An open letter to Alaska’s Congressional delegation:
I am a 40-year resident of the State of Alaska and an 83-year resident of the United States of America. You are my Congressional representative who has sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. As such I would expect you to:
• Actively oppose the very real political coup being attempted in Washington.
• Question seriously the woefully unqualified people appointed to this administration; not just rubber stamp them because you are a member of a political party
• Be vocal about the insulting rhetoric being spouted against sovereign nations by this president and his minions; specifically Canada, Mexico, Greenland, Panama, among others. In case you have forgotten a person cannot drive from Southeast Alaska to other parts of Alaska without going through the sovereign nation of Canada. Juneau is in Southeast and is still the capital of Alaska.
• Actively oppose the takeover of the financial arm of this country by a private individual who isn’t even a U.S. citizen. I am a senior citizen who worked for years building my Social Security account, and depend solely on it and a small retirement. It is my money, not yours or somebody else’s to do with as they desire. I have never had to be concerned about my meager livelihood. I am now.
• Actively oppose the dismantling of the Department of Justice, the vast and varied network of civilian employees, the FBI.
• Actively oppose the ridiculous notion that all federal payments can be stopped; having very serious consequences for health and safety, important research that can affect everything from disease to quality of life, food and education for children, small businesses, and on and on and on.
• Actively protect our flora and fauna from the destruction of climate change.
• Advocate for stemming the tide of climate change, and for world health
• Take action on immigration reform and ensure that real people are treated with dignity and respect, whatever their nationality or the color of their skin.
• Actively refuse to be a party to the war on women and gender
You will notice that the operative word here is “actively.” I do not expect that you will look the other way on these critical issues for our nation to protect your political self. If you choose not to act or advocate for issues you know full well are morally and constitutionally honest and correct then consider yourself complicit in the downfall of this country and all it stands for. This has gone way beyond mere politics.
• Sue Oliphant is a Juneau resident.
