Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy

Analysis:

This story is based on an anti-war march that was held in Grand Rapids on March 17. Channel 17 based this story on an interview with Congressman Ehlers and an ACTIVATE spokesperson on Sunday, March 18. The story is limited to what both Ehlers has to say and a few responses by one of the march organizers. Is it clear to readers of this story what prompted people to go to the Congressman’s office? Does the reporter verify the claims made by the Congressman in the story? The reporter does cite a CNN poll and that the US House will vote soon on the war in Iraq. The ACTIVATE member also cites some statistics on what Iraqis think about the war, but the reporter does not verify the claim. The story ends with a mention about arrests made at the march, but no details are provided as to why arrests were made.

Story:

Reporter – The 4-year anniversary of the War in Iraq has spawned protests across the country, including several here in West Michigan. Saturday, the group “Activate” organized more than a hundred people to march to the home of Vern Ehlers in Grand Rapids. Ehlers has supported the war since the beginning. In 13 years as a congressman, this is the first time someone has protested in Ehlers’ neighborhood. He stayed inside, but the activists came right up to his door and even taped a sign to the wall.

Congressman Ehlers – Isn’t it great that people feel free to come and demonstrate in front of their congressman’s house.

Reporter – Activate is a grassroots group made up mostly of college students. Lara Parsons was one of the rally organizers.

ACTIVATE member – We have tried letter-writing campaigns and other more suggestive methods,” said Parsons. “And there hasn’t been any response.

Reporter – Protestors want to show Ehlers that his constituents are against the war in Iraq.

Congressman Ehlers – Obviously the war is not popular, Americans want instantaneous results. They’ve never been content with long drawn-out things, we’ve seen that before.

Reporter – But nationally it’s becoming more and more unpopular. According to a recent CNN poll, 21 percent said the U.S. should withdraw now, 37 percent said within a year and only 39 percent said we should stay as long as needed. The full House votes on its withdrawal plan next week.

Congressman Ehlers – A number of members of congress want us to pull out, which I think is stupid. We can’t just abandon the Iraqis after we totally mess up their lives and their world. We have a moral obligation to straighten out the mess before we leave.

Repoerter – Opponents say we should leave before more lives are lost.

ACTIVATE member – We’re not doing any better staying there, the longer it goes on the worse it gets, and 80 percent of Iraqis don’t want us there any more and we should get out for that reason.

Grand Rapids Police arrested four people in the protest. One was a GVSU sociology professor.

Analysis:

This story is based upon an anti-war march that took place in Grand Rapids on Saturday, March 17. The story frames the issue up front with this comment “A protest in West Michigan was one of many taking place across the country, but some police in Grand Rapids said this group went too far.” What do they mean when they say “too far?” The next sentence also has a comment from the reporter who uses the statement “Unfortunately, they ended up clashing with police.” What does that mean when the reporter says “clashing with police.” Is it clear what provoked the arrests? The only sources cited in this story was one protest participant and two different police officers. The story mentions that people marched to Congressman Ehlers’ house and to the mall, but is there any clear indication from the story as to why people marched to those locations? The last comment made by the police officer also leads viewers to assume that people were not “peaceful,” since the police officer uses that term in his statement, but no clarification of his comment was provided. Is it clear from this story the reasons why people were protesting?

Story:

News reader – A protest in West Michigan was one of many taking place across the country, but some police in Grand Rapids said this group went too far.

Reporter – Monday marks the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq. The group says they wanted to let people know how they felt about the war. Unfortunately, they ended up clashing with police and 4 people were arrested. Those taken into custody include a Sociology professor from Grand Valley State University. People involved in the anti-war protest said they wanted to make a statement. They are against the war in Iraq and want the troops to come home. It all started in Grand Rapids.

Protest participant – We marched over to Congressman Vern Ehlers house. Who’s been a staunch supporter or the war since its inception.

Reporter: That’s when the “peaceful” protest got ugly. The Grand Rapids Police Department says someone in the group was using a megaphone. That’s a violation of city ordinance. When police asked the man to stop, they say he refused, so they attempted to arrest him. Police say some of the others hindered what they were trying to do.

Police – When we went to arrest one person, they jumped on the back of the person we were trying to arrest.

Protest participant – Several members of our party were arrested for, as far as we can tell, basically standing there. Including a Grand Valley Professor.

Four people were arrested before the crowd moved on to Kentwood. Police there say the protestors were on private property.

Police – The mall did not want the protestors on the property and we assisted in that.

Reporter – With Grand Rapids Police and mall security there to help, the protestors moved to the sidewalk along 28th street. The group says they are disappointed by what happened.

Protest participant – I mean everybody’s being very emotional, it’s a charged subject. We’re here just trying to make a bit of a statement and feeling like we’re being censored because of it.

Police – If good choices were made, this would have been peaceful and no one would have gone to jail.

Reporter – And Grand Rapids Police say those that were arrested were taken to the Kent County Jail. What they were arrested for was a misdemeanor. If they haven’t already been released they will be soon. They will also face a fine.

Analysis:

This story features no comments from ACTIVATE, the group organizing the protest, despite the fact that a spokesperson for the group did an interview. Moreover, while the article does mention that the group went to the home of Representative Ehlers, they do not investigate the group’s claims that Ehlers has been a supporter of the war. Instead they simply state that “they say he’s been a long supporter of the war.” Does this make it clear why the group chose to go to Representative Ehlers’ home?

Story:

GRAND RAPIDS — The fourth anniversary of the start of the Iraq conflict brought out protesters around the country today.

Thousands marched from the Lincoln Memorial to the Pentagon — just like protests 40 years ago against the Vietnam War.

Not everyone is calling for the end to the war though.

Within the crowd there were a few supporters of President Bush’s call for more troops.

Protests here in West Michigan resulted in a handful of arrests.

Grand Rapids Police say they arrested four people for noise and hindering officers.

The group marched in front of the home of US Representative Vern Ehlers. They say he’s been a long supporter of the war.

They continued on to the East Beltline where they called for peace.

Protests were also held in Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo.

Analysis:

This story contained little actual reporting on what protestors were doing, claiming only that they were remembering the more than 3,000 service members killed in Iraq and the four year anniversary of the invasion.

Most of the footage showed demonstrators at standing on the corner of East Beltline and Burton. On the 11:00pm newscast, WOOD TV 8 claimed that “one person was taken into custody for refusing to stop using an amplifying device and while police were making those arrests, someone threw a small explosive device.” The only source cited for these claims was the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD).

Story:

Police arrested four demonstrators arrested four demonstrators for noise violations and hindering police.

The protest was held by the group ACTIVATE that is calling for an end to the Iraq War.

Another rally was held in Kalamazoo’s Bronson Park.

Analysis:

This story deals with a sexual assault case in Holland. After the opening comments from the news readers the reporter frames the story early on by quoting the police who said “what they should’ve done is run. Get away from Saul Salas as fast as they could.” Does making this statement put the blame or the focus on the behavior of the 3 girls? The police repeat this by saying “This is a huge reminder to our parents that we need to reiterate with our children to be safe and act diligently and to say no, run away.” The story then turns attention to the possible whereabouts of the perpetrator, with an invitation for viewers to call police if they know anything. In addition to focusing on the girls behavior this story does not put into context the realities of sexual assault, what the profile of perpetrators are, what the incidents of sexual assault in Holland are, nor information on prevention of sexual assault, resources in the community or where victims can get help.

Story:

Lee Van Ameyde: Michigan State Police want to find this man tonight.

Juliet Dragos: They say he lured 3 teenage girls, on their way to school, into his car and sexually assaulted them. Good evening I’m Juliet Dragos.

And Im Lee Van Ameyde, police said it happened 2 weeks ago when a Holland man asked the girls if they wanted to party, the girls jumped into his car and then drove off.

Juliet Dragos: Police say 33year old Saul Salas gave the teenagers beer and marijuana before sexually assaulting them. WZZM Phil Dawson joins us now from our news room with more.

Reporter: Investigators say they don’t know what the girls were expecting when they got into the mans car instead of continuing on to Holland High School, but police say what they should’ve done is run. Get away from Saul Salas as fast as they could. The 3 girls, 2 age 15 and 1, 16, were almost to Holland High School when police say a 33year old man drove up with an offer they did not refuse.

Police: Asking these 3 young ladies if they wanted to party.

Reporter: Investigators believe that 33year old Saul Salas of Holland drove the girls to a house in Saugatuck, gave them beer and marijuana and sexually assaulted all 3.

Police: This is a huge reminder to our parents that we need to reiterate with our children to be safe and act diligently and to say no, run away

Reporter: Holland police believe 33year old Saul Salas may have tried to lure school girls into his car before, 3 to 5 times since last fall, always with a similar sales pitch.

Police: Basically approaching saying do you want a ride is what some of these young victims would state. That he offered them a ride or asked if they needed to go somewhere.

Reporter: Police believe Salas may now be hiding in Mexico, but they say its also possible he’s cruising around looking for new victims.

Police: I hope not, but we have been stepping up our patrols and watching for the suspect.

Reporter: It took 2 weeks for police to get a warrant for Saul Salas and he may have used the time to leave the area, if not the country. Police would like a phone call from anyone who knows where he is. In the news room, Phil Dawson, WZZM 13 News.

Analysis:

This story is based upon new revelations regarding the FBI’s involvement with domestic spying. The story has a brief comment from the FBI director, three Senators and Attorney General Gonzalez. Do these sources provide a wide range of perspectives. Why are there no non-governmental sources cited? How would that change the way the public read this story?

Story:

Reporter: It’s the way the FBI handled access to phone company records to personal emails even to financial information at banks that has the director of the FBI apologizing.

FBI Director: I am the person responsible, I am the person accountable.

Reporter: An audit from the justice department’s inspector general found the FBI misusing and possibly abusing a provision of the patriot act, the one that lets the FBI without a judges approval, demand customer records from private companies by merely issuing a subpoena of sorts called a national security letter.

Senator Arlen Spector: The inspector general’s report shows a massive misuse by the FBI of the national security letters.

Reporter: The audit says, quote, “We believe the improper or illegal uses we found involve serious misuses of National Security Letters authorities.”

Senator John Sununu: They undermine the publics confidence in our law enforcement in investigation capacity.

Senator Richard Durbin: We have repeatedly on a partisan basis said to this administration, don’t go too far. Don’t violate the privacy of America’s innocent people in an effort to keep us safe.

Reporter: Attorney General Gonzales calls the misuses mistakes that he doesn’t think should jeopardize an essential crime-fighting tool against terrorism.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales: There’s no excuse for the mistakes that have been made and we are going to make things right as quickly as possible.

Reporter: Congress claims to call both Gonzales and Mueller to answer what went wrong. Chris Clackum, NBC News.

Analysis:

This story tells viewers the basic fact that Yamaha is closing down 2 regional factories and moving them to Asia, but provides no information about why the company is moving. The only voice heard in this story is that of an employee, but the way that the story is framed puts the focus on what this woman is doing to learn new skills or find another job. In contrast there is no real information on Yamaha such as, whether or not Yamaha has received subsidies from the City of Kentwood in recent years. According to Yamaha’s corporate site, profits are up for the first quarter of 2007. There is one statement at the end of the story that appears to be from a press release by Yamaha, but no specifics are given for the decision to close the factories.

Story:

WOOD TV 8 news reader – From your cash to your jobs, jobs that are now going over seas, another blow for west Michigan’s workforce. Two Yamaha facilities will be shutting down for good in Kentwood, 24hour News 8s, Rachael Ruiz is at the studio with that story.

Reporter – Why Yamaha will close two local facilities, in its musical products division affecting 190 workers. The buildings are expected to close in April and Yamaha says the work done there will move to Asia. Workers say they got word at a 9:00am meeting here at the building on East Paris Ave where musical instruments are made, a similar notification happening at Yamahas warehouse on Breton. But Yamaha not just closing shop in West Michigan, also at a plant in Thomaston, Georgia, 280 people soon without jobs in both states.

Employee: I’m at Davenport, University. I’m going there for Medical Coding.

Reporter – Christina Sowa, Wyoming, also works at Yamaha. She started at the musical products division 7 years ago, but had gone back to school hoping to jumpstart a different career. The news of the closing she says, leaving many in tears. Christina says some of her co-workers have worked nowhere else but Yamaha. Like others she wonders if she could even get a job that paid as well and whether she’ll have the skills it takes.

Employee: …And everything now revolves around computers and technology and if you don’t have any knowledge of that, you know, where do you go and um, who’s going to hire you.

Reporter – Yamaha says they will provide workers with a separation package.

Analysis:

This story is longer than most local TV news stories,so it does provide more information than normal. There are multiple sources used in this story, but is it clear what the expertise is of each person cited? The only group that is cited in terms of helping men overcome internet porn addiction is the Triple X Church, but the story does not give much background on this organization or its methodology other than it is faith based. The story ends by saying you can go to their website to take a quiz, which is a link to another faith-based organization. On the WZZM 13 site there are also links to other resources,most of which are links to the Triple X Church. Only one local resource is provided.

Story:

WZZM 13 Reporter – Well that’s right, there is no doubt that pornography is a controversial issue. Some can use small amounts of porn and will never have a problem with it. Others can quickly become addicted and for those people its ruining lives, relationships and jobs. A word of warning, some of the images might not be suitable for our younger viewers.

Justin Antwerp: “It felt like a high, you know, it felt like, just kind of an uncontrollable urge.”

WZZM 13 Reporter – Pornography is one of those dirty little secrets and people are logging on to look at it more than ever. They’re doing it at home and at work. For some it’s an obsession.

Antwerp: “I felt like I couldn’t, I couldn’t sop myself from just continuing on.”

WZZM 13 Reporter – On the outside, Justin Antwerp appeared to have a great life. He was a minister, a husband and has 2 little girls. No one knew he was addicted to porn. It all started when he looked at a playboy magazine when he was a teenager.

Antwerp: “And you know, then that wouldn’t satisfy me you know, and then I found a whole new world of videos, you know and web cams and you know, all sorts of things.”

WZZM 13 Reporter – Justin is among the growing number of men and women who are dealing with pornography addiction. You used to have to go to your local adult video store to get it, now you can see it all online.

Dr. Paul Clitella (PhD): “Its far easier to obtain than any drug.”

WZZM 13 Reporter – Dr. Paul Critelli sees patients who have all kinds of addictions. He’s not surprised that pornography is becoming more common. He says Americans have a different view of sex compared to people in other countries.

Critelli: “If it weren’t so dirty then we wouldn’t use it to sell everything.”

WZZM 13 Reporter – Pornography specifically on the Internet is a 57billion dollar industry; it’s larger than all professional sports. There are 4.2 million pornographic websites and those who view it are mostly men.

Antwerp: “I never got caught, I became really good at just covering things up.”

WZZM 13 Reporter – Justin was looking at pornography at home and on his computer at work. Looking at it while on the job is becoming a problem we’ve been hearing a lot about lately. There have been a few different high profile cases right here in West Michigan. In 2006 a Kentwood deputy fire chief pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. The images were found on his computer at work. At the Cutlerville Fire Department pornographic images were discovered on a laptop. The computer company that was hired to find those images says these days businesses need to take a proactive approach to the problem.

Richard Reiffer (Chief Technical Officer): “In other words, what could we do to stop that from even happening to begin with. So we implement things like content filtering.”

WZZM 13 Reporter – Psychologists say viewing porn at work is a sign that you have a problem, other questions to ask yourself include frequency, are you logging on more often. Intensity, are the pictures becoming more graphic. Duration, are the sessions on line becoming longer.

Dr. Critelli: “And if those things are increasing wither by jumps or rather steadily, then I would say you certainly have a problem and by the way, I would think those 3 attributes are a good measure of any kind of problem behavior.”

WZZM 13 Reporter – Dr. Critelli believes there are cases where people can view porn and not have a problem. He says some people view it once and a while and have healthy sex lives. He doesn’t think small amounts are morally wrong. Psychologist Tom Karel disagrees.

Tom Karel: “It creates unrealistic expectations and unrealistic ideas as to what normal really looks like.”

WZZM 13 Reporter – In Justin’s case, pornography ruined his relationship with his wife. He says he hit rock bottom when he picked up a female hitchhiker.

Antwerp: “Nothing happened, but had the opportunity risen, I would have cheated on my wife that day and, um, that was a scary place to be.”

WZZM 13 Reporter – A few months later, Justin told his wife about his addiction.

Antwerp: “She was completely devastated and, um, she left the following weekend. The next morning I met with the elders in the church and resigned the position.”

WZZM 13 Reporter – Justin went into therapy and is now involved with the local anti-pornography group called Triple X Church. Justin hopes by coming out about his problem, he could show others that they can overcome their addiction.

Antwerp: “You know, I think by Gods grace, by everybody surrounding me, helping me to lift up, I’ve been able to get a hold on it”

WZZM 13 Reporter – And there is software you can get that blocks adult content on your computer at home. There is also accountability software for porn addicts. It actually notifies the software company when a pornographic site is accessed. For more information and to take a quiz about pornography addiction, go to our website at wzzm13.com.

Analysis:

This story reprinted from the Los Angeles Times frames the debate about sending more US troops to Iraq as a partisan issue. The only sources cited are those of Democratic and Republican Senators who are debating how to respond to Bush’s called for sending more US troops to Iraq. There are no Iraqi perspectives, nor any non-partisan voices. Even the proposed bills they are discussing are only about positions that the Senate would take, but they make it clear this would not affect funding the war. The Press article doesn’t discuss the merits of non-binding resolutions, but doesn’t discuss the funding aspect of the legislation. There was also a considerable amount of the original article omitted in the Press version. Does the omitted text provide readers with more clarity on the topic?

Story:

WASHINGTON — Senate opponents of President Bush’s decision to deploy additional troops in Iraq were unifying Wednesday night behind a single resolution criticizing the plan, increasing the chances that Congress will vote to formally rebuke the White House.

Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) announced that he was amending his nonbinding resolution that says the Senate “disagrees” with the buildup, adding clauses opposing any cutoff of funds for troops in the field and calling for written commitments from the Iraqi government to achieve certain goals.

The revised resolution drew the immediate endorsement of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine). Both had been pushing an alternative resolution that more forcefully opposed the president’s plan.

And Senate Democratic leaders indicated they would back the Warner proposal as well. “I believe we have a better chance now,” said Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said there was “near unanimity” among Democrats, adding that he wanted to make the Warner proposal the basis for debate Monday, when the Senate is expected to consider the issue.

Reid acknowledged that an alternative resolution sponsored by Sens. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), as well as Levin and Snowe, could not garner the GOP support to reach the 60 votes needed to overcome a promised Republican filibuster.

Warner’s changes appear designed to win over more Republicans, seven of whom have already expressed support for some legislative critique of the president’s intention to increase troop levels by 21,500 to contain sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shiites.

In an apparent nod to many GOP lawmakers who have fretted publicly about Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, Warner and his cosponsors strengthened language calling for the prime minister to agree to written benchmarks.

These include deploying additional Iraqi security forces to work with U.S. troops, “ensuring equitable distribution” of oil resources and an end to “political intervention” in the tactical decisions of Iraqi commanders. The resolution does not spell out any consequences if the Iraqis fail to comply.

The amended resolution also includes criticism of the complicated command structure in Baghdad that creates two chains of command for Iraqis and Americans, an issue raised by several former military and government officials in the last week.

And it clarifies language in the resolution that some Democrats complained could be read to imply that the Senate might endorse an increase of fewer than 21,500 troops.

Warner, Levin and other lawmakers opposed to the White House plan have been working for more than a week to bridge differences between the Warner proposal and the more toughly worded Biden measure that was passed by the Foreign Relations Committee last week.

Meanwhile, other GOP lawmakers have been trying to persuade colleagues to vote against any resolution.

“We sure as heck have a responsibility to be for some plan,” said Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) who was among a group of Republicans criticizing the resolutions as unproductive earlier Wednesday. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who also was in the group, later acknowledged that he had not read the new Warner proposal.

Other conservative lawmakers have accused Democrats of undermining troop morale in their drive to pass a resolution. And the president has repeatedly said he would not be deterred by congressional opposition.

Drawing on popular dissatisfaction with the Iraqi government, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also has been developing a resolution that would set benchmarks for Maliki to prove his commitment to reaching a political settlement among Iraq’s warring sects.

McCain, who said Wednesday that he plans to finish his resolution by today, had been an outspoken supporter of a troop increase long before the president embraced the idea in a speech Jan. 10.

McCain’s proposal has drawn little enthusiasm from Democrats.

The changes to the Warner resolution include the addition of this clause: “Congress should not take any action that will endanger the United States military forces in the field, including the elimination or reduction of funds for troops in the field.”

Text from the original article ommitted from the Grand Rapids Press version:

In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Bush acknowledged the opposition on Capitol Hill to his plan for a troop increase. But he remained firm.

“I say that it’s important to succeed and that failure in Iraq will cause chaos,” Bush said. “My admonition to those who are speaking out is let us back the troops and let us hope for the success” of their mission.

….who have criticized it as a political ploy that would have little effect on the Iraqi government. The measure also does not identify any consequences should Maliki fail to meet his goals.

“This is a very calculated effort by the White House and Republicans to muddy the waters,” said Jim Manley, a Reid spokesman. “They want to do anything to peel away the votes for a resolution.”

Warner — whose original cosponsors included Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) — has tried to position his effort in the middle ground between the fierce partisans of both parties.

“We want to see our armed forces succeed in Iraq to help bring about greater stability to that country … so the current elected government can take a firmer and firmer hand on the reins of sovereignty,” Warner said on the Senate floor, casting his resolution as a tool to improve the chances of victory in Iraq.

The original resolution unveiled last week included language deferring to the president’s authority as commander in chief and acknowledging the costs of failure in Iraq, a line often used by Bush and his congressional allies. It also acknowledged the need for additional forces to combat the Sunni insurgency in Al Anbar province.

That helped draw in three more Republican backers — Sens. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Gordon Smith of Oregon and Sam Brownback of Kansas — as well as several moderate Democrats.

In the modifications announced Wednesday, Warner, a former Navy secretary and Marine who also chaired the Armed Services Committee, seemed to be trying to entice members of his own party who want to distance themselves from recent proposals to begin withdrawing troops.

(On Wednesday, Democratic Sen. Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin, a leading antiwar critic, introduced legislation that would prohibit funding for most military combat operations in Iraq six months after enactment of his bill.)

Last week, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) proposed a similar amendment to Biden’s resolution. And this week, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) circulated the same language that Warner incorporated into his proposal.

Gregg said Wednesday that he appreciated Warner’s action but would not say whether he would support the resolution.

Analysis:

This GR Press story did provide an overview of the comments by the Nobel Laureate, particularly around what the Green Belt Movement. However, the story did not address some of the structural injustices the women of Kenya faced, both in terms of gender injustice and the role that countries like the US play in over use of global resources. There were two people who attended the event that are quoted in the story. Do their comments provide any insight to readers on the content of the lecture? Why wasn’t anyone from the West Michigan Women’s Studies Council cited in the story?

Story:

There are roots in Wangari Maathai’s revolution.

“Anybody can dig a hole and plant a tree,” the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner told a capacity crowd Monday at Fountain Street Church.

That simple act, however, repeated millions of times in Maathai’s native Kenya, helped lift women out of oppression and the country out of a dictatorship.

Maathai, 66, is the founder of the Green Belt Movement, formed 30 years ago. Maathai, the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctoral degree, noticed fertile topsoil was running into the rivers because of deforestation.

Later, while preparing for a world conference on women’s issues, she connected the complaints of village women — no clean drinking water, poor soil for crops — with what she saw earlier. “You can get trapped in an environment that can’t sustain you,” she said.

“I don’t know why the image of a tree came to me,” she said. She told the women they had to begin. “They said, ‘We don’t know how to plant trees.’ I said, ‘Neither do I.’ “

They couldn’t grasp the instructions of the professional foresters. “We decided to use common sense, or women’s sense, and forget about the foresters.”

The Green Belt Movement paid women to plant trees. There now are 7,000 tree nurseries in a country that once was deforested to less than 2 percent of its land mass.

Maathai’s next life lesson was about limited resources. Farms, where the trees grew, conflicted with “pastoral communities,” with livestock needing to graze. Resources shrink when people begin to live as if they’re the only ones on the planet. “Very often, people don’t realize their problems are from their own actions,” she said. Sometimes, it is inactivity that hurts. “The national resources within your country are your resources. And the government is the custodian. So if your government is not protecting your resources, you fire them during the elections,” she said.

While that drew loud applause, similar comments landed Maathai in jail and led to her being beaten, years before. When Kenya held its first elections in 2002, however, she was elected to Kenya’s Parliament and appointed assistant minister for the environment.

“It’s amazing she was able to create such a strong movement with so little experience in the area,” said Kristen Canter, 21, a Kalamazoo native and a senior at Aquinas College who had never heard of Maathai. “Sustainability interests me. I studied in France, and the one thing I do now is take my own bags to Meijer.”

For Judy Buchman, who staffs the Wellhouse Homeless Shelter, Maathai was remarkable for connecting the women’s plight with the deforestation. “Sometimes, we don’t see what’s right there before us,” Buchman said.