There seems to be a growing culture of “me first,” an attitude that money and financial gain is all that matters at any cost.

While meeting our own needs and interests is certainly important, when taken to the extreme, we risk damaging our connections with our families, communities and allies.  Caring about the needs of others and building relationships is what makes us strong. It is how we thrive and grow as a society.

Alienating our allies will leave us isolated and vulnerable in an uncertain world. Not providing support to those in need through funding and social programs such as Head Start, Medicaid, cancer research, food aid, to name just a few, will lead to increased illness, hunger, crime, homelessness and mental illness. It will lead to less opportunities for children in need to succeed. This will affect us all eventually and will cost more than is saved in the end.

Trying to eliminate waste and fraud is important but to gut or eliminate these programs could be devastating for us all.

Eliminating environmental regulations and destroying our public lands is a very high price to pay for financial gains. The health of our forests, waters and wildlife is crucial to the survival of our planet and our well being. There is no turning back if we fail to protect these vital resources.

We need to consider the future and not just what benefits now. Is this the legacy we want to leave our children?

No society can be great and thrive when driven by greed, hate and intolerance. We need to come together regardless of our differences. When we lift each other up we all win.  What makes America great is our courage, diversity, empathy and the ability to come together for the good of us all.