Auchtoon!

Hoping to share in a more transparent and ethical Michigan with you all in 2023!

I don’t like Led Zeppelin. Who knows exactly why? I mean, the first obvious reason would be the music — for whatever reason, their music simply does not fall into my “like” zone. This is hardly a defensible position. There is lots of music I do like that would, by all sorts of standards, not match up with Led Zeppelin’s music. But that’s just how arbitrary musical preferences can be. You might say I was born this way.

The more likely reason, however, is that I have been told repeatedly that I should like it. I went through my Beatles phase. I went next to discovering The Who, The Kinks, and other British bands. So a natural progression for a white, middle-class suburban boy 40 years ago was to like Led Zeppelin. In fact, it was aggressively encouraged by my peers. So I obstinately refused to do it.

All that to say, I have some appreciation for those who are inclined to resist when it feels like they’re being pushed into acceptance. And I’m sure President Biden recently signing into law the Respect for Marriage Act triggered some of those feelings. But my willingness to commiserate further depends on how somebody acts on those feelings.

For me, I’m perfectly capable and willing to live harmoniously in a world where other people like Led Zeppelin and I don’t.

You kind of need to know who Lee Chatfield is to understand the cartoon, so I apologize if you don’t. And now, I will apologize in advance for telling you (because you were probably much happier not knowing).

Mr. Chatfield is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and the Speaker from 2019 to 2021. He was a stalwart Republican leader known for his strict Christian education and standards. However, since being term-limited out, Mr. Chatfield has come under scrutiny on multiple fronts. The latest, which was brought to light this week, centers on allegations that he provided favorable treatment to a prominent Lansing lobbying firm’s clients while Speaker.

That’s not good. But not nearly as icky as allegations that he sexually abused a girl for 12 years, beginning in 2009 when she was between 14 and 15 years old and continuing until 2021. When she was 18 she married Aaron Chatfield, Lee’s brother. Mr. Chatfield has admitted having an affair with his sister-in-law and with other women (Mr. Chatfield is married and has five children), but said that these affairs were between consenting adults.

I’ll pause here while you either roll, rub, or gouge out your eyes.

Is it any wonder that the superior morality of the Republican Party and the supposed protection they would provide us in the culture wars was such a tough sell to independents (especially women) in this past election?

On the way to Thanksgiving festivities last week near Flushing, my wife and I drove past a series of solar farms on M-13 — big fields with rows and rows of solar panels that track the sun across the sky to convert light to power. They’re relatively new so they still catch my attention.

What also catches attention are the nearby houses with “No Solar Farms” signs planted in their front yards. I can’t quite tell if the intention is to get rid of the now existing solar farms or prevent more from coming. But there are less signs than there were this summer, so I don’t think they’re winning.

I don’t blame the folks who have the signs. If I lived across the street, especially if I had lived there a number of years, I might not be happy with the development, either. And yet, as far as energy production facilities go, it could be much worse — the filth and noise of an oil refinery, the potential disaster of a nuclear plant, even the sightline dominance of a modern windmill. Heck, not too long ago, nearly every town had local gasworks that converted coal to flammable gas for lights and heat, and I’m told you did not want to live next door to the smell of that.

But in the end, the energy has to come from some place. And solar and wind are at least equitable in that the energy is generated and consumed in the same basic area. Still, people naturally do not want to be on the frontline.

This of course isn’t just a Michigan problem — it’s a global problem. Especially as we try to transition away from fossil fuels and, you know, try to save the planet.