In coronavirus crisis, our humanity saves us
In the middle of a big war, you go searching for a small idea. One thing to cherish or believe in. One thing that brings you comfort. We are in a big war now. We don’t know how bad it will get, or how long it will last. We don’t even know what the enemy looks like,...
Hey, President Trump: Her name is Gretchen Whitmer
First of all, she has a name. Gretchen Whitmer. She is not “the woman” or “all she does is sit there” or “you know who I’m talking about” — all phrases President Donald Trump has used besides saying the actual name of the person Michigan voters elected...
Part of coronavirus crisis will be how we tell the story
I went to the hospital Friday. No. Not for that. My appointment had been made months earlier. The doctor offered to do it digitally, given the COVID-19 situation, but I prefer to be examined in person, rather than contort in front of a computer camera. So I...
Coronavirus pandemic will show exactly what we’re made of
The coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe has disrupted our daily lives. How we respond will determine how long it lasts.
Keep calm, because what’s important — the school’s name, or yours?
Dear (Anxious) High School Seniors, First of all, sorry, this is not the letter you were looking for, the one that tells you if you got into the college that, as you wrote on your application, “I’ve been waiting my whole life to attend.” That letter may be a few...
Farewell to Tyrone Chatman, the Michigan soldier who tended to soldiers
He always stood up straight as a plank of wood and his voice was loud, befitting a soldier’s command. But Tyrone Chatman had one trait that always seemed incongruous, given his military background. Whenever you would say something he vigorously agreed with, his eyes...
The presidential pardon may have run its course
“I forgive you.” Those are powerful words. They can lift a person’s guilt or shame, and send a signal to others that all is well between you. But “I forgive you” and “the country forgives you” are not the same thing. They shouldn’t be. So perhaps it’s time to rethink...
An open letter to Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker
Dear Coach Mel Tucker: Consider this a welcome letter. Or a “welcome back” letter, because you were at Michigan State once before, in the late ’90s. Your duties back then, as a graduate assistant on the football team, you told me, included shoveling...
Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio retired with a heavy Green heart
At one point late in what was suddenly his final hour as Michigan State’s football coach, Mark Dantonio winced at a question about a lawsuit. “We’re not talking about that here,’’ he snapped. “This is a celebration.” It didn’t feel like one. And he didn’t...Stay Connected
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