Letters to the Editor: Mount Pisgah aptly named

A memory

When I was just a youngster, I lived most of my life around Lake Mac (Black Lake), fishing, swimming, hiking or just about anything my imaginative mind could cook up.

I also found plenty of time to hitchhike to Ottawa Beach (Holland State Park) and hang out there for the day. Life was good and I grew up at the right time with lots of freedom, very little to be afraid of.

There was a large, high hill near the beach that was fun to climb. I would climb the east side of the hill because the west side was a wind-lown beach dune and it would take all day to climb there (two steps up and slide back three).

When I’d get to the top, I just loved the view in every direction, even parts of the city to the southeast. Then the real fun would begin. Back then we were allowed to run down the west side of that dune, it was amazing! Running at 183 mph, taking 21-foot strides, you could barely keep your feet in front of you and one little misstep would send you flying headlong into the hot, soft beach sand which would jamb itself into your nose, mouth, eyes and of course your hair. What fun! Then I’d go up and do it again.

Well, here’s the rest of the story: Since the time when I was just a little guy climbing up the hard way, they have built steps and boardwalks making it easier to climb to the top of that high hill. And then they told us the name of that hill: Mount Pisgah. I think that name goes way back to the first settlers in the area. These Dutch people knew their Bible well.

In the Bible, we read that Moses was to lead the Israelites from Egypt to a land that the Lord called: The Promised Land (Canaan). However, because of disobedience, the Lord told Moses he would not be permitted to be the leader, bringing the people into the Promised Land, but that privilege would be given to Joshua and Caleb. Then God told Moses to climb to the top of a nearby mountain to view the Promised Land and God would meet him there.

As we read in the Bible, Deuteronomy 34:1-12, the name of that mountain was Mount Pisgah. There is also a mention of the mountain in Numbers 21:20.

Isn’t that awesome? Today, I can imagine the first settlers of the Holland area climbing to the top of this hill near to our beach and viewed their Promised Land. When you and others make that climb to the top of Mount Pisgah and gaze toward the city, pause for a moment, be grateful to be able to live in such a wonderful place and commit yourself to being a good citizen, living a godly life and being a good neighbor to those around you.

Vince Reidsma

Holland

The utter hypocrisy of Moss' 'freedom'

So, Board of Commissioners Chair Joe Moss claimed John Gibbs was "dishonest and committed gross misconduct and willful malfeasance." Without commenting on their veracity, I am absolutely amazed that Moss could have the gall to make such claims without in turn pleading personal guilt to the same.

The orchestrated OI plan for personal control of the county became evident early into its tenure. Dismissals of qualified personnel, hiring of unqualified personnel, contracting with the Kallman Legal Group, attacks on county employees and departments, attempts to control communication within county departments and the BOC, and refusing to communicate with county citizenry. The list goes on. Those in disagreement with Moss and OI are deemed to be Leftist and Democrats as well as "heinous, stupid, dangerous, evil, morons and idiots."

Moss emphasizes "Focus on Freedom," but only under the controls he and OI want to effect. I have been labeled as a liberal, a disruptor, a RINO and a traitor because I don't mindlessly support OI, the Ottawa County Republican Party and the associated Trumpublicans. I'm flattered because it suggests that I have the ability to research the peoples and politics involved, and make a conscious decision as to their competence.

We need to stop the destruction occurring in the county. It is near impossible at the BOC level because of the OI majority, That playing field MUST be changed. It CAN be accomplished at the voting precincts. Mr. Moss and the other OI members MUST be rejected for future county roles in order to restore sanity and competence back in county governance. Ms. Ebel should be recalled and the other name-calling OI BOC members should be sent packing. Once and done!

The new mantra should be, "MOGA ... Make Ottawa Great Again!" NO OI!

Jim Kubiak

Allendale

Who handled domestic, foreign policy better?

We have two people who, at this time, appear to be the two major partys' nominees for POTUS. The following two facts cannot be disputed!

1. Candidate A (Trump) was president for a full four-year term and has an established domestic and foreign policy record.

2. Candidate B (Biden) immediately followed Candidate A into office and has a 3.5-year established domestic and foreign policy record.

Please objectively examine and consider the results, both here at home and abroad, of each of these two candidates' policies as we approach and ultimately vote in the November 2024 presidential election.

Darryl Lokers

Holland

Are there consequences for hate speech?

This is about the demonstration this past weekend in Dearborn. There were chants of "death to America." Has the governor's office or the AG said anything about this (hopefully condemning it)? I hope they said something, and I missed it and they just did not say anything.

If this had been a conservative group like a MAGA group, I am sure there would have been condemnations and possibly arrests. Does not matter what party you are, this type of action should not be tolerated. I hope they rise above politics in this case.

Al Keuning

Holland

Solving our problems?

I was not planning to write another political letter to The Sentinel again. But a couple of things happened the other day that changed my mind. First, CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer claimed Donald Trump said all migrants were animals.

He took a quote from a Trump speech out of context (on purpose?). Trump clearly said that the person that killed Laken Riley was an animal, not all migrants. This is an example of people feeling entitled to say anything to make Trump look bad.

Second, there was an April 4 letter in The Sentinel spewing so much hatred about Trump and the “zombie” Republicans I had to respond. The letter referenced core tenets of Christ’s teachings. Hatred is not a core tenet. All this hatred! It is really blinding some people.

Unfortunately, our problems persist. In November, we will have to vote on who is the best person and political party to solve our problems. As of now, it looks like we will have two possible choices. Which one will you pick? Granted neither one is a Lincoln or Reagan.

Some existing problems: fentanyl deaths, two wars, migrants killing and assaulting U.S. citizens, crime and no-bail policies, inflation, and the border crisis.

Before making your decision, please consider the facts and not beliefs you want to be facts.

Before deciding, consider an excerpt from Alan Dershowitz’s book, “Get Trump”: “For the first time in my adult life, people who have long claimed to be liberals, civil libertarians, and proponents of the rule of law are explicitly trashing the Constitution and diminishing the importance of our basic rights. If they represent our future, it is indeed bleak. I express my strong views that we can survive Trump, but that it is less certain that we can survive the current attacks on our basic rights being advocated and engineered by those who would try to get Trump at any cost.”

Michael John De Waard

Holland

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Letters to the Editor: Mount Pisgah aptly named