communityconversations
Equity issues: Concern for West Michigan businesses
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 01-03-2017 under OPINION
Part 1 of 4 Nine white people looked out at us from the computer screen. Seven were men. All were small business owners. For many, the photo was the first thing they saw, and it told a story often typical of West Michigan. The photo accompanied an...
Stories of hope: Getting to know our neighbors in 2016
by (Katie Gordon)
Submitted 12-20-2016 under VOICES
At the beginning of 2016, I wrote an article suggesting that as a city, Grand Rapids’ New Year’s Resolution should be to get to know our neighbors of various faith traditions. At the time, I was motivated by the increasingly vitriolic...
Buddhism professor's journey from Christianity to a blissful state of "I don't know."
by (sanchea7)
Submitted 12-13-2016 under OPINION
What happens when you no longer believe in the religion on which your family raised you? As I sat in my Special Topics: Buddhism class on the very first day, I wondered this exact question when my professor, Jeremy Beahan, explains how he was raised...
Reflection on Interfaith Thanksgiving: 'Unite and bind together the hearts'
by (Kiran Sood Patel)
Submitted 11-22-2016 under OPINION
On Monday evening, inside Central Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, more than 650 people gathered for an evening of fellowship and community. The 17th annual Community Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration was themed “Coming Together: Welcoming...
Response to Mayor Bliss: Real kindness requires justice
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 11-15-2016 under OPINION
Dear Mayor Bliss, I hear that your heart is heavy about the recent increase in blatant prejudice and bigotry. We are all saddened and want to help create a safe space for our neighbors of color, for our residents who have immigrated, for those who...
While you were fighting race, we were fighting hate
by (balexander)
Submitted 11-11-2016 under OPINION
I am not an idealist; I’m a realist. I don’t pretend to see things that are not real and I constantly confront false truths when presented with narratives that seek to confuse and misinform. With that in mind, I write this piece out of a...
Voting for Kent County Sheriff: Stelma focuses on school resource officers for community policing, heroin addiction
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 11-01-2016 under NEWS
In part one and part two of his interviews, Republican candidate and current Kent County Sheriff Lawrence Stelma described the scope of the Sheriff's office and the steps taken toward diversity and inclusion. Community policing When asked...
Voting for Kent County Sheriff: Scruggs talks criminal justice system reforms
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 11-01-2016 under NEWS
Michael Scruggs, Democratic Candidate for Kent County Sheriff, has talked in part one and part two about the racial history behind his campaign and the changes he would like to make within the Sheriff's office. In this final portion of his...
Voting for Kent County Sheriff: Michael Scruggs takes a historical perspective
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 10-25-2016 under NEWS
This November, Kent County voters will elect a Sheriff. Though the municipal police departments have jurisdiction over patrolling and policing functions within city limits, the Sheriff oversees the security of the county courts and the correctional...
Voting for Kent County Sheriff: Lawrence Stelma wants voters to choose experience
by (arcarpenter)
Submitted 10-25-2016 under NEWS
This November, Kent County voters will elect a Sheriff. Though the municipal police departments have jurisdiction over patrolling and policing functions within city limits, the Sheriff oversees the security of the county courts and the correctional...