Character, equality, and resilience

If you can’t treat someone from another race, or different color skin, with dignity and respect, then you need to get out.

– Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria, US Air Force Academy

Last September, Supt. Silveria gathered 5,500 cadets and staff and urged them not to let the Academy be taken away by racists. His response was crystal clear: If you demean someone, you are out.

Norway was in the news last week, one more distraction from the climate emergency. The Arkansas Racist Delegation is behind the times, proudly standing by our racist-in-chief. Twenty-four hours after the immigration meeting, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton said, “I don’t recall.” US Rep. Steve Womack opposes immigrants from “depraved countries.” US Senator John Boozman talked about “those fleeing their own countries as a result of corruption, dysfunction or deteriorating resources and conditions.” Cotton, Womack, and Boozman, all “representing” Arkansas, are ignorant racists.

The truth about aliens

Aliens are people who were not born in the US. Born in America is a random phenomenon, a function of where your mother was at the time. Aliens are not depraved, nor citizens of corrupt countries. Most aliens are here by choice, learning a new language, customs and laws, a long and difficult process.

Aliens have a choice. When Hitler promised to make Germany great, the United States was the place to go. Albert Einstein was visiting the US, stayed here, and became a citizen several years later. The US is one of 195 countries in the world, but today, the US is hardly the top choice.

Trump wants new libel laws, private property rights are fictional, people own guns, and we made enemies from years of killing people around the world. The US is a dangerous place in the hands of an egomaniac ignoring international agreements, asking for more nuclear weapons and a wall. At the Davos 2017 meeting, China’s President Xi said, “While wind and rain may be kept outside, so are light and air… no one will emerge as a winner in a trade war.” China has a great wall but is promoting free trade. China is leading the world.

Character, equality, and resiliency

Character leads an individual to make decisions and behave in everyday situations. Some traits are inherited, others are learned. Character is the combination of qualities making a person different from others. Trump has many negative traits: racist, self-centered, lazy, unreliable, arrogant, abusive, petty, and coward… a sociopath with loyal followers. Trump is a master of hate. His behavior is cancer killing our democracy. Trump will not go quietly but we can replace our congressional delegations.

The dinosaurs did not know an asteroid was coming, they died peacefully and quickly. We have known the greenhouse gas effect for 200 years. In the last six months, we have seen people die from drowning, out of control fires and blizzards. Life on Earth will suffer unimaginable destruction, unless we rise.

Resiliency is about adaptation, change, learning new skills and being prepared. Treating each other with care and compassion is key to survival. Treating our brothers and sisters as equal will avoid fighting for life jackets, as third-class passengers of the Titanic.

We may have to move south to escape disaster. It would be ironic if we have to climb Trump’s wall. Trump will never change. After 70+ years, 3 marriages, 6 bankruptcies, and accusations of sexual abuse by 19 women, Trump must go.

War on life

The distraction of Norway and the Hawaii nuclear alarm are not accidental. Trump is using strategic distractions to hide his agenda and avoid legal consequences. Trump’s nomination of US Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) to lead NASA last week went under the radar. Trump’s nomination is based on Jim’s climate disruption denial, and his efforts promoting oil and gas. One more stooge from Oklahoma. Arkansans and Oklahomans have a big fight ahead.

To silence people opposing leases for offshore drilling in US waters, Bridenstine will stop NASA’s Earth satellite oceanographic and atmospheric studies – to fund Trump’s obsession with a massive nuclear arsenal. Please join the petition opposing his nomination: https://tinyurl.com/Climate-Baby.

Dr. Luis Contreras