Dear Editor:

In the beginning Trump was not welcomed with open arms by the Republican party and certainly not by members of the faith community. That was before he offered them both everything they had ever wanted.

As has been written, “beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” Could Trump’s “Trojan horse” contain things which could eventually become destructive?

One could praise the increase of jobs, rising wages, increased recognition and respect — especially to the faith community and big on its wish list: a Supreme Court Justice who will hopefully support their values. Let me add to these insistence that others share in our burden of leadership. In themselves, none of these are bad, but look within, as the Trojans did not, does that horse conceal darkness? Are there demons lurking within that darkness of racism, extreme nationalism, isolationism, and division from everyone who does not believe as we do, and denials; denial that we are not paying a high environmental price for some of this progress.

It has been said that we have at best 12 years to alter our environmental course or our planet may become uninhabitable. If our government fails to take environmental leadership, others will; China certainly, and even some of our states. Our move in this direction could even increase jobs. Some of our major energy companies are looking at wind, solar and other forms of natural energy. It has even been said that we should conserve our fossil energy resources for a time in our future when the sun may not shine as brightly. This makes sense. Other countries are already outpacing us. Germany gets a large portion of its energy from solar power and most solar panels are made in China.

We should not allow ourselves to be upstaged or to look on our friends, neighbors and traditional allies as adversaries. We don’t need to be Fortress America or to forget that the First Commandment is to love. Sadly, the person that represents us, this commandment – along with the other nine - have been broken.

Frances Bredeau

Boothbay Harbor