I didn’t know I was in the Matrix
Editor’s note: Following Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ rally in metro Detroit earlier this month, former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump falsely claimed in a social media post that crowd images were doctored using generative AI.
I thought it was real. I thought I had actually been there. I truly believed I had stood for hours in a stuffy airport hangar, shoulder to shoulder with thousands of people, all waiting to see and hear Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. They were waiting to hear Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s vacant U.S. Senate seat, and so many others. I actually believed I heard and felt the music, the roar of the crowd. I felt, or at least believed I did, the joy of the event, such relief after hearing and seeing and reading so much conservative bitterness for so long. I truly believed Air Force Two looming behind the huge, boisterous crowd.
It is so disturbing to read a social media post shared by a wannabe leader of this nation telling me and thousands of others in attendance that this did not happen. That it was all AI.
It felt so real.
Robert Green
Detroit
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Let’s install electric vehicle chargers at every gas station
As you mention in your recent article on electric vehicles and their adoption, fear of the availability of charging stations, especially on long trips, is a major reason people are still unsure about purchasing an electric vehicle (“Availability and reliability of public charging stations a barrier for consumers considering an electric vehicle,” Detroit Free Press, August 13.)
While automakers like GM, Ford, and others are trying to solve this problem as quickly as possible, one simple solution seems to be to put fast-charging stations at existing gas stations. In America, there are gas stations on every highway and every corner, and it’s rare for someone to run out of gas unless they’re just not careful.
Perhaps our government could require the oil companies to use some of the billions they receive in subsidies to install the chargers, thus relieving the car companies of the cost of that installation. Installing chargers in existing gas stations could also be of great benefit to the thousands of gas stations whose profits depend heavily on sales at convenience stores. Many drivers may not realize that gas stations make almost nothing on the gasoline they sell, which is why almost all gas stations have stores. You’d think that many EV drivers waiting 10-15 minutes for a fast charge would almost certainly go to the store after charging to browse and buy something. Seems like a win-win to me.
Rob Hendrickson
Troy
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JD Vance came for childless female cats. And now grandmas?
Regarding JD Vance’s view, expressed in a 2020 podcast, that the whole point of postmenopausal women is to help raise children, all I have to say is: Better not, dude.
You thought childless female cats were tough? “Granny” is a demographic that will chew you up and spit you out.
We’re old enough to have seen and experienced a lot. We can handle anything and, what may surprise you, we have lives full of our own interests and plans – we’re not just here to look after the next generation.
So don’t mess around, son. You’re too far gone if you’re taking on grandmas.
Linda Falcao, Esq.
North Wales, Pennsylvania
Trump and Musk’s livestream was like an Ayn Rand novel
Is it just me, or does the idea of two billionaires coming together like characters from an Ayn Rand novel to discuss their grand plans for world domination seem a little outlandish? I am, of course, talking about Elon Musk, a privileged white South African from a wealthy mining family, and Donald Trump, a tyrant who seems completely unaware of his own fascist tendencies.
They ranted about a variety of topics, including immigration, energy policy, and nuclear war. Under Musk’s leadership, X, formerly known as Twitter – as we’re all saying for the umpteenth time now – has become a bastion of disinformation. A place where anything goes and the voices of the angry and the crazy are amplified. Where pseudoscience and hate speech flourish and it’s up to you to figure it all out.
I feel for the future of the children of this country. It’s sad that a man as old as Donald Trump, who doesn’t have to live with the consequences of climate change, is given a platform to spout his junk science from a man who can’t distinguish between hate speech and free speech. Harris’ campaign called Trump and Musk “self-centered rich guys” in a statement: “Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself – self-centered rich guys who will betray the middle class and can’t host a livestream in 2024.” That’s right, America deserves better. Remember to vote in November.
Eddie Dee
Novi
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My beloved granddaughter is here thanks to IVF
My sweet and funny granddaughter is 6. She loves swimming, learning, cuddling, dancing, exploring and practically everything. I love spending time with her and watching my daughter be such a great mother. She and her husband love their daughter unconditionally.
She was born through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Her parents were overjoyed to finally have their child. The world would be a poorer place without this lovely and radiant person.
Meanwhile, Republicans in many states are introducing bills that would make artificial insemination illegal. This would prevent such babies from even being able to exist.
Democratic senators tried to push a bill to protect IVF. Our senators from Michigan voted for it. JD Vance voted against it, as did all but two Republican senators. And yet they claim they are pro-life.
Please defend the rights of parents who desperately want to have children. Please elect people who will try to govern with wisdom and compassion.
Johannes Schmieding
Dowagiac, Michigan
Even their ads are better
The Olympics were supposed to give us a break from politics, but unfortunately we were all forced to watch political ads ad nauseam. It’s tempting to just tune them out, no matter which side you’re on, because they just seem to blather on endlessly. But really, there were just two competing ads that showed a clear difference between the two candidates that is worth noting.
Donald Trump’s political ads made no mention of Donald Trump. They made no touts of accomplishments, and they made no mention of plans to make America great. All his ads did was slyly denigrate Kamala Harris. They just spread unproven lies about how she was dangerous and how she allowed illegal immigrants in our country to murder Americans at will.
On the contrary, the Kamala Harris ads told us who she is. They mentioned her qualifications, her agenda, her accomplishments. They even refused to go for the easy pickings of making fun of the former president.
Kamala Harris has a plan, policies, and accomplishments. Donald Trump has none of that. Their respective political ads have made that clear.
Alton Fisher
Redford
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