If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.
But these days, you won’t be able to see far ahead. Blame the low visibility on the wildfire smoke from Canada. Air-quality problems are expected to hit the Upper Peninsula, too, this week.
This wildfire smoke is an ultimate externality from our neighbor to the north. It affects a Traverse City Democrat and a Midland Republican the same way. The smoke destroys views and sends healthy people looking for inhalers.
Yet in the pages of the Detroit News, wildfire concern is Republican-coded. An Aug. 6 headline reads: “Michigan GOP reps demand Canada contain wildfires whose smoke is polluting summer vacations.”
The story focuses on two strongly worded letters to Canada from the Republicans in Michigan’s Congressional delegation. One was written by Rep. John James, the other by Michigan’s seven Congressional Republicans.
Notable for its omission is the word “Democrat.”
With two senators and six representatives, Democrats are the majority in Michigan’s congressional delegation. And yet, these eight Democrats are never asked for their reaction to the letter, their thoughts about joining the letter, or their thoughts on the wildfires.
The average person would be led to think that only Republicans think there’s a wildfire threat. Just as this story from 2021 made it sound like only Republicans believed in natural immunity from Covid.
In both cases, true and logical positions are treated like conspiracy theories held by a lunatic fringe. That’s not news. It’s propaganda. Bad propaganda.
In Lansing, top Democrats have been silent on the 2025 version of the wildfires, even if they spoke out in previous years.
Attorney General Dana Nessel thinks the Line 5 pipeline, which fuels many of our homes and all the planes at Metro Airport, is an environmental threat. But when smoke from Canada gets so thick that Lake Michigan disappears in the camera lens, Nessel has nothing to say.
These are odd inconsistencies, the kind of thing you’d expect veteran environmental reporters and political reporters to pick up on. But they don’t.
Just last year, Nessel saw “wildfire smoke and extreme heat” as emergencies demanding FEMA aid.
This year, she’s had nothing to say. And hey, maybe it would be awkward for Nessel to ask President Donald Trump for help when she’s made an entire persona out of fighting him. Maybe Nessel would have to look within and reconsider her approach. And maybe she should. The Resistance faded a long time ago.
But Nessel’s letter last year and the Congressional Republican letters this year were all addressed to the wrong source.
Canada won’t fix its forest fire problem, and aid from FEMA wouldn’t stop the root of the problem.
When the neighbor’s dog bites the baby, or their noise intrudes into your home, it’s time for Dad to talk to the neighbors.
It’s time for Trump to make Canada an offer it can’t refuse: Either Canada puts out the wildfires. Or the Michigan National Guard will do it for you, and send you a bill. The 10 million Michiganders would cheer on such an action.
There need not be a partisan divide here. And there is not. Except in newsprint.
Everybody in Michigan and who travels to Michigan looks forward to our 90 days of summer. And for three years running, Canadian smoke has blurred our vision. It’s ruined our air quality and worsened our quality of life. Enough is enough.
If there are any Michigan Democrats, whether in Lansing or Washington, who share concerns about Canadian smoke and air quality, speak up now. Speak loudly. Speak publicly.
Because the News won’t be curious enough to ask.
James David Dickson is a columnist for the Michigan Enjoyer. Join him in conversation on X @downi75.
