I hesitate to spend my valuable time writing to you again because I have the feeling you never see, never mind consider, my thoughts. Yes, my time is as valuable as yours, probably more so because at 84 years old I probably have less of it left than you do.
My time is valuable, but so is my health and well being. In that I am no different from all the rest of your constituents, whatever their political thinking. This constant concern and downright worry about our country and the world, never mind ourselves, is taking a tremendous toll on health, both mental and physical.
The current state of our country and its slide in standing and influence on this earth is taking an actual health toll on people like me who read, and think, and notice what’s going on; and worry about it. In case you haven’t noticed or are choosing not to look, which is more likely; things are falling apart at the seams in this country.
We are about to lose, or have already lost our democracy;and it’s your fault, for supporting this buffoonery that has installed itself in our nation. Now a whole group of people are about to lose their life savings, their retirement, to the tariffs. And still you support him. How in the world can you do that with a straight face?
Yes, I am concerned about the things that will affect me directly, like the not so transparent effort to tear down the social support system in this country so that it can be handed to private enterprise to further enrich the wealthy. We’ve already seen how that has worked out: in the industrialization of nursing homes and childcare centers where making money is the primary incentive, not the original mission of caring for some of our least empowered citizens. Old people will die but children will become voters. I hope you realize and remember that.
Old people will die and take with them the wealth of knowledge and experience they have gained from living on this Earth. Most children will grow up, but it is looking less and less likely that they will actually be able to live in a democracy that values all votes.
The likelihood that none of us will survive is getting more real by the day, with new pandemics in the probability and nothing left to curb their spread with the dismantling of health and aid across the globe, by this know nothing administration bent on destruction of anything that furthers knowledge; all in the name of saving money; which is just transparency for giving more money to the wealthy.
Extreme weather due to global warming (yes, global warming — call it what it is) is likely to take out a good number of us through storms and rising tides.
The delicate balance of world politics has been completely upended by this administration in a matter of a few weeks while the likes of you and other Republicans sit in Washington and watch and applaud, making us all less safe. The recent breach of security by appointed people who clearly don’t know what they are doing, or simply don’t care, is unbelievable. And still you give lip service to this administration, all in the name of party loyalty; or maybe in the hopes it won’t interfere with your plans for resource extraction in Alaska.
When I was a small child I remember hiding under the kitchen table with my mother and baby siblings…in the dark…as the air raid sirens split the Baltimore sky. My father wasn’t home because he was manning radar and keeping it functional. I didn’t understand her fear as she huddled with her small children waiting for the all clear signal. I didn’t understand why my usually gentle loving mother was suddenly snapping at me and complaining that her stomach hurt. To me it was a rather boring new version of hide and seek. Now I understand, and this is not a game. Fear and worry is disabling and unhealthy at best.
I have no doubt that the digestive upsets I have been having are stress related due to the ridiculous mess in Washington. There is real fear here as I watch our country fall from being a leader of the free world to becoming a shill for the wealthy and power hungry.
You are complicit as you sit by and watch it happen, and even worse, support it publicly before the Alaska Legislature. You call yourself a representative of the people of Alaska. Well, I am a person and I live in Alaska and you certainly are not representing my best interests much less those of the rest of the world.
• Sue Oliphant is a Juneau resident.
