Dan Sullivan and Nick Begich, what are you going to do to stop the irresponsible destruction of our country and our world? Your silence is deafening.
Are you really going to vote to eliminate Medicaid funding for the disabled, and nursing home care, and children, and the hospitals that care for them when they are sick?
Are you going to attempt to privatize the vast system of Social Security that elders like me depend on for food and shelter. That’s our money, you know, not yours to do with what you wish. We’ve spent years paying into Social Security so that we can live independently as we age.
Are you going to stand by as Alaska waters are made more dangerous by senseless cuts to NOAA and the National Weather Service? Do you really think that this vast network of experienced scientists and critical infrastructure can be privatized or do you just plan to leave Alaskans unprotected from storms and tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions?
What about our former place of world leadership which has been shattered by this administration and their egotistical dictatorial leanings? Are you going to support the surrender of democracy so quickly and easily?
Are the very few dollars saved by firing entire forest service and park staff, leaving our jewels of wonder unprotected from millions of tourists really worth it? Or is your grand scheme to turn these pristine public lands over to private enterprise to be destroyed by resource extraction? Is it all about big business? Is there no longer any room for the wonder of this land we cherish?
You pretend to care for our military; but stand by as the destroyer in chief fires experienced leaders because of the color of their skin or their sex. What about the veterans who have fought for this country and the world in its quest for democracy?
Can we no longer support them in their jobs or their health needs? All in the pretense of saving a few bucks here and there? All so you can vote for tax breaks for the already wealthy.
What are your plans for Medicare? Are we to look forward to growing older and needing more health care to find that our once publicly supported system is replaced by insurance businesses whose bottom line is making money, not caring for people?
Speaking of health care, just who exactly is going to work on predicting and eliminating future pandemics, or the ravages of disease locally or worldwide if important research goes unfunded, the channels of cooperation of nations is destroyed, or the trust in important vaccines undermined?
Is climate change a hoax? Do you really believe that when you come from a state that is being severely impacted by the rapid melting of permafrost and glaciers?
What about critical aid to nations not as rich as ours? Does pulling aid out leave those countries no choice but to depend on help from other avenues, die of famine and pestilence, leaving our nation and world more vulnerable in the process?
The list goes on and on as you stand by, cowering in fear of a tyrant and his minions, watching in silence as the destruction continues. Of course, there is waste and probably some amount of corruption in systems as vast and cumbersome as these. But last I heard, engineers don’t tear down bridges before the replacements are built and serviceable.
This whole scene unfolding in Washington and across our country and world reminds me of a preschool class taken over by a bunch of angry destructive four-year-olds who are hell-bent on knocking down everyone’s block structures, tearing the heads and arms off dolls, and throwing white paint on everything from stuffed animals to other kids. The difference is, there are knowledgeable, caring adults in a preschool classroom who stop those things from happening.
When are you going to start being the adult in the room?
• Sue Oliphant is a longtime Juneau resident.
