Latest news with #disunity
CBS News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
West Michigan county drops "Where Freedom Rings" motto after pro-Trump majority loses power
One of Michigan's fastest-growing counties is dropping "Where Freedom Rings" as its motto, less than a year after hard-right elected officials lost their majority on the governing board. "Where Freedom Rings" replaced "Where You Belong" in 2023 in Ottawa County, population 306,000, near Lake Michigan in the western part of the state. At the same time, the county board tried to fire the health officer over COVID-19 restrictions and eliminated a diversity office. But the tide has turned somewhat. Republicans still dominate the board, though members of a pro-Trump group known as Ottawa Impact no longer have a majority, even while President Trump got 59% of the county vote in the 2024 election. Board Chair John Teeples said "Where Freedom Rings" was divisive. "For far too many people in Ottawa County and elsewhere, this motto has come to symbolize disunity and rejection, not genuine personal freedom regardless of what its authors may have intended," Teeples said. The board voted 7-4 to drop it Tuesday. Commissioner Joe Moss, the former board chair, proposed "In God We Trust" as a new motto but it failed, reported. A county resident, Deb Cizek of Port Sheldon Township, spoke in favor of getting rid of "Where Freedom Rings." The motto started "two years of continuous attacks on personal rights, parental rights, acceptance of those with different life choices, public schools, public libraries, Planned Parenthood, and most obvious, the Ottawa County Health Department staff and programming," Cizek said.
Free Malaysia Today
05-06-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Dr M's new Malay platform key to uniting divided community, says Tuan Ibrahim
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said all Malay-based parties must come under a single, broad coalition as a platform to safeguard the community's future. PETALING JAYA : PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has defended Dr Mahathir Mohamad's new platform to unite the Malays, saying the proliferation of political parties is one of the main reasons behind disunity within the community. He said the democratic system had allowed the formation of many political parties and, therefore, a grand alliance involving intellectuals, corporate figures, politicians and religious scholars was needed to unite the Malays. 'All segments must support this new platform. The proliferation of Malay-dominated parties is seen as a cause of division, and this is difficult to control because democracy allows it.' He said all Malay-based parties must come under a single, broad coalition as a platform to safeguard the community's future. When asked if this movement was a better platform to unite Malays compared to Perikatan Nasional (PN), he responded: 'PN is a coalition of political parties. It's different from this new platform.' The grouping announced by the former prime minister yesterday goes beyond existing political parties, he added. Earlier today, Kedah Umno information chief Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin said Mahathir's new platform is nothing more than part of a repeated cycle of failed political experiments. He said Malay politics cannot be built on nostalgic rhetoric and repeated attempts to form new, loosely structured coalitions without a clear struggle or foundation. Besides Tuan Ibrahim, PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin and Bersatu deputy president Hamzah Zainudin were also present at Mahathir's announcement for the new grouping yesterday. Mahathir said the formation of the new Malay alliance is aimed at 'restoring Malay power' in government. He said the coalition, which includes PAS and Bersatu, is not a formal political party for now but serves as an umbrella platform to protect the political and economic future of the Malay community. He also invited individual Umno members to join the coalition — but not the party as a whole. This marks Mahathir's latest effort to unite the Malays through a political platform, following previous initiatives such as Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) and Pejuang, ahead of the 15th general election (GE15). However, all candidates linked to GTA were defeated in GE15, including Mahathir himself, who lost his deposit and failed to retain his Langkawi seat. GTA, launched in 2022, was effectively dissolved a year later when Mahathir, its chairman, admitted the movement was not effective at gaining voter support.
