My Opposition to Trump

My Opposition to Donald Trump becomes Personal

December 30, 2016

Stan Olmstead

Fear of outsiders, economic concerns and dislike of professional politicians led to a perfect storm of political turmoil this year and it has become personal. The new challenge includes family seeing Trump as a solution. It’s difficult to talk to those that support Trump, a man I view with indignation. I have been shunning conversations with those I see to have character flaws. The personality and values of Trump the person and Trump the Politian is repugnant. American’s have always held a “myth” about their integrity and values. Early our nation never held up to that ideal; slavery, wars of aggression, civil rights, McCarthyism, degradation of our environment, the list is lengthy, now “skewed” towards a narcissistic, racist, misogynistic, xenophobic and selfish individual concerned only with personal gain.  

This negative view of value and character is challenging. Maturity and wisdom asks us to understand and advocate for social, economic and environmental justice. Our election demonstrates a greater need to promote justice.

Having such a poor view of Trump’s personality and dislike for the man’s character; values you would never want a child to emulate, shocking so many in the nation see him a solution. Dan Rather’s recent article: “We must all stand up’ to Trump.” Rather says all Americans must hold President-elect Donald Trump accountable. History will demand to know which side you were on. This is not a question of politics, party or policy. This is a question about the very fundamentals of our beautiful experiment in a pluralistic democracy ruled by law. Without social, economic and environmental justice, America ideals are lost.

Social Justice; listening to loved ones excuse the horrible events of slavery, cause of the civil war, logic of segregation, the holocaust, Black Lives Matter as terrorism, dismissal of the “Standing Rock” people and their cultural heritage. These issues and more I heard in a lifetime of family discussions. Discouraging to hear and remain polite, but now as they support Trump, I see the issue is far worse then I understood, our nation is regressing with a clash of personalities, values and ethics. Maybe the acceptance of a black president was too much, so much political correctness, the “pressure valve” released in an ugly expression. If political correctness, I argue wouldn’t you be polite to others, as politeness is correctness.

Economic Justice; the poor, the needy, the under privileged, those individuals for what ever reason are in hardship and need assistance; but there is little sympathy; $15 minimum wage is challenged, welfare systems liberal and the poor take advantage of the system, I suppose? But are the rich actually different, do they really contribute; they take advantage of the system and compromise justice, all forgotten during family discussions. Citizens United, money as freedom of speech, buy your way to more richness through influence (e.g. Koch brothers).  

Environmental Justice; the Environmental Community opposes Trump as an aggressive antagonist to the health of land, air and water and see him with distain. I doubt if Trump has used the term “environment” much in life, except when it challenges his business. I doubt if he has taken a walk in a forest, on a mountainside or upon a beach with the sole purpose of enjoying nature. His campaign never mentioned environmental issues accept to exploit.  

George W. Bush exploited the environment, a time I worked for the Bureau of Land Management. The agency mission: “sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of publics lands for present and future generations”. Working in northeast Utah our office focused on fossil fuel development as top priority permitting energy drilling at the expense of the land, air, water and other resource values.  

Prior to becoming Vice President, Dick Cheney was Haliburton’s CEO and as VP he retained his energy interests.  He met with energy executives to plan the oil and gas of the U.S. as top priority. The Bush administration worked with a republican congress in passage of the 2005 Energy Act and to rewrite the Resource Management Plans at BLM locations where energy resources were prevalent.

Trump, anti-environmentalist in the extreme, his business interests exploitive. Selection of Exxon executive Rex Tillerson for the State Department, like Cheney it is doubtful that he will start looking out for the interest of the American people, it is more probable that he will continue in his energy executive role to promote fossil fuels.  However, Tillerson’s nomination will have him testify under oath to Congress and answer for his company’s decades of climate change denial.

Ryan Zinke as Secretary of the Interior defies easy labels. Representative Zinke spent 23 years with the Navy Seals before returning to Montana and a political career in the state house and Congress. He defends public access to federal lands but votes against environmentalists on issues ranging from coal extraction to oil and gas drilling. Zinke criticized Interior Department rules aimed at the release of methane from oil and gas operations and favored the Keystone pipeline. During a 2014 debate he said of climate change: “It’s not a hoax, but it’s not proven science either.” Zinke embodies the worst kind in Congress, favoring “welfare handouts” for dying coal companies and crumbling oil and gas giants. Greenpeace climate specialist Diana Best said: “coal demand is shrinking globally and people across America want a Department of the Interior that will protect our public lands in perpetuity.” He did vote positively for public land issues such as voting against the GOP’s 2016 budget to sell public lands. Zinke has also opposed efforts by House Natural Resources Chairman and regressive shortsighted congressman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) to transfer over millions of acres of public lands to states for fossil fuel energy without concern for climate change and other environmental issues.   

Environmental Protection Agency, Oklahoma Republican and attorney general Scott Pruitt, frequent antagonist of the EPA. Trump stated: “the Environmental Protection Agency has spent taxpayer dollars on an out-of-control anti-energy agenda that has destroyed millions of jobs….” Pruitt sued the EPA over nearly every major regulation and has led the fight against rules for the Clean Power Plan and Clean Water Rule. A close ally to fossil fuel industries and he doubts climate change.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to head Energy, an agency he once sought to eliminate. Perry will inherit a department that has focused on promoting clean energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. His selection is the GOP’s emphasis on energy sources like coal and oil. Trump’s transition team recently submitted a questionnaire to the Energy Department seeking out the names of staffers who participated in international climate change meetings, the agency refused. Scientific organizations representing government employees have denounced the request as intrusive and inappropriate target of career staff.  The 2016 Republican Party platform could be the beginning of an authoritarian approach to silence science.

See the dilemma, a fearful family concerned about change in a direction contrary to a stereotypic America, electing a regressive and personality troubled leader. Trump plans social, economic and environmental problems solving on a business formula and selects the richest and most regressive leaders for agencies setting aside all of our democratic values to capitalize on the consumption of our resources. Our nation is in peril and those that I know and love are in “cahoots” with a “psychotic” personality we all know as “Trump”.