Thistleoak
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2012
- Messages
- 1,123
- Reaction score
- 4
Hey everyone,
I haven't dropped off the BoB again, I've been lurking lol. I've been quiet as of late but keeping up on my PMs. I have been doing a ton of legal research on certain kinds of cases and their outcomes looking for a ray of hope. The small town I live in is under fire, by one single person , who is backed by a civil rights activists group. Before I go any farther my apologies, Blackhorse and Carlos if this needs to be moved go for it, but my intent isn't to stir up trouble, I am being very careful how I word this as not to upset anyone, those who are in regular communication with me off the BoB know my thoughts and have heard some creative new salty language from me as of late. Let me begin with a history lesson. Father Jacques Marquette was a French missionary and explorer who helped map and take the Michigan territory and some may argue the first Whiteman to traverse this land. He mapped and founded St. Ignace Michigan along with trading and building healthy relationships with the indigenous people of the territory. Contrary to popular belief ( Wikipedia has even been edited recently to say he died in Illinois territory) his final resting place backed and recognized by the Vatican is Ludington Michigan, more precise Pere Marquette township. For the last 2 or 3 generations there has been what some call a shrine in his honor which was actually his final resting place. There is a large Jesuit cross that marks this final resting place with plaque that tells a brief history of Father Marquette. We are being sued by this individual who is offended by this historical marker, if it is not removed the city and township will more than likely have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to trhis man. After checking FOIA and doing research on him it seems this is how he makes his living, he travels to areas gets offended and sues to have historical landmarks of this kind removed, he has done so in 3 other Michigan suits and a very hefty suit in Hawaii. KICKER OF IT IS THIS GUY DOESNT LIVE IN OUR TOWN!!!!! I along with pretty much everyone else in my town are researching law and cases similar to this to find some type of loop hole. This has nothing to do with religion to us locals, but more an attack on our local history , we are proud of our heritage and history. On a side personal note that 30 ft cross saved my life. I was 19 and out on my small boat in Pere Marquette Lake which is in between the Pere Marquette River ( we noticing a pattern here lol ) and Lake Michigan in late October Salmon fishing. A white squall with super thick fog snuck in from the North, we had our lights on the boat but cou ldn't be seen as the fog was so thick and the 45 mph wind gusts were pushing us in an unseen direction, there are quiet a few structural hazards in this lake from sunken vessels to jetty poles do using my compass was useless as even with direction in the fog you could still run afoul and sink and even though I'm a strong swimmer the water temperature would have claimed my young life before anyone even knew I was missing. I was terrified, I was making peace with the creator and begging forgiveness for all my transgressions... I KNEW that this was how I was going to die. A trivial situation these days with smart phones with GPS and realtime maps you can have at your disposal in an instant..... unfortunately for me.... This was the days of the old indestructible Nokias..... standard with the black and white screen and the ground breaking game of snake. As I was giving up hope of surviving this, I looked and just barely was able to make out Father Marquettes memorial, his final resting place... that big ass cross! I knew that if I motored toward it that I could make it to shore ( 4 miles from my truck, but on dry land alive) at this point there was about a foot of water in my small boat , I was swamped and that Johnson Sea King was screaming and struggling to push my swamped craft. It was a VERY tense 10 minutes with now 5 ft waves and 50 mph wind gusts but I made it, I opened up the throttle and grounded her hard as I knew I wouldn't be able to pull her on land with all the weight of the water, I tore the whole side of the bow out but I didn't and still don't care, I was alive. I sat on the ground, my back leaning against Father Marquettes final resting place and thanked the creator.... Once I calmed down I was able to call my dad and let him know what happened. Told him not to worry about getting my trailer from the launch as my boat was wrecked and we could just load it in the bed. Later that week reading the local fishwraps story of the squall I found out 4 boats had sunk, 2 men parished and every coast guard boat and even two different choppers were rescuing on the big waters... they would have never noticed me at the mouth of the big water , the recounts of other fisherman told of how the fog was so thick flares were useless. That Historical marker of an early explorer saved my skin! I know watch in sadness as I can't return the favor.....
I haven't dropped off the BoB again, I've been lurking lol. I've been quiet as of late but keeping up on my PMs. I have been doing a ton of legal research on certain kinds of cases and their outcomes looking for a ray of hope. The small town I live in is under fire, by one single person , who is backed by a civil rights activists group. Before I go any farther my apologies, Blackhorse and Carlos if this needs to be moved go for it, but my intent isn't to stir up trouble, I am being very careful how I word this as not to upset anyone, those who are in regular communication with me off the BoB know my thoughts and have heard some creative new salty language from me as of late. Let me begin with a history lesson. Father Jacques Marquette was a French missionary and explorer who helped map and take the Michigan territory and some may argue the first Whiteman to traverse this land. He mapped and founded St. Ignace Michigan along with trading and building healthy relationships with the indigenous people of the territory. Contrary to popular belief ( Wikipedia has even been edited recently to say he died in Illinois territory) his final resting place backed and recognized by the Vatican is Ludington Michigan, more precise Pere Marquette township. For the last 2 or 3 generations there has been what some call a shrine in his honor which was actually his final resting place. There is a large Jesuit cross that marks this final resting place with plaque that tells a brief history of Father Marquette. We are being sued by this individual who is offended by this historical marker, if it is not removed the city and township will more than likely have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to trhis man. After checking FOIA and doing research on him it seems this is how he makes his living, he travels to areas gets offended and sues to have historical landmarks of this kind removed, he has done so in 3 other Michigan suits and a very hefty suit in Hawaii. KICKER OF IT IS THIS GUY DOESNT LIVE IN OUR TOWN!!!!! I along with pretty much everyone else in my town are researching law and cases similar to this to find some type of loop hole. This has nothing to do with religion to us locals, but more an attack on our local history , we are proud of our heritage and history. On a side personal note that 30 ft cross saved my life. I was 19 and out on my small boat in Pere Marquette Lake which is in between the Pere Marquette River ( we noticing a pattern here lol ) and Lake Michigan in late October Salmon fishing. A white squall with super thick fog snuck in from the North, we had our lights on the boat but cou ldn't be seen as the fog was so thick and the 45 mph wind gusts were pushing us in an unseen direction, there are quiet a few structural hazards in this lake from sunken vessels to jetty poles do using my compass was useless as even with direction in the fog you could still run afoul and sink and even though I'm a strong swimmer the water temperature would have claimed my young life before anyone even knew I was missing. I was terrified, I was making peace with the creator and begging forgiveness for all my transgressions... I KNEW that this was how I was going to die. A trivial situation these days with smart phones with GPS and realtime maps you can have at your disposal in an instant..... unfortunately for me.... This was the days of the old indestructible Nokias..... standard with the black and white screen and the ground breaking game of snake. As I was giving up hope of surviving this, I looked and just barely was able to make out Father Marquettes memorial, his final resting place... that big ass cross! I knew that if I motored toward it that I could make it to shore ( 4 miles from my truck, but on dry land alive) at this point there was about a foot of water in my small boat , I was swamped and that Johnson Sea King was screaming and struggling to push my swamped craft. It was a VERY tense 10 minutes with now 5 ft waves and 50 mph wind gusts but I made it, I opened up the throttle and grounded her hard as I knew I wouldn't be able to pull her on land with all the weight of the water, I tore the whole side of the bow out but I didn't and still don't care, I was alive. I sat on the ground, my back leaning against Father Marquettes final resting place and thanked the creator.... Once I calmed down I was able to call my dad and let him know what happened. Told him not to worry about getting my trailer from the launch as my boat was wrecked and we could just load it in the bed. Later that week reading the local fishwraps story of the squall I found out 4 boats had sunk, 2 men parished and every coast guard boat and even two different choppers were rescuing on the big waters... they would have never noticed me at the mouth of the big water , the recounts of other fisherman told of how the fog was so thick flares were useless. That Historical marker of an early explorer saved my skin! I know watch in sadness as I can't return the favor.....