TRUMP'S UNINTENTIONAL EXAMPLE
Wednesday
May 31, 2017

Anyone who's had children knows that they learn more from watching than listening. For example, if they see you driving all over town, with no regard whatsoever for the posted speed limit, then what do you think their reaction's going to be when you tell them that they shouldn't be speeding? "Okay, Dad, no problem." And the moment your back's turned, you can bet they're zipping right along, just like you. So, with that said, I can't help but wonder what kind of message Trump's setting for our children when he talks about pulling America out of the Paris Agreement, a contract signed by no less than 195 different countries, all pledging to take serious steps to reduce emissions.

It's hard enough to get 195 people to agree on something, but to get 195 countries to agree and sign a contract, is nothing short of monumental. Say what you will about Obama (and, trust me, I've said plenty), but that was, without a doubt, one of the single most important things to take place during my lifetime, something that would be felt and seen for generations to come. With 195 strokes of the pen, we managed to do the impossible, to come together as a world united to work towards a solution, which was probably every bit as miraculous as undoing all the damage we caused to the environment. And now Trump looks to undo all the hard work so many have put into saving our planet.

I suspect his own reasoning for wanting to withdraw from the agreement* is twofold. First, he seems to despise everything the Obamas did, even Michelle, and he's using his power as president to immediately reverse what they did purely out of spite. Secondly, if you examine everything he's done, it all seems to benefit big businesses, specifically the greedy corporations intent on maximizing their profits without any regard whatsoever to the swath of destruction left in their wake.

Whatever the reason, his conduct causes me a great of concern for a number of reasons. To begin with, if Trump does pull America out of this agreement, then he soils America's integrity. Anyone looking to do business with us in the future will no doubt, and rightly so, have concerns over whether or not the next president is going to honor any agreement made, or rip the contract up and demand to renegotiate. Another reason it concerns me is the message it sends to the children, who represent our future. As parents, we constantly preach the importance of keeping your word and why this is so important. A man who can't keep his word will have a difficult time finding a place to rent, as no landlord would be able to trust him to pay on time. Credit agencies will refuse to extend credit, which in turn means he'll have no credit cards, no way of buying a car (other than paying in full at the time of purchase), and even his friends will be leery of anything he said. Simply put, your word is your bond, and if you can't keep your word, then what good are you? How could anyone ever depend on you for anything?

You know, there's a term for people like that. They're called flakes, and no one likes hanging out with a flake. Yet Trump, the leader of our country, is about to let everyone know that America can't be trusted to keep its word and is therefore a flake. If other countries are anything like people, then it's only a matter of time until we're picked last during recess, or worse, left sitting on the sidelines while everyone else is having fun.

Worst of all? Perhaps just as bad is the message his actions send to our children. How am I supposed to teach them the importance of keeping your word when our own leader can't be trusted to keep his word, or worse, to keep America true to her word?

Shawn L. Perrot CDCR# V-42461
MCSP Cell #C-13-229L
P.O. Box 409060
Ione, CA 95640

*Paris Climate Accord