Block fossil fuel agenda
Autocratic rulers who ignore scientific evidence and think they know the answers to everything have caused suffering and death throughout history.
More than 60 years ago, Chairman Mao Zedong ignored the established knowledge of many disciplines and embarked on a “Great Leap Forward.” This misguided effort caused immense suffering throughout China and killed millions.
President Donald Trump appears to be working hard to eventually eclipse this notorious record by ignoring established wisdom in many areas. I focus on climate change, as including other areas would take the whole page. He is dismantling established programs that are reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Without U.S. leadership (as we are the country with the largest cumulative emissions), I expect decreasing efforts by other countries. Climate change is accelerating because of feedbacks caused by the already-realized level of warming.
Decades of worsening climate change will not only directly kill people but increasingly force them to flee their homes because of to sea-level rise, agricultural failures, more severe storms or generally finding their place of residence uninhabitable. Already, the effects of climate change displace millions of people annually. Where will they go? If they flee their own country, do you think they will be welcome in a different country? Increasing wars with high civilian casualties will be inevitable.
Congress needs to block the president’s fossil fuel agenda. The half of Congress that continues to allow his agenda will be complicit in what, over time, will become a human tragedy of unbelievable proportions.
Stephan Flint
Pullman
Shame on us
In 1519, ships arrived in Virginia that brought the first slaves based on pigment and not economic condition. In 1859, evangelical John Brown led a raid on the Harpers Ferry armory hoping to start a revolt that would end slavery. Brown failed. Seven people were killed. Brown was found guilty of treason, incitement and murder. He was hanged.
In 1973, American Indian Movement members were invited by tribal elders to Wounded Knee, S.D., as part of a dispute with tribal chairperson Dick Wilson. Wounded Knee was a symbolic site, the location of the 1890 massacre of three hundred Lakota by the U.S. government. The Lakota were practicing religious freedom. In a 1975 standoff, three people died at Wounded Knee. In 1977, Leonard Peltier was convicted in a sham trial of the murder of two FBI members and the sentence was two life terms. This year, President Joe Biden (thank you) commuted Peltier’s sentences.
The Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection occurred when several thousand individuals responded to the urging of “fight like hell” and stormed the U.S. Capitol. Five died within 36 hours and four policemen later committed suicide. There was $2.7 million of damage and 1,500 were found guilty of disorderly conduct, unlawful entry, assault, trespass and property crimes. On Jan. 20, the felon commuted the sentences of the 1,500.
Brown and Peltier were honorable in their pursuits; the 1,500 were not. Shame on us. Shame on Republicans. Shame on the felon.
Ronald R. Goble
Troy
