Jack's Essay: Michiganders - 9/20/05

  Have you ever wondered why some people call us “Michiganians” while others say, “Michigander?” There is a story behind this, and it is one of my all-time favorites.
The term Michigander was coined by Abraham Lincoln himself. Back in 1848 he was a lowly first-term Whig congressman, while Lewis Cass, the political godfather of Michigan, was the Democratic nominee for president. 
They were political opponents. And Cass, who was a powerful senator, also had the approximate profile of a mature goose. So during an argument over some issue Lincoln got up and called him “The Great Michigander.”  The name stuck.
And I have always felt that if the word was invented by Abe Lincoln, it is good enough for me. Sorry, Michiganians. Besides, I am shaped more like Cass than I’d care to admit.
But there’s more that divides us than a name. I’ve never been to Ironwood, in the far western corner of the Upper Peninsula. In fact, Ironwood is closer to St. Louis than it is to Detroit. 
Yet we have shared history. We are, in other words, all in this together. Joining Saskatchewan isn’t really an option.
Ironwood was a lot harder to get to during the Civil War. Yet we hung together, and in fact Abe Lincoln, then president, and old Lewis Cass joined forces.
The original Michigander came home to lead the effort to raise troops, and lived just long enough to see his union preserved.
We have a pretty good state here. Seems to me the latest generation of Michiganders ought to try to make it work better for all of us. Somehow, I think both those old guys would like that.

Comments

[Molly Shannon]

"Seems to me the latest generation of Michiganders ought to try to make it work better for all of us."

Okay, I'm on it.

[Michelle]

Interesting post I saw this morning. Check it out here:

http://raywert.blogspot.com/2005/09/on-race-wal-mart-and-divisiveness.html

Ray deals with not only the "One Michigan" show, but also the recent Wal-Mart comments made in Livonia, and the current debate over race and Katrina. I thought he makes some sense linking all of this together. Waht do you think?

[Dan Smith]

Well, well, I used to write you Jack and say, hey you should have a blog. Well now you have one, and a radio shot too. Great, can't wait to hear today's show on Transportation issues.