Prepare to be Michiganders Again

[XLFD]

A bill that passed unanimously this last week by both houses of the Michigan legislature settled the age old issue of what Michigan natives should be calling themselves.  Michiganders. 

The three previous governors preferred the term "Michiganians", with Governor Jen Granholm using that term regularly   . This was despite most of the Michigan public preferring the term "Michigander" much more so than "Michiganian" or any other appellation.  Some, mostly unscientific, polls with the years they were took and their source:

2011 Resch Strategies:  (most quoted) 58% -der, 12% -ian

2012 Mlive:  63% -der, 33% -ian

2015 Mlive:  87% -der, 10% -ian

2017 Sept. Mlive:  85% -der, 14% -ian

2017 River GR Radio:  91% -der, 7% -ian

The results back up my own informal poll of seven people, mostly women, who unanimously preferred the term "Michigander".  While many believe that Abraham Lincoln once coined the term 'derogatorily' referring to Michigan's presidential candidate Lewis Cass in 1848, it was already a popular term used by journalists to describe the residents of the Great Lake State.  The Hampshire Gazette in 1838 published:  "I came..the last thirty miles to Detroit by rail road. This is part of one which the Michiganders are making across St. Joseph's."

Despite this widespread support by the people and the historical applications, the U.S. Government Publishing Office guide addresses how to refer to natives of all 50 states. They say Michigan natives should be called the much less popularly supported term 'Michiganians'.  

While some state agencies have adopted one term over the other over the years, there has been no official declaration of which was proper.  Now it will pretty much be made official with Governor Snyder expected to sign the bill into law shortly.  At least until some radical progressive elements in our legislature decide that the 'gander' suffix is too sexist to allow to exist and offer their bills in the future.  What do you prefer and why?

While we are at it, let's try to decide on a proper demonym (i.e what to call people from Ludington) for our towns resident.  Here's what we and others have called ourselves in the past from online sources and newspaper archives:

Ludingtonian:  Jan 12 1973 COLDNews "the civilized Ludingtonian pays his devotions to pan—cakes"

                      Jan 11 2010 Ludington Torch  "as an American, patriot, or just a Ludingtonian"

Ludingtonite:  2016 Outside Online "But Ludingtonites like Klevorn aren’t content to just live..."

                      Apr 1 1969 COLDNews  "Ex-Ludingtonite Wins Tournament" (headline)

Further search results for Ludingtonist, Ludingtoner, and other possible mutations turned up nil.  Both -ite and -ian seem less than inspiring, just like they do at the end of the word Michigan.  Since neither of the two used terms seem to have universal recognition, I would suggest using the term Ludingtopian.  This is a portmanteau of the word 'Ludington' and 'Utopian' and seems a bit appropriate.  

Utopia etymologically means 'no place' from the Greek language, and was extensively coined by communist societies as what they would achieve.  Utopian means modeled on or aiming for a state(city) in which everything is perfect, the ultimate (yet unobtainable) goal for any heavily-socialized system.  Many would say our area's natural resources and natives make Ludington the closest thing to a Utopia; many would say our local governments limit us from ever achieving such a goal. 

I think Ludingtopians need to make some tough choices.  Now that that term has officially been used, do you have any preference (or suggestion) on what to refer to Ludington citizens as?

[Willy]

I never liked Michigander or Michiganian.  Michigander reminds me of a duck while Michiganian  is to long and harder to pronounce. How about Michfits. Mitteners. Peninsulorians, Greatlakers, Micheivers, Michhandlers, Michmatchers.

Ludington is much harder, I'll have to think about this one.

[shinblind]

Yoopers and Trolls are what populates Michigan. You either a yoop or a troll.  Let the rest of the Nation figure it out.

Ludington should be renamed. I remember reading somewhere that James Ludington never fulfilled his end of the deal for saddling the city with his name.

Therefor I propose we rename the city Pere Marquette. So as not to be confused with the other Marquette in Michigan and elsewhere the name should be shortened to its initials. PM.

We would all be PM'rs.

Instead of the awkward Ludington on the Lake we could become, PM the sleepy city. 

Ich bin ein PM'r to the Germans.

[Willy]

I heard somewhere that James Ludington never lived in Ludington. 

[AQUAMAN]

Ludingtonian is what I've usually said for many years.

[XLFD]

And is what you used back in 2010 on this website, as seen in the link above.  

[Willy]

Ludington could be renamed Shayville and be called corruption on the Lake.

[stump]

I remember my dad say more than once, call me anything you want, just not late for dinner .  I always thought Michigander was the   correct term . And I'm just from Ludington.   Does anybody really care?  How many times in you life have you used the term Michigander?

[XLFD]

We utilize the demonym "American" quite often in referencing your fellow citizens in the good old USA, and I have found myself wanting to use a simple one word term for a generic Michigan or Ludington person quite often while drafting articles for the LT.  

If you do a simple search of the LT's archives, you will find Aquaman, Bernard Tower, Dave, Sweater Cows, and especially me using the term "Michigander" in numerous articles without any confusion being raised as to what was referenced.  Michiganian was used for the first time here in this article.  As for Ludington natives, I and others (besides Aquaman's one time usage) have always been using two or three word phrases to describe them.  Unfortunately, the five syllable 'Ludingtonian', has one too many 'n's for my liking, and Ludingtonite sounds too much like some sort of rock/mineral.  Sadly, the simple alternative 'Luddite' has negative connotations.

Maybe Willy or somebody else can improve on my suggestion of Ludingtopian. 

[Willy]

[XLFD]

While many (a significant majority actually of) Ludington residents do veg out on what's going on, there are a few (many of us Torchers) that don't sit idly by.  Other than that, Ludingtatos a clever and catchy term.  

[stump]

I guess we should look at the bright side of this. The legislature has actually voted on something that passed , I wonder how long the debates were to agree on the term Michiganders?

[shinblind]

Dang that passed?

I demand a do over. 

Michigunner.

Michigunner's Unite.   It sounds better than the other choices.  And it is descriptive of both who we are and what we are proud of.

As for Ludington, it is unfortunate that Luddites is already spoken for.