Letters to the Editor: NCAA penalty for Harbaugh's hamburger is a travesty

NCAA's Beef over Hamburgers

How ridiculous. How minor. Only the NCAA could be doing this.

What is "this"? It’s possibly suspending Jim Harbaugh for buying a couple hamburgers for a couple recruits during the COVID-19 dead period. Big deal. Hamburgers!

Yes, Harbaugh initially lied about it. That’s enough for him to be ashamed of, in spite of his comment in today’s media day.

All this while, college athletes can reap thousands or millions of dollars for name, image and likeness.

The NCAA is a petty organization that enjoys little respect from college athletic departments. There are records of abuse of athletes by coaches, or other athletes, that are so much more important, and have so much more impact.

The NCAA even recognizes the minor “transgression” by its planned punishment. The opening four games in 2023 that should have no negative impact on the season, and Harbaugh can work the practices and game planning.The entire thing is a travesty.

Marshall Cossman

Grand Blanc

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Don't hide behind Constitution on Pride flag bans

We write to express our agreement with many of the important points Emme Zanotti made in her recent opinion piece. (“It isn’t about a rainbow flag. LGBTQ Michiganders are fighting for their lives,” Detroit Free Press, June 9.) As ACLU attorneys, we’d also like to add a legal perspective to the growing trend of banning public displays of support for the LGBTQ+ community.

One point made by Ms. Zanotti that needs to be amplified is this: Hamtramck and Dearborn — cities with large Muslim populations and Muslim political leadership — have received a disproportionate amount of media coverage whenever the issue of government restrictions on LGBTQ+ expression arises. But while media outlets were focused on Hamtramck and Dearborn, places like Livingston County, Livonia and Eastpointe were all taking similar actions against the LGBTQ+ community. How much have they been in the news?

The unfortunate reality is anti-LGBTQ forces are at work in cities and school districts across America — including far too many Michigan cities and school districts. Local officials often claim that if they permit the flying of pride flags on government property or the posting of pro-LGBTQ+ placards on school walls, they would be required to honor other such requests, including those that most people would find offensive. Some of these officials even claim they are constitutionally required to remain neutral.

They are wrong.

Just as the First Amendment protects freedom of speech for individuals, government bodies are also allowed to express their values by choosing which flags they will or will not fly. They are completely free to show they welcome LGBTQ+ people in their communities and their schools by displaying flags, or other displays, without running afoul of the Constitution.

Whether cities and school districts that ban expressions of support for LGBTQ+ people are driven by real or feigned fears of legal liability, their message is loud and clear: LGBTQ+ people and students are not welcome nor supported.

That is both wrong and dangerous, and it comes at a time when state legislatures across the nation have introduced a record-breaking number of anti-LGBTQ bills this year (nearly 500) that limit access to health care for trans people, censor school curricula and ban books featuring LGBTQ+ people.

These political attacks, and the inflammatory rhetoric accompanying them, only serve to foster hate. As Ms. Zanotti pointed out, violence has already increased to the point that LGBTQ+ people are nine times more likely to be victims of hate crimes than heterosexual people.

Given that, do we really want our local governments and school districts to remain "neutral" in ensuring LGBTQ+ people are accorded the same fairness and dignity as others?

We must not allow a vocal few to dominate the conversation and drive anti-LGBTQ+ policies in our communities. Together, we must speak out and demand that public officials take actions to support of LGBTQ+ people. Together, we must speak out and demand that public officials take actions to support LGBTQ+ people. The time to do that is now.

Jay Kaplan

The writer is the Nancy Katz & Margo Dichtelmiller LGBTQ+ Rights Project staff attorney at the ACLU of Michigan

Ramis J. Wadood 

The writer is a Skadden Fellow 

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Honor this veteran somewhere else

Against the wishes of many Harrison Twp. residents, the Board of Trustees are planning to make unwanted changes to the Veteran's Memorial Garden in Harrison Twp.

Their plan is to add a monument for one specific veteran, as well as a sculpture, and plaques that would tell his story.

For the past 30 years, the garden has remained dedicated to all veterans by having their names engraved on the wall. Now, they are planning an addition to the garden honoring one single veteran.

Many people of Harrison Twp. agree that honoring Lt. Col. Donald "Digger" O'Dell is important to our community; however, we feel that he would be better honored at a different location within the township. Suggestions are to name a park or school after him with the sculpture and plaques, or along North River Road where the family resides, or in front of our township office building. Any one of these locations would honor Lt. Col. O'Dell, while not taking away from any of the veterans already on the wall, where he is also listed and mentioned as a special honoree.

I want our garden to continue to honor all veterans, not making one veteran stand out above the rest. Although I am writing this letter, I am speaking for many who have signed a statement, or responded online to leave our garden as it has been for the past 30 years.

Ramona Romero

Harrison Twp.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Letters: NCAA penalty for Harbaugh's hamburger is a travesty