Time Magazine Recognizes Some Local People

[XLFD]

The Protester has been named Time's Person of the Year for 2011.

The selection was announced Wednesday on NBC's "Today" show.

The magazine cited dissent across the Middle East that has spread to Europe and the U.S., and says protesters are reshaping global politics.

Time said it is recognizing protesters because they are "redefining people power" around the world.

"Everywhere, it seems, people said they'd had enough," Time's Chief Editor Rick Stengel stated. "They dissented; they demanded; they did not despair, even when the answers came back in a cloud of tear gas or a hail of bullets. They literally embodied the idea that individual action can bring collective, colossal change. And although it was understood differently in different places, the idea of democracy was present in every gathering."

 

We had our share of protesters here in this area, many of whom protested for the first time this last year.  These weren't the Right-to-lifers and Tea Partiers of prior years.  Like Time's highlighted protesters, they had their issue and went against what they perceived as an out of touch local authority.  Here are three of note:

 

1)  The Against-the-Winders (CARRE):  This is a very localized group consisting mainly of people that come from the Mason County Townships of Riverton and Summit.  They have organized to protest the encroachment into their territory by the proposed Lake Winds Energy Farm.  Their major gripe has been that County law has failed to take into account safety issues that could mainly be addressed by having the turbines set further back from gas lines and residences.  They have fought a difficult battle against the powerful corporate utility, Consumer's Energy, whose political, legal, and advertising machine that has pushed the windfarm past the County Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Commissioners (who had their own reasons-- tax dollars and power-- to agree to this).  CARRE has started the court process while the construction begins in earnest.  Congratulations, CARRE members, you may wind up losing the battle, but Time Magazine has made you winners this year.

 

2)  The Baby Katers:

 

Everybody who has heard about the Baby Kate disappearance and investigation have their own ideas on what may have happened and what may have been done to facilitate the recovery of this missing baby.  A significant group formed, primarily coalescing on various sites in Facebook, to supply an impetus to find out the answers to what really happened and to find out why the investigation was handled the way it was. 

A protest by the Baby Katers on the handling of the investigation by the Ludington Police Department was scheduled to take place in Ludington at the end of October, and the video shows the result.   Shortly thereafter, the protest showed it had an effect on the LPD when the detectives of that institution visited some of the principals of that march, allegedly threatening them with legal implications if they did not cooperate fully. 

Congratulations, Baby Katers, you have managed to keep the investigation going for Baby Kate, pressured the authorities and the general public to consider other lines of inquiry, and are a winning member of Time's Person of the Year.

 

3)  The Ludington Torchers:   Though this locally based watchblog is an eclectic group with many diverse interests, a common thread among them is the free discussion of local topics of note.  This unapologetic free speech has gotten its creator into a few pickles with the Ludington City Hall, but it has also shown City Hall's contempt for those who wish to inspect what has been labelled "public records". 

Pictured here is the Torchers lone oudoor protest this year, erroneously reported by the area newspaper.  The Ludington Daily News would like you to believe that their invitation to a forum held at the City Hall was enough to negate a policy the City passed earlier this year to prohibit any citizen from public property without having to show cause, or give the person so banned any due process or legal appeal process. 

All the City Manager has to do is sign a paper and give it to the Police Department to deliver to anybody he wants.  The City Council unanimously gave him this power in February, and it will be found to be an illegal process in court in the near future.  For trying to keep the City (and the rest of the area) honest, accountable, and acting within their powers, Torchers of all stripes protest against the local machine by weighing the record and speaking their mind.

Congratulations, Torchers, the City, the County, the state, and the rest of the world are looking in and seeing that Ludington has a truly open forum of ideas by citizens, visitors, and everyone else.  And to those who may want to restrict your speech from the local paper or in the local government, every word you type and save onto these threads is the spray paint on the canvass of your protest sign.  We are the people of the year, and maybe, the year to come. 

[april]

yes, I am so proud!!!!

[Heaven Therzke]

those on vendettas and those protesting valid stuff are totally different.  the three local protesters you put out are just whiners, esp. the last one, who don't get their way and cry about it.  nothing there but air for the first, nothing but a bunch of liberal police haters on the second, and one who don't know how to ride a bike for the last.

[april]

Grow up!

I am by far a police hater, but am all for getting JUSTICE for Kate!

[easymoney]

@ Heaven T.

Just what do you consider valid protest? A bunch of liberal art majors who cannot find a job because they have no skills and a large education loan to pay off. Maybe they should have thought things out before taking on such debt?

I payed mine off, where's the difference?

I guess the concept of being responsible is beyond their comprehension? The every thing is some one ele's fault generation, and we've only seen the beginnig.

[Willy]

Heaven

What would you consider  "protesting valid stuff" to be?  I would be interested in reading your reply.

[april]

I am interested in seeing myself.

[april]

:)

[XLFD]

Heaven, no one is necessarily asking you to fall on the side of the protesters, but please let us not only know what you consider a valid protest (as Willy requested), but also exactly why the three described here fall short of that definition.

[april]

Very well said XLFD

[Heaven Therzke]

I will let the facts speak for themselves.  the wind farm is needed for economic development in this county.  cheap clean renewable energy sending it to the pumped project.  tom rotta overplaing his trespass letter.  the paper said he could enter so does open meeting rules.  kate protestors out trying to put ariel or the lud. police on trial.  all fall short, that is fact not opinion.

[Willy]

Heaven

I don't know where you get your information but you couldn't be further from the truth. There will be no economic development from windmills. After the initial construction by outside contractors, the only jobs that will be required will be maintenance and that will only be a few workers. The land leases and taxes paid by Consumers on the wind turbines will be passed on to customers and will be reflected in higher electrical rates. It's a good thing the LDN has readers like you who believe all the BS they print. They need people who can't think for themselves and who will support their incredible lack of journalistic integrity. If you think someone protesting the loss of the citizens Constitutional rights is overplaying the issue then your sadly missing the point. Finally, it is the duty of every citizen to question local authority when there are questionable practices being uncovered. Corruption needs people like you to blindly obey and follow the pied piper down the path of apathy. 

[april]

And yes we are trying to put those responsible on trial . including but not limited to. Sean/Ariel.

Maybe you need to know what the facts are, before you say its a fact because all it is, is your opinion.