| Keep our oceans safe: Demand the White House not allow Trump’s cronies to ruin marine monuments! |
Last week communities across the country protested ongoing racial injustice and faced a resurgence of coronavirus. Donald Trump chose this moment to escalate his all-out assault on our oceans as well!
Trump took advantage of the crisis and doubled down on his racist agenda by placing a former governor with a proven track record of racism at the helm of a new seafood task force, while at the same time eliminating protections for the first and only marine monument in the Atlantic Ocean.
Trump continues to exploit national crises to keep racists in power while lining the pockets of his cronies. We need you to demand that the White House withdraw its appointment of racist former Maine Governor LePage and stop attacking our oceans.
Tell the White House: Stop putting racists in positions of power!
One way to help ensure just and equitable treatment for all Americans is to be cognizant about the people we place in positions of power. To start -- we must reject “leaders” who have a proven track record of racism. It is obvious we cannot trust Trump to play by these clear and reasonable directives.
Paul LePage has a documented history of racism, including statements like the following while at a town-hall meeting:
"These are guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty -- these types of guys . . . They come from Connecticut and New York, they come up here, they sell their heroin, then they go back home. Incidentally, half the time they impregnate a young white girl before they leave, which is a real sad thing because then we have another issue that we've got to deal with down the road."
And this, during a statehouse press conference:
"You’ve been in uniform? You shoot at the enemy . . . You try to identify the enemy and the enemy right now, the overwhelming majority of people coming in, are people of color or people of Hispanic origin.”
When Trump doesn’t hold racist people like this accountable for their words, but instead puts them in positions of power, he sanctions racist statements and policies. This unjust cycle prolongs racial inequality. It poisons our government and communities of color.
It’s time to say enough is enough. This isn’t the first racist appointment or policy that Trump has made, but you can speak up to make it the last. We need your help pressuring the White House to remove racists from government positions!
Use Your Voice: Tell Trump to remove racist Lepage from the Seafood Task Force!
Trump’s appointment of LePage wasn’t the only attack on our oceans and planet last week. He also signed a proclamation that allows commercial fishing in the only marine national monument in the Northeast region -- just in time for World Oceans Day!
However, Trump does not have the authority to make such a significant change in protections and chose to forge forward unlawfully.
This spectacular underwater habitat is home to rare and endangered species. The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument is comprised of 4,913 square miles of deep-sea canyons, underwater mountains, rare corals, endangered whales, sea turtles, and more. Opening it to commercial fishing will result in jeopardizing the fragile ocean ecosystem.
Between nominating LePage and gutting protections for a National Marine Monument, it’s clear that Trump is more interested in protecting Big Seafood than in standing up for communities or the planet. Jessie, we need you to fight back.
Hold the Trump Administration accountable for putting Big Seafood ahead of people and our oceans!
Standing with you,
Hallie Templeton
Senior Oceans Campaigner
Friends of the Earth
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