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Some things that are not OK

To the editor:

Things that are not OK with me right now:

The fact that the leader of our country is finalizing plans to weaken the Endangered Species Act, Special Protections Act and our national parks.

Example: Donald J. Trump is giving in to the uranium industry (big business) by granting it access to re-open the Grand Canyon region to mining. Imagine this scenario: Decades upon decades were spent forming and creating the stunning panoramas seen at the Grand Canyon National Park –the vistas, rock formations, colors, the wonder of the vast hillsides, the rivers that are but an inkling of what the ages have given us, the ground waters that have treasures we are not even aware of yet and the wildlife that has called the area home for years, to be mined.

A gas field and a mining operation in full swing are not pleasant views, and large pieces of machinery, dirt pushed, roads to be made by earth movers to carve out paths — and the sound can be deafening; mountains and hillsides moved, waterways re-directed, wildlife disrupted, trees and greenery up-rooted and the groundwater all polluted — no life, no beauty, no roots to prevent erosion — just mining.

And, the last frontier, Alaska, the last “pristine” of our states, could most likely succumb — 80 miles of streams could be lost and destroyed by another operation. Pebble Mining, a highly controversial company and the largest of its kind in the world, would damage the most valuable wild salmon fisheries on the continent through groundwater contamination, not to mention the fishing industry and recreational use.

With more inland water than any other state, 17 out of 20, Alaska holds the highest peaks; its glaciers number 100,000, which cover 5 percent of the state; 33,904 miles of shoreline; and 70 active volcanos. The state is known for open spaces, mountains, forests and the midnight sun — Alaska drilled — think about that.

And, the fate of the arctic is in jeopardy — there will be more to follow on this.

All wildlife would be displaced, including that which is near extinction.

I am not OK with the fact the president owes El Paso, Texas, $569,000 from campaign rallies, and across 10 municipalities your bill for security has totaled $850,000 — all of which he has refused to pay, states the Center for Public Interest.

The president has deported Army veterans who are or were serving in our armed forces — legal veterans.

The president is targeting programs that help legal immigrants — creating lives promised that have and are turning into nightmares.

Finally, I do not like that the country’s deficit, as of February, has reached an astonishing $234,000 billion, and the figure will reach $1 trillion by 2022.

None of this is OK with me at all, and I have had it with the president.

To quote President Barack Obama:

“For the sake of the nation, take your anger to the ballot box.”

That I do think is OK.

A.M. Mader

Bergholz

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