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Is market now our idol?

Under President Trump, our country has changed its public lands policy dramatically, particularly on the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Here and elsewhere the federal government is rolling back protections in order to open public land to oil and gas exploitation.

In our society, anonymous market forces largely guide our stewardship of the Creator’s gifts from nature. However, economists acknowledge that markets fail to reflect what society would like to see happen with land. Consequently we set aside areas where the people’s government can determine these public lands’ use. Bears Ears National Monument comprises an area rich in sites sacred to five Native American tribes. The administration intends to reduce it by 85 percent and open it to oil and gas interests, threatening the life of the tribes and the integrity of its ecosystems. Grand Staircase-Escalante will be halved, while the Arctic Wildlife Refuge will be opened to drilling despite 30 years of congressional opposition.

All major world religions, including Christianity, recognize the profound spiritual significance of nature. Yet, in these cases it appears we are allowing the market free rein to seek profit from resource extraction above all other considerations.

Particularly now when we celebrate the importance of opening the inns of our hearts, we need to ask what matters to us. Do we prefer short-term economic and political gain, discounting impacts on our neighbors, future generations and other creatures? If so, what does this say about our compassion and, ultimately, what we worship? Have we come to idolize the market, vilifying others, and in the process lost our very selves?

Robert Gottfried, Sewanee

Myths about the poor

What is the real truth about why we look at the poor in our society the way we do?

Sen. Orrin Hatch said, “I have a rough time wanting to spend billions and billions and trillions of dollars to help people who won’t help themselves, won’t lift a finger and expect the federal government to do everything.” Statements like these reinforce three harmful narratives about low-income Americans: People who receive benefits don’t work, they don’t deserve help, and the social safety net is a waste of money. These statements are false. Forty-two million Americans are on food stamps; half are working. Eighty percent of people getting Medicaid work. 

This Ayn Rand view is the norm for conservatives. I have read that most Libertarian conservatives think that Jesus was wrong about the “Good Samaritan.” People like the Koch bothers and their billionaire class have captured the stark morality of libertarianism; they see the market as the only factor in the human condition. 

Randy Reneau, Corryton

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True words about football

I commend your astounding courage on printing the guest column by Vince Vawter: ”College football is just a game.” His advice to the fans was most insightful: ”You are the cause of all this mess in the first place. If you treated the sport like the game it is, instead of a religion, we wouldn’t be where we are now.”

Kudos, Mr. Vawter!

Bill Roberts, Oak Ridge

 

 

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