Lessons learned

Fundamentally, I would like to believe we, as Americans, can attest to a common set of values. Here are the lessons I learned growing up.

Treat everybody with dignity and respect.

Love one another.

Welcome a stranger.

Feed people that are hungry.

Do what’s right for other people.

Don’t judge other people.

Remove the beam out of your own eye then you will see clearly to remove the speck in your brother’s eye.

The story we should all agree on in our heart and in our head is that we, as Americans, help people in need; we allow for diversity of opinion; we come together in time of crisis to do what’s right for America; we don’t push our brand of faith on another person. We have shared set of values to tell the truth, treat others with respect, be kind and loving, be compassionate and welcome other people. Another thing we have in common, I believe, we should all want tomorrow to be better.

Don’t allow hate and lies to succeed.

William Biery

Sequim

Changes needed now to slow climate change

Thank you to Sequim Gazette and Ed Johnstone for your insightful May 11 guest opinion piece “To save salmon, we have to slow climate change” (page A-12).

I share Johnstone’s concerns for stewarding the land, the rising impacts of climate change, and the future of salmon. I applaud the tribe’s leadership in not turning a blind eye to this often-ignored issue.

Climate change is not a problem you address once the impacts are intolerable to life. Prevention, adaptation and mitigation are strategies to employ ASAP.

The scope of the problem requires universal participation. The good news is that there are solutions that speed up the transition to clean energy.

Placing a national price on carbon makes for a level playing field. There needs to be a cost to pollute our common atmosphere, as we all pay the price for damage from more extreme weather events. When carbon emitting technologies cost more than clean energy, market economics will guide everyday choices to be less polluting quickly (see energyinnovationact.org).

A national price on carbon will bring “all hands-on deck” to reduce our emissions. As Johnstone said, “We all have to work together to truly make a difference.”

Susan Atkinson

Durango, Colo.