Is your life better under Trump?

Iam writing to say how disappointed I am to see how many people are willing to accept or even embrace the behavior and utterances of our current president. This man blatantly alters facts and passes off his lies as if they were the truth.

Maybe the altered reality is what his supporters want to believe and hope to become their reality. Do these people truly want everyone who has a different view to simply leave the country? If so, they will be disappointed.

It is clear that there are many other viewpoints (hopefully a majority). I think it is fair to say that most Americans (regardless of political affiliation) do love their country and hope that it will only get better, especially in terms of seeing improvements in living conditions and overall security and satisfaction.

This will certainly depend on a factual assessment of what is best for the country and its citizens. Economic fortunes, the economy and the fate of the country, as well as the world, surely hang on our ability to develop technologies that mitigate climate change and that take us to more efficient forms of transportation, housing, medical care, etc. Unless we widely adopt such approaches here, these developments will happen in other countries and we will be left behind.

In the interest of making a better, greater future in America, we need to have broad views about how the planet works, make suitable plans about how to adapt to changing social and environmental conditions, and emplace leaders who are willing to make rational fact-based decisions to accomplish this.

We cannot hamper or dismantle our institutions that provide critical assessments needed for planning the future. We cannot allow crucial decisions to be influenced inappropriately by financial or political interests. And we certainly cannot allow an egotistical, dictator wannabe to have unrestrained control over vital decisions that affect the future of this country.

To those who support this man, I urge you to really assess your motivations. What has he really done to make your life better? And do you truly think that he has your interests at heart? And, please, do consider that people who have different viewpoints are not really your enemies.

William Leeman is an earth scientist and musician who lives in Santa Fe.