June 1 - To the Editor:

A number of years ago I was given a T-shirt from New Hampshire Healthy Kids, which I wore proudly. On the back of the shirt was written, "A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I live in, or the kind of car I drove. But the world may be a different because I was important in the life of a child."

In a hundred years, but most likely much sooner, children will find out that the world they live in is quite different from that of their ancestors, unfortunately, not in a positive way. The actions and policies of Donald Trump's administration, supported by their accomplices in Congress will negatively impact the lives of today's children, and their children for generations to come.

In the short-term, children will be greatly harmed by the health care, educational, nutritional, environmental, economic, anti-science, gun violence and diplomatic policies of Mr. Trump and the Republicans. In almost every department of the federal government, policies have been initiated that will negatively impact the health and safety of children, as well as their economic futures. Polices that limit nutritional support, reduces control of toxins in our environment, cutting scientific research, cutting health care coverage, promoting more guns, even in schools, and cutting drug addition treatment services, to name some of the most obvious. Trump's proposed budget reflects a philosophy that is anti-child and only serves the interest of the very wealthy.

However, the most dangerous act of Mr. Trump was his decision to withdraw the United States from the landmark Paris Climate Accord. This action will place us in a class with the likes of Syria and Nicaragua, the only other non participants in the Paris Climate Accord. Trump and Republicans have long totally denied or have greatly minimized the reality and extent that human behavior is responsible for the warming of the planet, despite the overwhelming consensus of the world's scientific community that human behavior is causing climate change and immediate action is needed to slow the process. As one of the largest polluters in the world, the U.S. is doing huge harm to the planet by withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord. The message Trump is sending to our people and the world is that we do not believe in science, and we are wiling to gamble the future of our children and our planet for ideological political and destructive economic gains.

Obviously, Trump and his fellow Republicans care much more about the size of their bank accounts, the size of the house they live in and the type of car they drive, than what is important to the health and security of our children and future generations. Their short-term, immediate gratification self interest, "greed is good" mentality will have long-term destructive consequences for generations to follow. Shakespeare wrote, "The evil that men do oft lives after them, the good is interred with their bones." In Trump's and his allies case, their bones will be accompanied by little good, but the world's children will long suffer from the consequences of their evil actions that will live long after them. Their scornful place in history will be appropriately recorded.

Rich DiPentima

Portsmouth

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Policies are hurting our children - Foster's Daily Democrat