I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
Civil rights group: Michigan GOP congressman stirs anti-Arab mood
An Arab-American civil rights group says U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, is using anti-Arab scare tactics as part of election-year self-promotion.
Last week Rogers, who is running against Democrat Bob Alexander for re-election in Michigan’s 8th District and serves on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, posted an animated “energy independence plan” on his Web site.
“My plan means we stop paying America’s enemies and start paying Americans,” Rogers states on a page that features crossed-out images of three men, including one dressed in clothes typical of the Gulf region, paired with the quote, “Drive the oil prices up! We need more money for jihad.”
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Tony Kutayli, spokesman for the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, characterized Roger’s portrayal of the nameless, crossed-out Arab and quote about jihad as “fear-mongering hate speech” that “vilifies an entire people by suggesting that anyone who looks like that is tied to terrorism and despicable acts.”
“We see more of this in this election year,” Kutayli told Michigan Messenger, “people using stereotypes to reinforce falsehoods about our energy independence. We don’t actually import most of our oil from Saudi Arabia — the No. 1 source is Canada.”
Rogers’ energy plan also calls for supports for the Michigan auto industry.
“I’m not sure how many Arab-Americans are in his district,” Kutayli said, “but the Detroit metro area has approximately 300,000 Arab-Americans, many who have helped build Michigan’s auto industry. If he is trying to vilify Arabs, he is also vilifying people who made America what it is today.”
Rogers’ office did not return calls for comment.
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