The Farmers’ Market, a break from madness
Every weekend magpies stood in corners, quietly on the make dampness still in the air down each canvas alley raindrops, tiny silver fisheyes slops hung off tenting’s metal joints trestles have been tabletopped with trays of fresh produce — coloured maps of the world good health, at prices comfortably off can afford golden retrievers’ swish apples with feathery tails bare-armed vendors’ sons write such and such and so much per kilo on cardboard chunks, lever open pumpkins with large knives — Compiled by John Miles
May 19 will be the third Thursday for the Farmers’ Market at Island Park in Mt. Pleasant. Each brings more sellers and more buyers. An added feature last week (and likely in the future) was a petition table and two pleasant ladies getting signatures. Depending on where you live they would hand you the correct petitions. I signed one for MP to insure voters’ rights are preserved and another to defend a woman’s reproductive freedom.
Among our purchases where fresh flowers, cookies, jam, mushrooms, fish, asparagus, and a good time. I’ve gotten to know the vendors and they know me. I suggest going early, say before 10 a.m. It will take your mind off the terrible things going on in the world.
The petitions represent real problems caused by the GOP. A year ago they introduced a 39-bill package, saying the bills are necessary after losing 63 election lawsuit Donnyt and others filed contesting election processes and misinformation about the election results. One bill requires a photo ID to accompany mail-in ballots.
One bars the Secretary of State from sending unsolicited ballot applications; another prevents clerks from giving out prepaid postage for ballots.
The GOP is calling this voter reform while many are calling it voter suppression. GOP Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey glibly replied, “Michigan residents must have complete confidence in the fairness of elections and that all who can legally vote can vote.” Apparently he thinks the package will do that while a majority don’t.
State poll challengers will be required to complete training. They will be allowed to take photos and videos of the vote count and require one member of each party to supervise the state’s audit of the election. There are 33 other changes to Michigan’s elections, similar to Gop-backed bills in other states. These are considered to be tactics of voter suppression by voting experts.
Democrat Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist is outraged by the bill package, comparing it to racist voting laws in the south after the Civil War. “More than that, this is literally Jim Crow rising from the dead and coming to the state of Michigan and the Republicans have their way,” he said.
The second petition countered the axing of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court. Many Red States have trigger laws banning abortion when the court ruling is made public. In a recent ABC News/washington poll about 60% say abortion should be legal in “all or most cases” while 37% say they believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. Seven out of ten indicated the decision should be made by the woman and her doctor.
This must have an impact on the 2022 and 2024 elections. Voting is a right that should be made easier, and so is a woman’s right to decide about when and if to have a child. Before you vote, learn how candidates stand on these issues.