Letters to the Editor: Booze sales will lead to drunken brawls at Michigan Stadium

I attended games at Michigan Stadium for many years. I was surprised to hear that they were planning on selling alcoholic beverages again. ("Whitmer signs bill allowing alcohol sales at college football, basketball games in Michigan," Detroit Free Press, June 19.) Perhaps they have forgotten why they banned consumption of alcohol inside the stadiums in the first place.

With the alcohol flowing freely we could hardly ever attend a game without a fight breaking out in the stands. On one occasion my cousin from Ohio was up here with me watching the game. As could be expected, a brawl broke out in the stands. I was amazed how well my cousin would not let it distract him from the game. When I mentioned it to him, he said, "I can watch a fight in a bar in Youngstown anytime. I came here to watch the game."

I think this is a good thing to keep in mind. We can watch a fight in a bar any day. Let us be able to watch and enjoy the games.

Darvin Long

Taylor

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Nepotism is the real problem

Despite affirmative action’s national chasm, we must set aside moral arguments and familiarize ourselves with the context of Justice Harlan’s “Constitutional color-blindness” argument — originally intended as a dig on white supremacy. We will then see that the majority of its policies reside within the legal boundaries of the Constitution.

More abstractly, but no less important, as a freshman at Stanford University, diverse classrooms foster cultural awareness which is particularly enlightening for a resident of rural Michigan like myself.

However, ardent foes of affirmative action demonstrate little regard for eliminating unfair legacy and donor preferences, proving that they do not seek to curtail unequal treatment. Instead, they must single out unequal treatment based on race for vilification.

Rather than wage a moral crusade on racial preferences, we must push universities to condemn nepotism and expand outreach to low-income applicants through economic preferences. It is all of us, then, that gain better educational footing.

Jadon Urogdy

Grand Blanc

Livingston County recall campaign is shortsighted

In the past few years, Michigan has been among the top five states for anti-Semitic incidents and white supremacist propaganda distribution, per the Anti-Defamation League. Although a state hate crime bill existed, it was limited and unfortunately, it was necessary to enlarge the protected groups because we have increased our ability to hate. House Bills 4474-4477, Michigan Hate Crime Act and the Institutional Desecration Act, expands the 1988 Ethnic Intimidation Act which received bipartisan approval.

These bills protect everyone, regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, affiliation, origin, disability and age. They prohibit destruction and vandalism of churches, schools, community centers, nonprofit headquarters, and electronic property. It’s sad that our hate for each other has escalated to the point that it has to be regulated. Sadder that a resident would want to recall a Livingston County legislator who supported these protections. Opponents of the bills have circulated disinformation, mostly right-wing media, that it would be a felony to address someone with an incorrect pronoun.

Linda Ensley submitted the recall petition against state Rep. Jennifer Conlin. She may feel safe now, but in the future, as an aging female, she may welcome protection from violent actions, intimidation or property damage. Livingston County is not immune from hate crimes, and Rep. Conlin voted to lessen fear and make her constituents feel safe and secure in everyday life. Linda Ensley’s political tactics and bigotry make it difficult for the county to shed its negative image, and divert time and resources from critical problems like gun violence and human trafficking.

Representative Conlin puts the people of Michigan first and Ms. Ensley’s campaign of disinformation misleads voters.

Evelyn Gallegos

Brighton

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Look at what Biden has really done

President Joe Biden proudly lists GDP growth and inflation downturn as evidence for his claim that the U.S. has “the highest economic growth since the pandemic and currently has the lowest level of inflation in the world.

Under the Biden Administration, the U.S. has created about 13.6 million jobs since Biden took office. That is more than double the combined total of Trump's first three years.

Daniel Deudney and G. John Ikenberry recently stated Biden’s foreign-policy activism amounts to nothing less than a “revolution,” a wide-ranging re-imagining of Washington’s global role not seen since the wartime presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Biden has also talked about making the U.S. independent from China and overseas supply lines, thus pledged to focus on “Made in America” to bring new manufacturing jobs to places where workers feel left behind. As a result for starters, he has created 750,000 new manufacturing jobs.

He also outlined what could be a workable, if incomplete, immigration compromise when he suggested combining a GOP priority, border security funding, with a Democratic priority: legal status for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children.

Biden looked for common ground, trying to draw a through line from people who are concerned about gun violence in their communities and those who are afraid of police brutality.

Finally, and most importantly, Biden has pledged that the only way to secure a woman’s right to choose is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe as federal law.

Richard French

Pasadena, Calif.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Letters: Booze sales at Michigan football will lead to drunk brawls