I am not a real Trekkie. But I am amazed at how many issues the original “Star Trek” and many other space series explored. I just watched a “Deep Space Nine” episode about how the space station’s school was teaching real science and not of the planet’s religion. The conclusion was the station’s school would teach science and the religious beliefs would be taught outside of school.

Most of those issues concerning the divisive issues of thirty, forty, or even fifty years ago are still unresolved. Just as then we have groups whose only goal is to keep those issues as divisive as possible. Science in the Middle East advanced the world until religion halted it. The Dark Ages in Europe was anti-science and controlled by the church. Two issues that were showing the stupidity of racial bigotry and gender inequality. The first bi-racial kiss was on Star Trek. One episode had to do with two people representing their races. One was white on loft and black on right. The other was black and white on the opposite sides. They fought each other because the other is inferior.

Over-population, environment, resource destruction, and war were often covered. Overwhelming evidence supports one side along with the vast majorities of the American Public so why do the same issues keep cropping up? Some people just can’t keep from trying to divide us whether its racial and gender equality or science and religion, or environment and money. The only real goal of those people is destruction of society, culture and future of America.

        Today we are faced with so many moral and ethical conflicts I have trouble in deciding which side to promote. The April 10 Chicago Tribune had two articles which create conflicts that puts most of us in the dilemma of which side we agree with the most.

            How can an environmentalist be for carbon sequestration to save life as we know it and be against the pipeline moving carbon dioxide from the emitting facility to the underground storage wells? This isn’t only conflict for a real environmentalist. On this issue we must go on the side of saving the planet over the rights of the landowners who will have their property damaged and an infinitesimal chance of a leak on their property.

            The other conflict in that issue is the human rights abuse in El Salvador. The country was almost taken over by street gangs until the police and military cracked down hard on the criminals who were kidnapping, extorting, robbing, and murdering all economic classes. El Salvador’s murder rate was well above any countries not at war. The crackdown has lowered the rates of all crimes at the cost of arresting some people who were innocent but most of those were released in a few days. The question – Is it more moral and ethical to violate rights or to allow the gangs to control the people?

            Other considerations are building housing and factories on much needed farmland. Consider if we mine, drill, and quarry to supply products at the expense of ruining the land forever, or fishing out entire species, and destroy ecosystems to feed a growing population of humans. Is it more moral to keep a dying human alive than to euthanize your dying pet?

            Democracy is full of moral and ethical conflicts and those conflicts cause divisive behavior.

Steve Bannon and I seldom agree, but in an interview with a Bloomberg reporter he said this. “It’s not just sexual harassment, it’s an anti-patriarchy movement. Times are up on 10,000 years of recorded history. This is coming. This is real!” Bannon meant it as something to be scared of, not at all encouraging as I do.

Bannon advised Donald Trump during the campaign and for a few months afterward. He believes the people who voted for Trump are scared of the change. Trump represents the idea that men are supposed to be the leader and any sign of weakness is going to cost him support. His image is of the alpha male over lesser men and domination over women is a must.

Trump’s election was a direct consequence of this dynamic change in gender relations and responsibility. That is the reason a very good friend voted for Trump. Many times he has expressed his fear of women gaining strength in business, politics, and religion. Much of this cultural bias comes from his childhood family and the church. Church leaders are men not women. The more religious and farther south a person goes, the more it was true. Was, I hope, may be the proper word.

The first time I heard a woman should be two steps behind and one to the right was in a southern church. The oft-told words for being a man were to keep the wife barefoot and pregnant. Although the practice no longer exists in most areas of America, the culture still lives on in many of the rural areas Trump won.

Bannon is no longer in the White House or running Breitbart News, but it wasn’t his philosophy that cost him. Both places still run on white males being supreme beings and how others are treated as unimportant. We will see if that is still true in November.

Like most children, I lied to avoid punishment or uncomfortable situations. When I was older my Dad told me a man must stand behind his words. When one gives ones word, one must stand behind it and do what one said. One thing I am sure of, I changed myself and go out of my way to not threaten or promise something that I can’t or won’t do without giving my all. People who know me don’t ask for my opinion unless they want my honest opinion. Doing otherwise bothers me.

I am sure my Father would not have comprehended a President who flip-flops on major topics several times a day and vows to do something he won’t do. My Father was old school and would never consider voting for someone like Trump who would represent him and his country.

My mother taught me women are equal to men and to give them the same respect as a man. I think she was an early feminist and would be at home with today’s activism. I know she would have been heard for miles when Trump boasted about how he treats women and his affair with a porn star. They both respected the President of either party’s affiliation. Long after Kennedy’s death she found out about his cavorting and it depressed her.

Both parents made sure we were quiet winners and losers when playing games as with achievements in life. Bragging and taking credit for others achievements would have horrified them.

I know very few people who feel our current President honors the office even if they voted for him. Being President of the United States means doing what is best for 330 million Americans, leading free world, and projecting a great image of America. This President meets none of the criteria and is an embarrassment to two-thirds of the US and probably 90% of the world’s people.