Copper Country says NO KINGS!

Hello CRAGgys!

Copper Country united on Saturday to join the nation-wide NO KINGS protests. Thanks to the organizers and to everyone who turned out!

NO KINGS Copper Country

Pro-democracy forces showed up on Saturday to a rally at Bridgeview Park followed by a march that spanned across the bridge on both sides and included 15 people participating via the Motor March.

Our official count was 850 people from the "count-by-candy" method (add one if you were there and didn't take a candy from a counting bucket).

The vibe was upbeat and determined, participants included kids, students, veterans, teachers, small business people, retirees, local council-people and everyday Americans. Big Bird and Cookie Monster showed up, and numerous other creatures appeared: dinosaurs, unicorns, and chickens.

Almost all responses from passing cars and trucks was positive. (Only one anti-truck circulated, all alone this time.)

Thanks to Emma, Bill, Nancy, Alexandra for photos.

The rally made the front page of the Gazette, above the fold:

Elsewhere in Michigan and the UP

Marquette also turned out; their Lake Superior Indivisible group has posted photos. Dinosaurs also turned out in Traverse City.

Eight No Kings rallies were scheduled in the UP and over 100 in Michigan. Please share any news or photos you have from other UP or MI-01 events.

Letters and Statements

The Gazette printed my letter today.

Shutdown

To the Editor: I’m writing to correct the entirely false opinion piece by Cal Thomas titled “the government shutdown explained” (DMG 10/16/25).

The government shutdown is not caused by FDR and the New Deal; it is not caused by a 1935 tax hike on the rich; it it not caused by rich people being taxed too much; it is not caused by poor people not working hard enough; it is not caused by people who fail to live by “economic and moral rules”; it it not caused by people abusing the privilege of seeing a doctor when they’re sick; it is not caused by people lacking initiative to get rich in a system stacked against them; it is not caused by people who make the “bad choice” to get cancer.

And the shutdown is not caused by Democrats. Republicans are in charge of the Presidency, Congress, and the Senate. They could re-open the government any time they wish.

Republicans, including our own Rep Jack Bergman, passed a uni-partisan Big, Bad, Budget Bill, that strips health care support from millions of middle and low income people, and drastically cuts Medicaid, SNAP, and other social programs, while increasing the deficit and expanding handouts to billionaires. Unlike Republicans, Democrats are responding to the 75% of citizens who want the ACA Marketplace tax credits to continue. If Republicans are so determined to double premiums for their constituents, they should again use their power to bulldoze over their constituents. And we will use ours to bulldoze them out of office at the ballot box.

Sincerely, Sarah Green

Flock Cameras

Flock cameras are on the agenda again Hancock City Council, Wednesday, November 5, 6 pm.

Ruth G. (thanks!) shared her earlier statement to Hancock City Council on Flock Cameras:

"I'd like to express my opposition to the City of Hancock’s proposed purchase of Flock Safety's automatic license plate readers—or ALPRs. These systems are often marketed as tools for public safety, but the truth is that they pose serious threats to our privacy, civil liberties, and democratic freedoms.

ALPRs don’t just scan the license plates of suspects—they scan every car, every day. That means our daily commutes, visits to friends and family, even trips to medical clinics or places of worship are all tracked, logged, and uploaded to a cloud database accessible to local, state, and federal law enforcement across the entire country.

Unlike traffic cameras, which trigger on a specific violation, or a police officer photographing a particular vehicle at one specific moment, these ALPRs photograph every vehicle that passes, creating a searchable profile that includes the car’s make, model, color, and location. It’s mass surveillance with no warrant required, and it’s ripe for abuse.

Even law enforcement leaders are sounding the alarm. The International Association of Chiefs of Police has warned that these systems risk making people fearful of exercising their First Amendment rights—like protesting, organizing, or attending political meetings—simply because they know they’re being watched.

As the Supreme Court has already recognized in a 2018 case regarding the sharing of cellphone location data, we do have a right to privacy—even when we’re in public. ALPRs violate that right by enabling constant, suspicion-less tracking of law-abiding people. This is not safety. It’s surveillance—and it's something that I do not want to see adopted in the City of Hancock."

Health Care Town Halls

Two events are addressing the crisis in health care in the U.S. and the UP.

Upcoming on Wednesday:

• Open Up our Care Town Hall, October 22, 6:30 pm, Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, with U.S. Senate Candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.

Previous event:

• Health Care for All Town Hall was held on Wednesday, October 15. Michigan House Representative Carrie Rheingans laid out her plan to to provide universal health care for all Michiganders in HB 4407, MiCare. The event was well attended, packing the Orpheum Theater. The proposal prompted lively discussion. Representative Rheingans emphasized that she is holding town halls across the state to get the word out, collect input from residents, and pressure the house to move the bill forward. The republicans are trying to kill it in committee.

Reminder, yet again: Michigan Statewide Petitions

At least SIX petitions are being circulated for proposals to go on the 2026 ballot. Bridge Michigan has a good summary; others may be added. Check local farmers' markets for petition collectors.

• YES (if you are eligible.):
• Ranked Choice Voting (RankMiVote) petitions.
• Invest in MI Kids to fund schools by taxing millionaires.
• Michiganders for money out of politics (MMOP) to restrict political donations by regulated utilities.
• NO! Decline to Sign. Watch out for the anti-voter rights petitions that seek to add repressive "proof of citizenship" language to the Michigan constitution:
  • Americans for Citizen Voting- DO NOT SIGN
  • Committee to Protect Voters Rights - DO NOT SIGN
  • AxMITax, The AxMITax proposal seeks to eliminate all property taxes in Michigan, shift the tax burden to regressive sales tax, and make it harder to raise any other taxes in the future - DO NOT SIGN
• Important: keep track of which petitions you have signed. Do not sign the same one twice.

When and Where to Speak UP

Check the calendar for details.

Some key upcoming meetings:

• Houghton County Commissioners, Tuesday, October 14, 6 pm.
  • They will discuss a resolution opposing the state cuts to county budgets, which also require counties to shift resources to law enforcement budgets. See p. 19 of the comm packet.
• Hancock City Council, Wednesday, November 5, 6 pm. FLOCK Camera are on the agenda for Hancock City Council:

Hancock is considering purchasing Flock license plate-reading cameras after Baraga County wisely rejected them. 404 Media found that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has access to data collected by this system. To share your view, attend the next Hancock City Council meeting, Wednesday, October 15 at 6 pm

• More on FLOCK:
  • Texas cops track woman getting an abortion
  • Police Used Flock Cameras To Track One Driver Over 500 Times. Now They're Being Sued
  • ACLU: Flock Pushback

Some public body meets somewhere every single week; take 30 minutes to show up and express your opinion. (Sample statements.) And let me know if you go and what you learn.

Remember, this is a long process. Showing up multiple times builds trust and demonstrates to people with diverse viewpoints that you don't have horns.

Why and how to attend local meetings

Organizational Meetings

Details are on the CALENDAR. (Please send updates, check to confirm.) These groups are all very welcoming. Drop by a meeting to connect with friendly faces. Any level of engagement contributes to making our world better.

Houghton/Hancock

• Yoopers for Ukraine 🇺🇦 Rally at the bridge Wednesdays at 5 pm.
• Keweenaw Indivisible meets 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 6-8 pm at the KUUF.
• Houghton County Dems meet every 1st Wednesday, 7 pm at the Super 8.
• 4th Wednesdays AWAVE, 6 pm. Gathering at KUU Fellowship Houghton.
• 3rd Sundays, 7-8:45 pm, Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy Monthly Action Committee (KATO). Please register at the link to help with the headcount.

Baraga

• Baraga County Democrats, 3rd Tuesdays at 6 pm, L'Anse Township Hall

Marquette

• Every Tuesday evening at 7pm, Yoopers Unite, a gathering of local pro-democracy groups, at LoveMarq Church, 728 W. Kaye Ave, Marquette.
• Marquette: Every Saturday morning from 11:30-12:30, between 40 - 80 people have been assembling at the Marquette Post Office, standing in support with long-established Citizens for Peace & Justice.
• Join Lake Superior Region Indivisible

📎 Paper Clip Protest 📎

It's a thing! Wear a paper clip, cheap, easy, recognizable. Know your tribe. Inspired by the Norwegian resistance during WWII. Promoted by Ollie and Janice Pedersen, and E. Jean Carroll, and recently amplified by Joyce Vance.

It only takes one to protest. Actually, we were three on this day, Bill, Mary M., and me. We had many positive honks.

Thanks for all your support and all your efforts to support and expand freedom, justice and democracy!

Stay Well

Sarah

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