Glorifying a divine entity?

Editor:

Marilyn Sager has written another screed that needs a little comment (MG, 12/19).

There’s a lack of dignity with the brutal treatment of people with brown skin by ICE thugs, and the confinement of undocumented immigrants in concentration-like camps. Acting as judge, jury, and executioner, Trump has ordered the murdering of supposed drug runners in the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans. Trump has used a toilet term to denigrate certain countries that he dislikes. And historically, the United States has interfered and invaded various Central and South American countries to promote our economic and political interests.

Christian Dominionists are trying to have the Ten Commandments posted in our public schools. They claim the United States was meant to be a Christian country contrary to the wishes of the Founding Fathers. They want to re-write our history by ignoring or minimizing our history of slavery, semi-genocide of indigenous natives, and violent labor strikes. Yes, we have religious freedom, but Dominionists want Christianity (their version) to be the default religion.

Concerning humanitarian aid, the Trump administration terminated roughly 80-90% of USAID’s foreign assistance programs, effectively eliminating thousands of contracts and grants that funded global humanitarian efforts, health initiatives, nutrition, water access, emergency response, and development aid. These include programs in countries facing conflict, famine, epidemics, and displacement.

The U.S. ended critical emergency food aid funding to the U.N. World Food Program in multiple crisis areas, including Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, and others. Aid that delivered food, water, medical care, and shelter was cut — the decision would be catastrophic for populations facing famine.

Funding for certain assistance programs for children with sensory disabilities (e.g., a deaf-blind support project) was cut due to broader policy shifts on federal funding priorities.

Sager states that human creativity reflects Divine creativity. Well, let’s look at some of the Divine creativity: Divine created malaria has killed 50 billion people, or about half of all humans that have ever lived. The Divine entity created the mosquito to function as a vector to infect people and animals with various Divine created diseases. And there is also the creation of parasites to cripple and kill people and animals. The list of insidious designs could go on and on.

But apparently, according to Sager, we are here to serve and glorify this Divine entity. However, a Divine entity, being Divine, doesn’t need glorifying. Nor would this entity require humans to give it glorification.

Davis Keranen

Bakersfield, CA

Let’s spew out some big numbers for the people to love

Editor:

President Trump’s recent staccato-like speech to the nation featured a host of big percentages, apparently to mask the little percentages in the 30s showing plummeting support for his economic policies.

Our #47 boasted the price of eggs was down 82% since March. Illegal drugs are down 94%. Also, 100% of all new jobs are in the private sector rather than the government sector. And 100% of all net job creation has gone to American-born workers. What big and impressive numbers!

Also, there are “400%, 500%, and even 600%” decreases in prescription drug prices, although mathematically impossible over 100%.

Wow, all the President needs to do is say it out loud, and it must be true!! Makes life so much easier doesn’t it? We no longer need elementary, high school, and college education to teach critical thinking. The President does all of that for us!

Kimball Shinkoskey

Wood Cross, UT

Message to our congressional members

Editor:

As a concerned citizen and voter from Ann Arbor, it is obvious that Trump is a tyrant, leading our nation into authoritarianism. I am concerned for the safety and wellbeing of the citizens, federal employees, military personnel, and veterans in our state. The Trump administration has proven time and time again that they do not respect the rule of law and are perfectly comfortable ignoring their oath to the constitution. Trump himself has repeatedly demonstrated that he is willing to bypass the authority of congress and to take their powers to use as his own. This is by definition tyranny, an impeachable offense.

Our state has 13 representatives and two senators. At this time only two representatives have vocalized support for impeachment, conviction, and removal; Rashida Tlaib and Shri Thanedar. I would like to call out the remaining representatives for the State of Michigan, Jack Bergmen, John Moolenaar, Hillary Scholten, Bill Huzenga, Tim Walberg, Debbie Dingell, Tom Barrett, Kristen McDonald-Rivet, Lisa McClain, John James, and Hailey Stevens. All of them have stated that they are not in support of articles of impeachment. Our senators, Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin, have not yet commented on whether they will support articles of impeachment or not. I personally am a voter from Debbie Dingell’s district. I spoke with Debbie Dingell’s office today and asked about support for articles of impeachment which are being reintroduced before the Christmas break. The response I received was that Representative Dingell already supported impeachment in 2019. I asked to speak to the scheduler to set up a meeting to discuss this issue and was told that they would have to get back to me. It is disconcerting to know that we cannot rely on our representatives to meet with us and hear our concerns.

Our congressional members appear to have forgotten their oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same. When our Constitution is being trampled on and our social safety nets are being stripped away by a tyrant, it is our congressional members’ responsibility to utilize the remedies outlined in the constitution to uphold that oath. It is time that we remind our senators and representatives of that.

Cassandra Stajich

Ann Arbor