I didn’t realize I was in the Matrix
Editor’s note: After Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ rally in metro Detroit earlier this month, Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump falsely claimed in a social media post that images of the crowd were faked by generative AI.
I believed it was real. I believed I was really there. I believed I had been standing for hours, shoulder to shoulder with a crowd of thousands in a stuffy airport hangar, waiting for speeches from Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, as well as Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Representative Elissa Slotkin, the Democratic candidate for Michigan’s vacant Senate seat, and many others. I believed I heard and felt the music and the cheers of the crowd. I felt, or thought I felt, the joy of the event; a sense of relief after having heard, seen and read so much conservative vitriol for so long. I believed Air Force Two had arrived behind a vast, enthusiastic crowd.
It is very disturbing to read social media posts from future leaders of this country telling me, and the thousands of people who were there, that it didn’t happen and that it was all because of AI.
It felt very real.
Robert Greene
Detroit
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Install EV chargers at every gas station
As mentioned in a recent article about electric vehicles and their adoption, concerns about charging station availability, especially for long-distance trips, is a major reason people are still not comfortable considering an EV. (“Availability and reliability of public chargers is one barrier for consumers considering EVs,” Detroit Free Press, August 13).
GM, Ford and other automakers are doing all they can to address this issue, but installing fast-charging stations on existing gas station premises seems like an easy solution. In America, there are gas stations on every interstate and street corner, so you rarely run out of gas unless you’re not paying attention.
Perhaps the government could require oil companies to use some of the billions of dollars in subsidies to install chargers, and in return, auto companies could reduce the cost of installing chargers. Installing chargers at existing service stations would also be a big benefit to the thousands of gas stations that rely heavily on sales at convenience stores. Many drivers may not know that gas stations make very little money selling gasoline, which is why most stations have stores. I think that many EV drivers who wait 10-15 minutes for a quick charge will definitely go into the store after plugging in and look at the products and buy something. Seems like a win-win to me.
Rob Hendrickson
Troy
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JD Vance is here for the childless, cat-loving women. Now, what about all you grandmas?
Regarding JD Vance’s opinion in a 2020 podcast that a post-menopausal woman’s purpose is to help raise children, I’d say: “Don’t do that, dude.”
Thought childless, cat-loving women were tough? Grannies are the demographic that will chew you up and spit you out.
We are at an age where we have been through a lot and survived, we can handle anything and you might be surprised, but we live lives full of our own interests and plans, we are not here just to take care of the next generation.
So, son, don’t mess around. Going after the old ladies is out of your league.
Linda Falcao, Attorney at Law
North Wales, Pennsylvania
Trump’s mask live stream was like an Ayn Rand novel
Am I the only one who thinks it’s a little perverse that two billionaires would get together like characters in an Ayn Rand novel to discuss grand plans for world domination? I’m referring, of course, to Elon Musk, a privileged white South African from a wealthy mining family, and Donald Trump, an arrogant man who seems completely unaware of his fascist tendencies.
They rambled on about a variety of topics, including immigration, energy policy, and nuclear war. Under Musk’s direction, X (formerly known as Twitter) became (for the umpteenth time now) a bastion of misinformation. A place where anything happens and where the voices of angry people are amplified. A place where junk science and hate speech run rampant, and it’s up to you to make sense of it all.
I worry about the future of our children. It’s sad that a man as old as Donald Trump, who doesn’t suffer from the effects of climate change, who can’t tell the difference between hate speech and free speech, is being given a platform to promote crap science. In a statement, the Harris campaign described Trump and Musk as “self-centered rich men.” “The entire Trump campaign is being run by people like Elon Musk and Trump — self-centered rich men who have betrayed the middle class and won’t even be able to stream live in 2024.” Yes, America deserves better. Don’t forget to vote in November.
Eddie Dee
Novi
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My dear granddaughter is here thanks to IVF
My sweet and funny granddaughter is 6 years old. She loves to swim, learn, cuddle, dance, explore and most everything. I love spending time with my granddaughter and watching her become a wonderful mother. My granddaughter and husband love her unconditionally.
She was born through in vitro fertilization (IVF), her parents were so happy to finally have a child, and the world would be a poorer place without that lovely, glorious human being.
Meanwhile, Republicans in many states have proposed bills to make IVF illegal, which would prevent these babies from ever being born.
Democratic senators tried to advance a bill to protect IVF. Michigan senators voted in favor. Sen. J.D. Vance voted against it, along with all but two Republican senators, but they claim to be pro-life.
Protect the rights of parents who desperately want children. Vote for those who seek to govern with wisdom and compassion.
John Schmieding
Dowagiac, Michigan
Her ads are great too
The Olympics were meant to be a break from politics, but unfortunately we were forced to watch an awful lot of political ads. They are endless and no matter which side you’re on, it’s tempting to just ignore them. But they were basically a nonstop stream of ads for two competing candidates. There were some clear differences between the two candidates that were worth noting.
Donald Trump’s political ads say nothing about Donald Trump. They don’t tout his accomplishments or talk about his plans to make America great. All Trump’s ads do is dishonestly smear Kamala Harris, spewing baseless lies that she is dangerous and that she is letting our illegal immigrants murder Americans at will.
Instead, Kamala Harris’ ads told us who she is — cited her qualifications, her policies, her record — and refused to even pursue the low-hanging fruit of mocking the former president.
Kamala Harris has a plan, policies and a track record. Donald Trump has none of those things. Each of their ads expressed it succinctly.
Alton Fisher
Redford
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