Last week, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 23 – 3, to add an additional $45 Billion to the US military budget. The Biden Administration originally requested an increase from the 2022 US Military budget, which was $782 Billion, but the Democratic White House asked for $813 Billion.
The Senate Armed Services Committee’s vote to add more makes the US Military’s Budget an astronomically bloated budget, especially considering that millions of people living in the US are struggling to just survive.
One of the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee is Gary Peters from Michigan. Peters, like his predecessor Carl Levin, also voted consistently for a bloated US Military budget, a budget which is larger than the next 14 country’s Military budgets, COMBINED.
William Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, and the author of numerous books on US military spending, stated recently:
“The administration’s proposal is already higher than spending at the peaks of the Korean and Vietnam Wars and over $100 billion more than at the height of the Cold War,” Hartung said in a statement. “Throwing more money at the Pentagon will not make us safer — it will just divert funds from addressing other urgent challenges like pandemics and climate change that put millions of Americans at risk.”
Additionally, Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, released the following statement:
“The Senate Armed Services Committee’s choice to defy both the president and public opinion and flood the Pentagon with more money is outrageous. Time and again, Congress funnels billions in additional funds to costly weapons programs, war, and defense contractors, while claiming that human needs would ‘cost too much.’ Most Americans oppose efforts to rocket-launch military spending towards a trillion dollars per year. Lawmakers should reject this and champion human-centered spending instead.”
The National Priorities Project has been tracking the cost of war and US Militarism for several decades now, with real-time counters that boggle the mind. In addition, they look at concrete trade-offs, to demonstrate how the US Military budget could be spent on human needs in this country. You can look at those trade-offs nationally, at the State level or the City level. Based on the 2022 US Military Budget, $370.66 Million leaves Grand Rapids for the US Military budget in tax dollars. Imagine what that kind of money could be used for, especially for the thousands of families that are struggling to pay rent, eat well, have good health coverage, etc.
On the day that the Senate Armed Services Committee voted to increase the US Military budget, Senator Peters released a statement, where he bragged about getting more funding for military bases in Michigan, and massive taxpayer subsidies for private military contractors in the state.
This is what we get when we continue to vote for people like Gary Peters. This is what voting for the lesser of evils looks like. Senator Peters is proposing to increase an already bloated US Military budget, while millions of people in this country can’t afford to survive. Senator Peters wants to increase a massive military budget while the world is burning. How do people justify this this sort of banality?
Once again the Grand Rapids commercial news media presents a narrative that favors the ex-GRPD cop who killed Patrick Lyoya
Yesterday, the lawyers who are representing the cop who killed Patrick Lyoya, were in court for a preliminary hearing, as a result of the Kent County Prosecutor’s decision two weeks ago to charge Christopher Schurr with second-degree murder.
However, the news reporting on the court hearing grossly framed the cop who killed Patrick Lyoya in a positive light to a degree that will make it difficult for any juror to find the former-GRPD cop guilty of murder.
Faulting the victim
The MLive article from yesterday, states:
Lyoya was face down, trying to get up, when the officer shot him in the back of his head. They had fought for control of the officer’s Taser.
This is a distortion of the events that took place. Most reasonable people, upon viewing the videos, would not describe what happened in such a way. Later in the MLive article it repeats the claim that, “The two fought for control of the officer’s Taser.” This claim is followed yet another negative framing, where it states:
Tests showed that Lyoya had a blood-alcohol level of 0.29 percent, over three times the level a motorist is presumed intoxicated.
The MLive article then continues to present a narrative about the victim, a narrative which suggests Patrick was at fault.
WZZM 13 also presented a narrative that made it sound like Schurr was just protecting himself, with this sentence:
Lyoya got out of his vehicle to speak with Schurr. After a brief physical struggle, Lyoya was shot in the back of the head and killed.
WZZM 13 also posted an interview with Schurr’s lawyer. There were two things instructive about this interview. First, a reporter (even though we can’t see the person who made the statement) made a statement, saying that the media has been presenting a one-sided view so far. This is absolutely not true, as we have not in numerous deconstructions of the local news, such as a WOODTV8 story from May 2nd, a May 17 story, and an MLive article that presents Schurr in a positive light.
A second point from the channel 13 interview with the lawyer representing Schurr is that he went out of his way to say that he hopes this doesn’t turn into a side show outside the court. This was a backhanded way of marginalizing the Justice4Patrick movement. The lawyer goes on to say the courts will likely not tolerate any sort of “interruptions” or “outbursts” from people.
Providing a platform for the killer cop’s family
However, maybe the most ridiculous story from the local news was from WOODTV8. The piece that channel 8 broadcast last night begins with the two newsreaders saying that this is the first time the public gets to hear from the family of Christopher Schurr. In fact, most of the 2 minute and 12 second story is mostly about Schurr’s family, featuring commentary from his grandfather, with softball questions from the reporter, in an attempt to humanize the ex-cop who shot Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head, while he was face down on the ground. The channel 8 reporter even asked Schurr’s grandfather about how it was to spent father’s day with his son and grandson. Instead of focusing on the court hearing, WOODTV8 felt that it was more important to communicate the feelings of a family member of the ex-cop who murdered Patrick Lyoya.
WXMI 17 did the best job of reporting on the hearing, with minimal commentary, no strongly biased narrative, plus they post video of the entire court hearing, thus allowing people to make up their own minds about what happened in the courtroom.
Overall, the local news coverage from yesterday about the court hearing for the ex-GRPD cop who shot and killed Patrick Lyoya did actual harm to the memory of Patrick Lyoya. This type of news coverage could also play a significant role in determining the outcome of the trial.
Over the next few weeks, we will be posting information and links to candidate websites and/or social media pages so that people can see what their policy positions are and what they say they will do if elected.
We will be posting this information specifically for candidates running for office in West Michigan, candidates at the Congressional level, state level and in Kent County. We do this in part, since we cannot rely on the dominant commercial news media to provide this information or any robust analysis of the policy platforms of those running for office.
In late July we will also be posting information on campaign financing for these same candidates, so that people have as much information as possible about candidates before the August Primary and the November 2022 Election.
Now, personally I identify politically as an anarchist, so I don’t put much stock in representative democracy or the electoral process. However, I do think it is important for people to think critically about the political/electoral process that currently exists.
In today’s post, we look at State Senate races in the West Michigan area. As a State Senator, these candidates will be voting on a wide range of critical issues, such as, funding for the prison industrial complex, public education budget, environmental justice issues, like Line 5, affordable housing, supporting a living wage, rent control, eviction, police funding, subsidies for corporations, water quality, water diversion rights, immigration issues like Driver’s Licenses for All, nuclear power, renewable energy sources, mass transit, tax policies, adoption, child care, racial discrimination, regulating the real estate industry, diverting public money towards private education, labor union support, cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, regulation of pesticide use, mining issues, climate change policies, gun control, gentrification and structural racism.
As an anarchist, I believe that my aspirations and the desire to work towards Collective Liberation is rarely reflected in the electoral/representative democracy process. Where are the candidates who are publicly anti-capitalist and anti-racist? Where are the candidates that oppose the homophobic and transphobic policies and practices in this country and in this community? Where are the candidates that are anti-colonialist, who believe that Indigenous sovereignty and land should be a priority? Where are the candidates that are committed to reparations for Black people? Where are the candidates who believe that housing, income, education and health care are fundamental rights? Where are the candidates who are committed to resisting the current climate crisis and oppose things like the Enbridge Line 3 and Line 5? Where are the candidates that want to deal with root causes of problems, instead false solutions perpetuated by charitable groups and the Non-Profit Industrial Complex? Where are the candidates that not only support labor unions but actively work to support workers to create workplace democracy? Where are the candidates who support reproductive justice? We all deserve a better world and we need to support politics the dismantles systems of power and oppression.
Listed below are the candidates for the State Senate Districts located in the Greater Grand Rapids Area. In looking at all of their campaign platform/policy pages, no one stands out as embracing positions that many social movements have been demanding for years.
State Senate 18th District
Kai Degraaf D
No online platform
Thomas Albert R
http://www.votealbert.com/platform-2
https://www.facebook.com/votealbert
Ryan Mancinelli R
No online platform
State Senate 20th District
Kim Jorgensen Gane D
https://www.facebook.com/kimjorgensengane
Kaleb M. Hudson R
https://m.facebook.com/people/Kaleb-Hudson-for-district-20-State-Senate/100078865028135/
Austin Kreutz R
Aric Nesbitt R
https://www.votenesbitt.com/issues/
https://www.facebook.com/aricnesbitt
State Senate 29th District
Winnie Brinks D
https://winniebrinks.com/84-2/
https://www.facebook.com/WinnieBrinksforSenate
Tommy Brann R
https://brannforsenate.com/issues.html
https://www.facebook.com/TommyBrannforMI
State Senate 30th District
David LaGrand D
https://www.davidlagrand.com/priorities
https://www.facebook.com/davidlagrand
Keith Hinkle R
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080641306251
Mark Huizenga R
https://www.facebook.com/votehuizenga/
State Senate 33rd District
Mark Bignell D
https://www.bigmarkforsenate.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BigMarkForSenate
Rick Outman R
New Public Safety Committee member, has also been a participant in the GRPD-created program, Clergy on Patrol
The agenda packet for the Committee on Appointments, which met today, states that the City Commission adopted a resolution to appoint Willie Gholston to the Public Safety Committee.
Willie Gholston is the pastor at First Community AME Church in Grand Rapids and has been a participant in the GRPD created program called Clergy on Patrol. In fact, the Clergy on Patrol page features a quote from Willie Gholston, saying:
“The Clergy on Patrol program provides an opportunity to enhance public safety initiatives as a means of accountability, partnership, and service to help make Grand Rapids Michigan one of the safest cities in the Midwest. We believe that by working together the spiritual and the secular worlds can build a collaborative effort to cause harmony and peace that we haven’t witnessed in a while.”
The Clergy on Patrol page states – Clergy on Patrol is a partnership between the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) and local clergy of different congregations and faith traditions to help build trust and positive interactions between the police and the neighborhood they serve.
GRIID wrote about Clergy on Patrol when it first began last year. We have a much different take on what the function of this project is. We wrote at that time:
For those who have been involved in monitoring and resisting US militarism abroad, the language that the GRPD is using to recruit faith leaders is the exact same kind of language that the US Army and CIA were using in manuals to train foreign soldiers in counterinsurgency. This may sound extreme to equate the GRPD’s recruitment of faith leaders to techniques that have been used in counterinsurgency, but to dismiss such a claim would be naive.
The GRPD sees the public, particularly members of the public who are opposing business as usual policies, as insurgents, as people who are a potential threat to order. In the Public Safety Committee meeting mentioned above, Chief Payne stated that he had reached out to the group Justice for Black Lives (JFBL) about getting a permit for their rally/march to City Hall. Chief Payne stated that groups like JFBL need to get permits if they want to do things in a lawful and orderly fashion. In other words, the GRPD wants to be notified, and therefore, have has much control as possible for when there is any demonstration, protest or act of resistance that challenges business as usual.
This is why it is important for us to think about how dangerous it is for faith leaders to be part of the Clergy on Patrol program. We have to come to terms with what the bigger picture is for such programs, which are ultimately about inserting law enforcement – which is state violence – into neighborhoods and through community-based groups. In fact, the more they are inserted into our communities, into our schools, and places of worship, the result would be and increase in surveillance, the expansion of mass incarceration expands and increased justification for state violence.
Six weeks ago, we noted in one of the GRIID posts that a members of the Capitalist Class had just been appointed to the Public Safety Committee. Adding Rev. Gholston, who has already built a relationship with the GRPD through a program they created, should be cause for concern about who sits on the Public Safety Committee and what that means for the future of police accountability and for the possibility of models of public safety that do not rely on violence workers, or what most of us know them as, cops.
Earlier this year, GRIID wrote a piece about a new podcast that is hosted by one of our local billionaires, Doug DeVos.
In that article about the podcast hosted by Doug DeVos, we wrote:
The Believe! Podcast from Doug DeVos has so far featured people who are aligned with his religious views, other members of the Capitalist Class and those who defend the far right ideological values that are the very embodiment of the DeVos family. So, instead of blindly believing anything that people like Doug DeVos have to say, lets adopt solid critical thinking skills, skills which will allow us to see through the lies those in power want us to BeLIEve!
We continue to monitor the show’s content and the guests that DeVos invites. One guest caught our attention, so we thought is was important to write about what Dr. Larry Arnn, the President of Hillsdale College had to say. The main theme of the interview between Doug DeVos and the Hillsdale College President was, Why Should Students Love America?
The President of Hillsdale College engages in what most scholars refer to as American Exceptionalism. American Exceptionalism is the idea that the US as a country is unique and special and should be seen as a model for the rest of the world. This sentiment is reflected in the conversation between Dr. Arnn and Doug DeVos, since neither of them mention anything about the US genocidal policies directed at the First Nation’s people that lived here way before the Europeans invaded these lands.
The Hillsdale President does acknowledge slavery, but just in passing. Interestingly enough, Dr. Arnn then spends a great deal of time talking negatively about the 1619 Project, stating:
You know, the New York Times has done that frightful 1619 Project. And they claim that the movement of the founding of America from the colonies forward was in the direction of perpetuating slavery.
The President of Hillsdale College then cites Gordon Wood as the leading US Historian, so as to contradict the claims made by the 1619 Project. This theme is not really explored by DeVos or his guest, since both are not interested in a serious exploration of the more honest history that the 1619 Project explores, particularly as it related to the centuries long practice of systemic racism in the US and how it has impacted the Black community in particular.
While DeVos and his guest make backhanded comments about Critical Race Theory, they fail to mention that Hillsdale College has developed their own curriculum to counter the 1619 Project. The Hillsdale project is called The Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum, which is a very sanitized and whitewashed version of US history.
What we can learn from this episode of the podcast from Doug DeVos, is that he endorses and celebrates a view of US history that denies, ignores and minimizes the deeply racist history of the US, a history that continues til today. This is significant in two ways. First, Doug DeVos is the head of the Amway Corporation and he has contributed millions to the Republican Party and GOP candidates that promote and push for public policy to deny public education teachers to teach Critical Race Theory.
Second, the Doug & Maria DeVos Foundation provides millions in funding to projects in Grand Rapids, like AmplifyGR. AmplifyGR operates in a predominantly Black neighborhood, which begs the question, does Doug DeVos’s belief about US history, particularly the history of racism, influence how his foundation contributions are used? If Doug DeVos vehemently disagrees with Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project, shouldn’t the residents of the Boston Square Neighborhood be made aware of his views on racism?
Last week Tuesday, MLive posted a story with the headline, 43% of Michiganders can barely afford necessities, says task force offering solutions. Let that sink in for a moment. Nearly half of the people living in Michigan say they care barely afford what they need.
The MLive article begins by saying:
A group tasked with helping Michigan combat poverty has come up with 29 policy recommendations aimed do just that.
The Michigan Poverty Task Force examined the policy gaps that cause some residents to endure health inequities resulting from non-medical factors. Its 2022 report, released Tuesday, June 14, highlights the problems resulting in disparities, and offers solutions for the state to consider.
Later, in the MLive article, the reporter provides some numbers on what the federal poverty level is for a single person and a family of four. “In 2022, the federal poverty line is $13,590 in annual earnings for a single adult, or $27,750 for a family of four. By those metrics, an estimated 1.4 million residents are living in poverty, including about 20% of the state’s children.”
All of this data is very sobering, but the reporter does not ask the question as to why so many people in Michigan are living in poverty.
Task Force Recommendations
The Michigan Poverty Task Force report can be found at this link, which includes more data and the 29 recommendations the group came up with.
The 29 recommendations are based on five main focus areas:
- income and social protection
- housing, basic amenities and the environment
- early childhood development
- social inclusion and nondiscrimination
- access to affordable health services of decent quality
In reading the recommendations, it occurred to this writer that these recommendations were created by people who have never directly experienced poverty. Don’t get me wrong, the recommendations are not bad, but they do very little to address systemic or structural problems. Let’s look at one example from each of the five focus areas, to illustrate my point.
On the matter of income and social protection, one recommendation is – Increase investments in a universal benefit application so Michigan residents can apply for resources in one place. Again, this is not a bad idea, since it makes it easier for people to access various social services through one portal. However, in this section on income, there is no discussion about the urgent need for people to make a living wage. What if individuals were making a minimum wage of $25 an hour. How would that impact the lives of workers and their families? There is also no discussion, nor recommendation to address the wealth gap in Michigan.
The second focus area listed in the recommendations, is housing, basic amenities and the environment. One recommendation is, to Create Statewide Rental Housing Partnership Trust. This recommendation is essentially designed to support landlords who have taken on “risky” tenants. What is more alarming is that there was no recommendation suggesting that housing is a human right or what the minimum income is for families to afford rental costs in Michigan. According to the Living Wage Calculator, a family of four – 2 adults and 2 children – would need to earn $35.94 an hour to afford the average rent costs in Michigan.
The third focus area the Poverty Task Force includes is early childhood development. One of their recommendations is, increase rural childcare options for families. Again, not a bad idea, but this recommendation never addresses income levels or the need for families to make a living wage, in order to even afford childcare costs.
A fourth area included in the recommendations is, social inclusion and nondiscrimination. There are only two recommendations in this section, one of which is to improve water quality and affordability. This recommendation is instructive, since it does not acknowledge the harsh realties that so many families in the state are facing when it comes to level of contaminated water that families (disproportionately BIPOC families) are facing. Flint is not even mentioned or acknowledged in this recommendation.
The fifth focus area included in the Poverty Task Force report is listed as, access to affordable health services of decent quality. One recommendation is coextend coverage to “children of qualified immigrants.” This essentially means they want to provide more access to immigrant children, as long as they are documented. What about the thousands of families who live and work in Michigan every year, mostly in the agricultural sector, who are undocumented?
Reading through the 29 recommendations of the Michigan Poverty Task Force was like an exercise in, “how to make minor tweaks to the economic system of Capitalism, without threatening its core value of profits over people.” Again, the recommendations are not bad, but they not only fail to address the root causes of systemic poverty, they end up perpetuating an economic system that is designed to create poverty.
Create poverty, then contribute to charity: The Jandernoa Foundation, like most foundations, is a con
Michael Jandernoa is part of the Grand Rapids Power Structure, as we have noted for many years now.
The former CEO of Perrigo Pharmaceutical Co., and now the CEO of 42 North Partners, has long been involved with numerous groups that advocate for Neo-Liberal economic and social policies.
Jandernoa has been involved with the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce for decades, the Right Place Inc and the West Michigan Policy Forum (WMPF). In 2018, Jandernoa and other members of the worked to undermine public teacher unions, particularly by eliminating retirement benefits.
In 2019, Jandernoa was interviewed by the GR Chamber of Commerce, as part of a forum hosted by the West Michigan Policy Forum. Jandernoa was talking about the problems with public education and essentially was advocating for more Charter and private forms of education, along with saying that the business community should be more involved in creating school curriculum to create the “talent” that businesses needed.
Then there is the matter of campaign contributions. Michael Jandernoa nd his wife are major contributors to the GOP and GOP candidates, all of which embrace neoliberal economic and social policies that primarily benefit the class that Jandernoa is part of, the Capitalist Class. In the 2013/2014 election cycle, Jandernoa contributed $649,996 to GOP candidates. In the 2015/2016 election cycle, he contributed $437,500 and during the 2017/2018 election cycle Jandernoa contributed $592,000 to GOP candidates. In fact, according to FollowtheMoney.org, Jandernoa has contributed a total of $4,299,096 in campaign money over the past 27 years, mostly to GOP candidates.
All of his campaign contributions have resulted in public policy decisions that have impacted working class families struggling to survive, especially BIPOC families who are disproportionately impacted by economic policies that benefit the likes of Michael Jandernoa.
Jandernoa then turns around and contributes money through his foundation, which is considerablely smaller than foundations run by the DeVos family. In the 2020 990 documents for the Jandernoa Foundation, his family contributed a total of $2,981,127, which you can find on GuideStar.org.
Some of that money has gone to Catholic entities, since Jandernoa himself is a Catholic.
- Aquinas College – $50,000
- Catholic Central High School – $150,000
- Diocese of Grand Rapids – $80,000
The Jandernoa Foundation has also contributed to local public colleges and universities, based on the most recent 990 document.
- GVSU – $125,000
- Michigan Colleges Alliance – $80,000
- Regents of University of Michigan – $957,877
Other, more charity focused groups have also benefited from the philanthropy of Jandernoa, such as:
- Heart of West Michigan United Way – $350,000
- Habitat for Humanity – $150,000
- Make A Wish Foundation – $310,000
- Mel Trotter Ministries – $187,500
- Special Olympics Michigan Inc. – $150,000
- Kids Food Basket – $20,000
- Disability Advocates of Kent County – $40,000
- Aya Youth Housing – $37,500
What is instructive about this last group, is the fact that the people they provide services to, are the very same people who are negatively impacted by the public policies that are promoted and adopted by the Michigan Legislature, which Jandernoa has been contributing to for nearly 3 decades.
His foundation contributions are a great way to win over people and organizations, because of this so-called philanthropy. However, it is rarely questioned by the news media or non-profit groups, that the small amount of money Jandernoa contributed to charitable causes is nothing compared to the profits he has generated for himself and his fellow members of the Capitalist Class in West Michigan. This is exactly why rich people have foundations, so they can con the public into thinking they are generous, while their economic and political role is to create more poverty.
Over the next few weeks, we will be posting information and links to candidate websites and/or social media pages so that people can see what their policy positions are and what they say they will do if elected.
We will be posting this information specifically for candidates running for office in West Michigan, candidates at the Congressional level, state level and in Kent County. We do this in part, since we cannot rely on the dominant commercial news media to provide this information or any robust analysis of the policy platforms of those running for office.
In late July we will also be posting information on campaign financing for these same candidates, so that people have as much information as possible about candidates before the August Primary and the November 2022 Election.
Now, personally I identify as an anarchist, so I don’t put much stock in representative democracy or the electoral process. However, I do think it is important for people to think critically about the political/electoral process that currently exists.
In today’s post, we look at Congressional Candidates. These candidates, if elected, will have to deal with a whole range of topics and issues. On the foreign policy end of decision making, which candidates, if any are committed to a reduction in the US Military budget, which is the largest in the world? Where do candidates stand on continued support for Israel, for the marginalization of countries like Cuba and Venezuela. What about the US military aid to Ukraine and the push to escalate a possible war with Russia. Where do candidates stand on international trade policies, the global war on drugs, torture, US weapons sales to countries with atrocious human rights records, etc.
On the domestic end, where do candidates stand on housing and gentrification, the wealth gap, Medicare for All, the Prison Industrial Complex, immigration policy, structural racism, public education, the urgent climate crisis, corporate welfare, policing, LGBTQ issues, gun control and gun manufacturing, the agribusiness system, the corporate control of the news media, etc.
As an anarchist, I believe that my aspirations and the desire to work towards Collective Liberation are rarely reflected in the electoral/representative democracy process. Where are the candidates who are publicly anti-capitalist and anti-racist? Where are the candidates that oppose the homophobic and transphobic policies and practices in this country and in this community? Where are the candidates that are anti-colonialist, who believe that Indigenous sovereignty and land should be a priority? Where are the candidates that are committed to reparations for Black people? Where are the candidates that want to use money that currently goes towards policing and to US militarism, and want it to go instead to the most marginalized communities? Where are the candidates who believe that housing, income, education and health care are fundamental rights? Where are the candidates who are committed to resisting the current climate crisis and want to shut down the Enbridge Line 3 and Line 5? Where are the candidates that want to deal with root causes of problems, instead of false solutions perpetuated by charitable groups and the Non-Profit Industrial Complex? Where are the candidates that not only support labor unions but actively work to support workers to create workplace democracy? Where are the candidates who support reproductive justice? We all deserve a better world and we need to support policies and movements that confront and dismantle systems of power and oppression.
Here are the candidates for the 3rd Congressional District:
Peter Meijer (incumbent) R
https://www.votemeijer.com/issues
https://www.facebook.com/votemeijer
Hillary Scholten D
https://hillaryscholten.com/priorities/
https://www.facebook.com/scholtenforcongress
John Gibbs R
Watch A People’s History of the LGBTQ Community in Grand Rapids, a film the GR People’s History Project produced in 2011
Eleven years ago we were frantically in the midst of conducting some 75 interviews with members of the LGBTQ community and a few allies, for our feature lengthen documentary on the history of this community in Grand Rapids.
In addition to the interviews, we collected tons of archival materials – pictures, video, posters, flyers – along with sifting through The Network newsletters and a methodical research project of the Grand Rapids Press from the late 1970s through 2010.
All of these materials are what made up the content of the documentary we produced, which included Girbe Eefsting, Bob Toft, Colette Seguin Beighley, Tom Henry and Ana Fisk.
As the lead producer of this project, I learned a ton about the history of the LGBTQ community in Grand Rapids and was in awe of the sacrifices, risks and commitment of the people we interviewed. Their stories were powerful and inspiring.
The film focuses on the period of the late 1960s through 2010, particularly around the following critical junctures in the local LGBTQ community:
- Early years of support and survival
- The founding of The Network
- The early Pride Celebrations
- Organizing and care work around HIV/AIDS
- The Campaign to pass a non-discrimination ordinance in Grand Rapids
- Organizing and campaigns at GVSU
- The Religious Right in West MI
- Sons & Daughter’s Book Store
- The growth of LGBTQ organizations
- Why this history is important
The film is 1 hour and 41 minutes long and can be viewed online and we still have DVD copies for those interested.
After his arrest by the FBI last week, Ryan Kelley might be the front runner in the GOP race for Governor
As a Founding Father (what he likes to call himself) of the American Patriot Council, Ryan Kelley became know to the broader public when he organized some of the anti-lockdown protests in Lansing in late April of 2020.
From a post in April of 2020 on the American Patriot Council site, a post that has since been removed, Kelley writes:
“We received several death threats,” said organizer Ryan Kelley, “and the second amendment was designed to protect the first.”
“We organized the rally with the constitution in mind,” said Jason Howland, “and this is the way it was designed to work. The guys from the militia are always portrayed by the media in a negative light, and they are genuinely necessary. They did a great job at the event.”
Kelley also acknowledged that he was in constant communication with State Senator Mike Shirkey during those anti-lockdown protests in Lansing. In May of 2020, Kelley then hosted a an anti-lockdown protest in Grand Rapids on May 18, which we wrote attended and wrote about. We noted in a follow up post that some of the armed militia members were also on stage at Rosa Parks Circle with Kelley, along with several other speakers.
Shortly after Kelley’s rally in Grand Rapids, he once again made the news with his involvement and support of a Confederate Statue in Allendale, Michigan. Kelley used the campaign to remove the Confederate Statue in Allendale as a rallying cry for an American Patriot Council action at that statue site some 10 days before the 2020 Elections. The local news media failed to ask important questions, instead choosing to report on the two opposing view points.
After the 2020 Elections, Kelley joined other Trump supporter in denouncing the outcome of the election, with Kelley traveling to Detroit to protest outside of one of the vote counting sites, then hosting another rally in Lansing late November. We did include video that the American Patriot Council (AMC) had used at that Stop the Steal rally, but the AMC once again removed that content.
In January of 2021, Kelley and his colleague, Jason Howland, were both documented to have participated in the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol in Washington, DC.
Then in early February of 2021, Ryan Kelley announced that he was running as a Republican for Governor in Michigan. At the time, I wrote that this would be a great time to focus on his involvement with far right groups, particularly their White Supremacist beliefs and practices.
However, shortly after Kelley’s announcement to run for Governor, much of the news media’s attention had moved on to other things. Kelley was not generating a great deal of campaign contributions, so his campaign also was downplayed. We continued to report on Kelley, providing a deconstruction of a political ad he produced in October of 2021.
The new media has recently re-discovered Ryan Kelley, after he was arrested by the FBI last week, which included their search of his home. In addition, with some of the front-running GOP Gubernatorial candidates now disqualified for bogus campaign signatures, Kelley has been elevated to being possibly the front runner of the remaining GOP candidates for Governor of Michigan.
The arrest of Ryan Kelley by the FBI has made him an attractive candidate within the Trump wing of the GOP. According to Kelley’s Facebook page, he is receiving hundreds of e-mails and messages on how to donate to his campaign. In addition, since his arrest last Thursday, Kelley has been invited to speak at numerous locations, was interviewed by Tucker Carlson on Monday and has been a quest on several other right wing radio shows and podcasts. On the short interview with Tucker Carlson, Kelley says he believes that his arrest was politically motivated, particularly because he is a candidate for Governor. In addition, Kelley was interviewed by Steve Bannon on the same day that he was arrested by the FBI.
Regardless of the FBI’s arrest of Kelley, people should start paying attention to the “founding father” of the American Patriot Council and his broader policy stances, instead of just seeing him as another crack-pot who took part in the January 6th insurrection.
It will be interesting to see Kelley’s campaign finance data in late July, just before the August Primary, particularly who is now contributing to his campaign. Too many people downplayed Donald Trump as the Presidential candidate in 2016, and they might regret ignoring or dismissing Kelley after the election results in November.
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy 