Lots of talk in the past week about Michigan's stagnate population. The focus has typically been on the hollowing out of certain industrial cities — Detroit, Flint, Muskegon, etc. But rural areas have suffered, too. Maybe even more. Because when the population leaves smaller towns and villages, there is a real danger of them ceasing to exist.
It's a shame that our county's fear-driven immigration policies continue to actively prevent what could be a key part of a solution — people motivated to come here and grow communities. Just as past waves of immigrants have done.
John Auchter is a freelance political cartoonist. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management, or its license holder, the University of Michigan.
