You all remember the Millington Massacre, right?

Somehow, and I really don't know exactly how, I've been included on the fundraising mailing list for the Tuscola County, Michigan's Sheriff.  Thanks to a scan from my Uncle I've been able to examine the most recent mailing, a letter from the Sheriff seeking donations to the Michigan Sheriff's Association.

One thing that amazed me about the letter, though it probably shouldn't have, was the clear inclination to emphasize threats to the community and the pervasiveness of crime.  In just the second sentence the letter warns that

Every day we hear of the ravaging effects of violence, theft, predators, drug abuse, and many other deadly types of crime.

Seems to me that the Sheriffs might be better served by focusing on the good work they've already been doing preventing crime rather than emphasizing the continuing spread of crime under their watch. You know, provide some evidence that existence of Sheriffs helps keep a lid on crime rather than implying that crime has continued to spread.  But this disinclination to highlight achievements was really hammered home when by the Sheriff suggesting not that he is busy doing everything is his power to keep you safe, but that "I will do everything in my power to keep you safe [emphasis in original]." I can't help but come away with the feeling that the message is that he will step up to the plate and start doing his job, the job for which he is currently being paid by the County, once the voters have made enough donations to his Association.  Or am I being to cynical? 


(I was curious to know how much crime there is in Tuscola County and how many of the reported crimes are resolved, so I visited a Michigan State Police site that provides crime and arrest stats on county and agency basis.  It seems that in 2010 the Tuscola County Sheriff received 89 reports of Burglary - Forced Entry while the county total was 179. As far as arrests go, the Tuscola County Sheriff reported 7 Burglary - Forced Entry arrests while the arrest total for the county was 18.  I should also mention that in the same year there were zero murders reported and zero arrests for murder.)


Anyway, fear mongering aside, the part of the letter that really got under my skin was the following sentence.

My law enforcement officers witness some of the worst crimes against humanity.

Really?  Are you sure about that?


At this point I think it is important to think about what a crime against humanity really is, and whether or not such crimes really exist in a rural county in one of the richest countries in the world.  The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court defines crimes against humanity as follows:

1. For the purpose of this Statute, "crime against humanity" means any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack:

(a)     Murder;(b)     Extermination;
(c)     Enslavement;
(d)     Deportation or forcible transfer of population;
(e)     Imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law;
(f)     Torture;
(g)     Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity;
(h)     Persecution against any identifiable group or collectivity on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender as defined in paragraph 3, or other grounds that are universally recognized as impermissible under international law, in connection with any act referred to in this paragraph or any crime within the jurisdiction of the Court;
(i)     Enforced disappearance of persons;
(j)     The crime of apartheid;
(k)     Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.

Unless the "crime against humanity" the Sheriff is talking about is simply the "great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health" that may come as a result of living in Michigan, I have a hard time imagining that the Sheriff of Tuscola County, Michigan's "law enforcement officers witness some of the worst crimes against humanity."  Not only do I doubt that they witness the "some of the worst crimes against humanity," I doubt they even witness any such crimes.

So not only does this letter betray a limited understanding of the term 'crime against humanity,' I think it goes one step further.  By labelling run-of-the-mill rural crimes as 'crimes against humanity' the significance of the term in the global context risks being diminished.  By using the term in this way at least one key aspect of the concept, which is that the crimes must be "committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population," is lost.  Thus recipients of this letter, or other individuals who've seen the word used in a similar way, may not understand the significance and particular meaning of the term.  When they hear the term in relation to a real 'crime against humanity' they may not understand the widespread nature of the crime that the term is meant to indicate.  We risk diminishing our common understanding and appreciation of the particularly heinous nature of this class of crime, a class of crime that has included such things as the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide.

Sure, to quote Cheech and Chong, "Things are tough all over," but that doesn't mean that when describing these problems we should overemphasize the frequency of their occurrence or overstate the nature of the problem.  Not only does the bearer of this questionable news risk undermining their own credibility, but they risk diminishing our collective understanding of important and meaningful concepts like 'crimes against humanity' that have very specific definitions and are thus not something that should be used as a rhetorical tool.

Yo, this is Ann Arbor!

Though I grew up in Newfoundland, both of my parents are from Michigan.  And though Michigan isn't the most populous or the wealthiest state it's residents and places seem to pop up rather frequently, or more than you might expect for a state of its size, in various media.  Because of my somewhat tangential connection to the place (and because it is still where most of my extended family lives) I always take note of these Michigan connections, even if knowing that so-and-so or such-and-such is from Michigan will likely serve me no real purpose in my day-to-day life.

A few years ago, just after I had started listening to This American Life, I learned that contributor Davy Rothbart (also of Found Magazine fame) was from Ann Arbor, Michigan.  When I eventually made it to the Found Magazine website I had a sneaking suspicion that the magazine's mailing address was on the same street as an aunt and uncle's house.

When I got around to asking about this they confirmed that while the Rothbart kids were a little older than my cousins they did know one another.  Maybe more importantly, my asking my cousin about this lead her to re-connecting with Davy.  I know that at one point here were plans to meet in-person, but I don't know if those plans ever came to fruition.

Then, just a few days ago, I happened to come across a relatively new blog, Yo, is this racist? that seems to be making waves on the internets.  I happened to learn about the blog through the author's recent Grantland piece on racist portrayals in sit-coms (though I can no longer remember how I ended up reading this article).

After reading the blog for a while I happened to come across the fact that the blog's author, Andrew Ti, seems to be from Ann Arbor and is about the same age as my Davy-Rothbart-knowing cousin.  I decided to ask if she also knew this guy?

Much to my surprise, just last night I found out that she does/did know this guy (though she said she really knew his sister more).

I find it very exciting to have a cousin who is tapped into things/people on the internet and doesn't even always know that she is until I sporadically ask her about people from her past.

The real problem I have now is how I might possibly extend my streak.  Is there anyway I can organically find a third Ann Arbor/Michigan person that my cousin knows who I can ask her about?  Taking my streak from two to three seems like it might be implausible, but then I thought going from one to two would be implausible.

Michigan +11

Since we arrived in Michigan a almost two weeks ago I have wanted to visit an IHOP (International House of Pancakes). I was finally able to satisfy this urge yesterday when my father, brother, sister, and I all visited such a restaurant for lunch yesterday. As expected, it was a very pleasant and satisfying experience. The only problem with the experience was that I ended up eating a little too much and felt somewhat uncomfortable afterwards.

Later in the day those of us who visited the restaurant also visited a driving range to hit a bucket of balls.



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I would say that most of us were a little worse at this than we might have hoped.

Our final major event of the evening was a party/BBQ at an uncle's house. It was great to get another chance to socialize with my cousins and aunts and uncles.

In the very near future we will be heading out to our hotel for the evening. Then at about 4:00 we will attend the wedding. The reception will follow almost immediately thereafter.

Michigan +10

Today started with tour of the River Rouge Ford plant. We were able to see portions of the production of F-150s. All-in-all I would have to say that it was a pretty impressive tour. My sense of things is that they were cranking these trucks out at a rate of about one truck a minute, maybe even less than that. While huge portions of the operation were mechanized, many labourers were still required and involved in various processes. The cleanliness and quality of the working conditions were also impressive.

After the factory tour we made our way the Henry Ford museum.

While in the museum we saw things like trains and presidential limos. We also saw the world's first regular production Mustang (which happens to have been sold in Newfoundland and still has Newfoundland plates).



We also saw, and were able to sit in, the bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat.



While in the steam engine and generator section of the museum Neil and I engaged in an electricity generating competition.



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I am pretty sure I won.

Afterwards the museum we made our way to Highland Park, my father's place of birth. As expected, it was pretty desolate.



The highlight of the trip was heading down the alley next to this house to stand on the last piece of Highland Park land still owned by my family. For some reason Neil and Kirsten walked down the alley but then declined the chance to actually set foot on the triangle of land.

We just returned from family dinner at my aunt and uncle's house. As expected, it was great. Unfortunately, I was talked into eating about half of a watermelon. As one might expect, I feel somewhat bloated and water-logged at the moment. I am hoping that this feeling will soon pass.

Michigan +9

Yesterday afternoon was actually somewhat busy. Not long after yesterday's trip report my uncle decided to install his digital TV antennae. While this shouldn't have been a particularly complicated process it did require about three people; my uncle was on the ladder with the equipment, my father was holding the ladder and relaying messages, and Neil was working the TV remote and scanning for channels. Eventually the device was placed in a position that allowed my uncle to catch about 20 channels, though some number are duplicates of the same channel (though they seem to be showing different content).

For dinner we had fillet mignon that we cooked on the barbecue. For some reason, presumably laziness, we didn't brand our steaks. To accompany our meat we had some nice corn on the cob and a few fresh vegetables. The most notable of the raw vegetables were a few plum-sized peeled turnips. As it turned out, the small turnips really weren't that tasty. I guess the good thing is that I won't like be tempted to serve too many more raw small turnips (I will stick to turnip sticks).

After dinner my uncle and I installed a solar-powered light on a tree in his backyard. Unfortunately the height at which the light was to be installed meant that we couldn't used the extension ladder but that the would be to short if properly used. As you might have guessed, we mis-used the step ladder (my uncle stood on the top step while I held it against the trunk of a tree). While holding the ladder I was quite taken with the sounds made by the cicadas. Not only was the volume impressive, but also the fact that it almost sounded as though the sounds were gradually moving from one side of the yard to the other.

Though I probably haven't effectively captured it, I did record a short clip of the sounds that these animals were making near the tree where we installed the lamp.



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After the lamp installation I manned the burning operation for a little while. Aside from burning the lamp packaging, I also burned some scrap newspaper. Much to my surprise, this process took much longer than I originally expected. Apparently if you throw enough paper in to one of these you can really get quite a fire going and have it burn for quite a while.



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Later in the evening we were visited by a form high school classmate of my father's and two of his daughters. We basically just sat around the back porch and had a few drinks and snacks.

This morning we started to make our way back to the east side of the state. While in Fenton for lunch we saw a great sign at a BP gas station.



Shortly after we arrived in Ypsilanti my father, sister, and I headed out to a raspberry and blackberry u-pick. In about 30-45 minutes we picked 6 quarts of raspberries and 2.5 quarts of raspberries.



While picking raspberries I happened to spot a small frog.




I have seen frogs like this only in Michigan, though I presume that they exist elsewhere in the world as well.

Tonight we will likely do a little visiting and whatnot. Actually, I think visiting and whatnot will consume much of the rest of the trip.

Michigan +8

This morning I realized that I forgot to mention one of the more exciting activities we engaged in while we were on the West side of the state. My Aunt arranged for us to all participate in a vineyard tour of the Fenn Valley vineyards. The tour, which invovled about 22 people being pulled around in an open trailer, gave us the opportunity to taste close to 20 wines (I don't remember the precise number). Most importantly, many of the wines were juxtaposed in such a way that really highlighted the differences that resulted because of particular types of processing. I was particularly glad to learn that I likely don't like white wine aged in oak barrels (apparently a French technique). Another great thing about this vineyard is that the tour seems to vary from season to season so going once doesn't mean that another trip wouldn't be worthwhile.

Instead of heading back to Birch Run this morning, Neil and I decided to hang around the house in Vassar. So this morning, unlike the aforementioned vineyard tour, saw Neil and I engage in much more pedestrian activities.

For breakfast we made our way to the local McDonald's. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, about 10:40, they had switched from their breakfast menu to their lunch menu. Consequently, Neil and I both had to order non-breakfast foods for breakfast. One of the positive results of this forced decision was that I ended up with a beverage cup that provided us with a coupon for a free smoothie (something that we wouldn't have had if we had ordered from the breakfast menu). The thing about the coupon that differentiated it from many other free beverage coupons that I received was that it indicated that it could not be redeemed until at least two hours after the initial receipt of the coupon.

Not surprisingly, Neil and I went back to McDonald's early this afternoon to take advantage of the smoothie coupon. While there I also picked up some lunch. Amazingly, we ended up paying only about $3.20 for a smoothie, a double burger, a small fries, and a large iced tea. I was even able to take advantage of the free-refill policy before we left.

Shortly after returning from our second fast-food run of the day my father and uncle returned from Birch Run. Though I don't know all of what was purchased, my father did tell me that he purchased a new three-piece suit for about $95 (it would have been only $80 if he opted to forego the vest). My sense is that this isn't the only deal that was taken advantage of.

Fortunately, between our fast-food runs I was able to get down to work. I think I managed to put in about 2.5 hours of solid work. Maybe, if I am lucky, I will be able to get a little reading in later this afternoon.

Unfortunately, I don't really know what the plans are for this afternoon and evening. Actually, I don't really know what the plans are for the rest of the trip. In many ways it doesn't really matter, I will just go where I need to go.

Michigan +7

As planned, our trip to Michigan keeps on chugging along.

Shortly after my last post we made our way to the west side of the state. One of our first goals was to meet Neil at the Grand Rapids airport. Though we were about 20 minutes late, we eventually managed to pick him up without too many problems.

With Neil in tow we made our way to my Aunt's house. Soon after arriving we learned about a concert for which she had purchased tickets. Apparently the Grand Rapids Symphony Picnic Pops (Beatles version) was taking place that evening. The plan was that we would meet some of my aunt's friends and eat a packed picnic dinner. While we were a little to tired to do much socializing, we all enjoyed the show. The one thing that I will say about the show is that the arrangements that were used didn't really seem to allow the symphony to shine. In many instances it was almost hard to tell that the cover band was even playing with a symphony.



One of things that was most amazing about the concert, which took place at a ski hill, was that it was attended by between 10 000 and 15 000 people. This was all the more amazing when you realize that they were going to play the same show again the next night for a similar crowd. The other neat thing about the concert was that they allowed patrons to bring food and beverages, including alcoholic beverages, without a bag search or hassle. If all outdoors concerts were this relaxed I might actually like outdoors concerts.

In the subsequent days we managed to visit one of the local beaches and visit quite a number of relatives.



As usual, I really enjoyed my time at the beach (and with my relatives).

Yesterday we made our way from the west side of the state to the Thumb Region, which is where my father grew up. On our way to this part of the state we stopped to visit a few of my parents' friends. The first visit was to the house of one of my father's grad school lab mates. One particularly enjoyable aspect of this visit was hearing about the husband's surgical implant and implement business and the types of things that surgeons use in surgeries.

A few minutes after this visit my parents took us to another friend's house. This friend is an artist who makes his living painting portraits of professional basketball players. At this stop is was also great to hear about some of the dynamics of an industry with which I am otherwise unfamiliar.

Our final stop was in East Lansing proper, or at least the part of East Lansing that houses Michigan State University, my parents' alma mater. We stopped for lunch at one of their old haunts and then took a very quick tour of the campus and surrounding areas. Not surprisingly, even though I have been there before, I really don't recognize much of the place. One thing that always amazes me about the campus is its size. It is hard to believe that a university could possibly require so much space. Just the space and buildings used for athletic programs are larger than many whole universities in Halifax.

By evening we had safely arrived in beautiful Vassar. As we head to head out for dinner I didn't really get to see much of the place before the sun set.

This morning my mother, Neil, Kirsten, and I made our way to Birch Run to do some outlet mall shopping. As expected, we were quite successful and managed to buy a number of items.



I was particularly pleased with a few of my deals. Almost immediately I found a great light jacket for $40, which turned out to be my most expensive purchase of the day. As time passed I managed to pick up a few more items, including another jacket and a rectangular baking stone. Somehow, though it is likely not a bad thing, I managed to buy five shirts (including two nice Oxfords) for no more than $13 apiece.

Almost as soon as we returned home we threw a few steaks on the grill. Steaks were chosen so that we could test out my Uncle's cattle brand (which is registered in a county in Texas).



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As you can see, the whole process worked quite nicely. The steaks were quite tasty.

Shortly after dinner Neil, Kirsten, and I made our way to a local discount store. Our goal, which was accomplished, was to find a few types of candy that aren't readily available in Nova Scotia or Newfoundland. I presume that this means that we will have a substantial tasting session once we return to Halifax.

Though I have asked a few times, I really don't have much of a sense of what we will be doing tomorrow. Apparently there has some talk of a return trip to Birch Run, though I don't know what else we will be doing.

Michigan +2

We are now part way through our second day in Michigan.

We crossed into Michigan in Marine City, a community across the river from Sombra, Ontario. We traversed the river in a ferry that was about to hold about 9 cars. All things considered, it was a pretty pleasant border crossing.

After visiting my Grandmother we made our way to a Big Boy for dinner. I think that we were all quite pleased with our meals (and I think that there is more that I wanted to say, but I don't have the time to outline these details right now).

I hope to have a little bit more time to detail a few things, but at the moment I am a little bit short on time and coherency.

Michigan -1

I am presently in the Halifax Airport waiting to board my flight to Toronto. So far the wait has been pretty good, but I guess I still have about 45 minutes go before boarding. Fortunately I was able to pick up a free paper while checking in (I left my copy at home this morning).

One of the neat things about my flight is that I should be meeting my parents on board. This morning my father was able to arrange the seat assignments such that I will get to sit next to my mother from Halifax to Toronto.

Of course this change in seating assignment meant that my seat assignment changed between the time I checked-in online yesterday and the time I checked in at the airport today. At first the staff person at the counter here was somewhat confused as she didn't understand why my seat would have changed. Only once I explained the "meeting my parents on the plane" thing did she understand what was going on. Anyway, hopefully all of this seat shuffling will work out and I will get to sit next to my mother.

It seems that once we are in Toronto we will be driving to somewhere in Toronto to meet Kirsten and then spending the night there. From this location, I don't know exactly where, we will be heading down to beautiful Michigan. I still don't know exactly where we will be heading once we cross the border. The more I hear about it the more I get the sense that no one knows exactly where we will be heading.

For better or worse I have brought some work for me to do while I am on this trip. I wonder if I should reasonably expect to do any of it? While I think that it is unlikely that I will have much time to spend on studying and work, I would like to find at least a few hours on a few occasions to tackle a few of these tasks.

I guess I might consider heading towards my gate. Getting this far (to the airport and through security) only to miss my boarding call would be rather frustrating.