’re an awesome role model and symbol of positiveness! Keep up your good work!
I pick up your paper whenever I see it (mostly at Meijer in Okemos).
By the way, one of your personal articles a few months back, about your mom coming to Michigan, and your discussions about planting a garden with her, was very touching.
So I’m just wishing you a fulfilling New Year! :o)
Continue to spread the sunshine, Rina.
Therese Hercher
MSU Dept. of Epidemiology
Dear TNCP,
I have been impacted by violence it seems like my whole life. My friends are dying. I feel people that inflicting harm to someone to the point where a life may be taken is serious. Most people don’t understand until something life shattering happens.
A lot of younger people don’t fully understand that a bad choice that may only take two seconds to a minute. However, the outcome of that decision can effect their lives and others forever. Every time I think about a family member or close one that has died because they or someone else made a bad choice makes me think about all the people that have to live with their decision.
People that resolve issues in a violent manner aren’t just hurting the person they’re mad at or want something from but they’re hurting someone’s mother, father, sister and so on. Taking someone’s life or maiming them doesn’t make you a man, it makes you selfish.
It’s selfish because when you take someone’s life you’re not thinking about the people that have nothing to do with the problem that you have. People will suffer because someone wanted to be selfish and make a bad choice.
There are tons of people in the city of Lansing that are suffering because someone decided to make a bad choice, I say ‘choice’ because life is all about the choices we make, but one thing we shouldn’t have the choice of is who lives and who dies. We personally don’t have that right.
So next time someone thinks about doing the Lord’s work and make a bad choice, I really hope they think about how that choice is going to effect so many people. Consider making good choices that are going to help you and others in a positive way, for some it’s easy to make the wrong choice.
In my mind, it’s common sense that what you put into this world, is what your going to get back. A real man would put in as much love and positivity into the world that he can because life is serious. If you put love into the world that’s what you will get back. It will help you become more of a man because you made the right choices and put in the hard work. I repeat, it’s easy to do wrong.
I pray we can all start making better choices in our lives by making better decisions but until then I hope God has mercy on the souls that make bad choices. God made mankind to give life and not take it.
Lenny McDonald
Lansing, MI
Dear Editor,
January 16th is the only national holiday that commemorates the peace and justice work of a U. S. citizen.
I’m a Vietnam veteran and for me, Martin Luther King‘s most powerful speech was on April 4th of 1967. “Beyond Vietnam” directed attention to the triplets of war – militarism, materialism, and racism. All of these lead to moral and financial poverty.
When I was in Vietnam I saw many children. Every time I look at a child I see our greatest national resource. It pains my heart to see our children’s future being depleted by our government’s fixation on invasions, occupations, death and destruction. Every dollar spent on “defense” is a dollar that could have been used to bring our over 15 million children out of poverty.
On this national holiday read “Beyond Vietnam”. Contemplate the words of this brave and magnificent man. Think about what you can do to bring peace and justice into the U.S.A. and protect our greatest national resource.
Arnold Stieber
Grass Lake, MI
