Michael Breen: Re-establishment of universal respect for all citizens is the genuine challenge

To The Daily Sun,

How could it happen that FEMA officials ordered its relief workers to skip checking hurricane ravaged houses with Donald Trump signs? Here are some thoughts. After years of political leadership sponsored hate speech to include describing a group of citizens as "smelly Walmart shoppers ... gun clutching Bible thumpers, systemically racist ... misogynistic ... stupid ... Nazis ... threats to democracy, and/or ... garbage” due to their skin pigmentation, sex, religious and/or political beliefs; are we now really surprised at the outcomes? Do we not understand how incidents such as this flourish in the arrogant hate laden environment some have nourished? Are we shocked that this cancer naturally infests our government agencies where such attitudes can be easily encouraged? Systematic discrimination and crimes against this persecuted group to include their murders is predictable — even in otherwise highly sophisticated cultures such as during the 1930s in Germany. Ending the employment of a few hateful federal employees does not adequately address the core issue. Society’s genuine values, temporarily forgotten, need purchase once again. Once accomplished, the internal culture and mission of governmental agencies such as FEMA can again revert to honorable service. The re-establishment of universal respect for all our citizens, evinced by our daily actions, is the genuine challenge.

Michael Breen

Moultonborough