Opinion: Wrong call on Menominee Nation off-reservation casino

I believe at this point we should say in unison “Omaeqnomenew Netawem” (“I am Menominee” in the tribal language) as a show of our solidarity to the idea that everyone should have the opportunity to be able to start a business if they wish to do so. The Menominee are our fellow Wisconsinites, they are our brothers and sisters; when opportunity is taken from them it is taken from all of us.

The Menominee Reservation is a beautiful area, but just like many other areas and neighborhoods it has its problems and could be better. The Menominee admit this and are trying to make life better for their families, their friends and their community. They want their children to do well. Like most of us, they want to be able to say that the world was made a better place because of their actions.

A fact of modern life is that education and money are two of the most powerful tools for making things better. Health care and safe secure dwellings cost money. Education costs money, but being educated (including in the trades) gives you the skills to make enough money to take care of most of your needs on your own.

There’s nothing wrong with these things costing money as the people who provide those services deserve to be compensated for what they went through to be competent in their fields. What’s wrong (sometimes tragically wrong) is that for many people the cost of these essentials is beyond their means to acquire them.