An Open Letter to Representative Dan Donovan (editor’s note – Dan Donovan is the Congressional Representative for Staten Island, NY, where Wagner College is located)
As educators and citizens, we strongly condemn the following actions and executive orders of President Trump and the Trump administration since taking office on January 20, 2017. This letter does not necessarily represent the view of Wagner College, but of each of us as concerned citizens and educators. We condemn these acts not in a spirit of partisanship, but because they violate basic principles of American democracy, of intellectual and scientific standards and of international responsibility.
- First and foremost we condemn Trump’s Executive Order barring refugees, immigrants and all nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States This act violates the spirit of U.S. and international law crafted at the end of WWII to offer asylum to refugees. By functioning as a ban excluding primarily those of Muslim faith, this order creates religious discrimination and does so intentionally. This act does not reflect our American values. It does not reflect who we are and directly impacts the students and communities we serve. Sadly, it may help anti-American terrorists with recruitment efforts by offering a misleading image of U.S. attitudes towards Muslims.On the first day of office, the Trump White House removed from its website any reference to or information about climate change, despite the fact that nearly all reputable scientists agree that action must be taken NOW to prevent certainty of catastrophic disaster. Our students are taught the fundamentals of science, and to value and respect the work of scientific experts on matters of science, over the opinions of politicians. We strongly condemn President Trump’s disrespect for scientists and dismissal of scientific fact.
- The Trump Administration has also removed from the White House website any reference to LGBTQ rights. We take this as a harbinger of future actions that will attempt to restrict or reverse gains in equality for this community, just as they have promised to restrict and reverse women’s access to reproductive rights. We condemn this for the harm and suffering it will cause members of the Wagner community, including ourselves and our students, as well as others in our nation.
- President Trump has continued to treat the free press and journalists with contempt, including journalists from The New York Times, the BBC, and CNN. We condemn his disregard for the First Amendment and the importance of fact-based journalism to our democracy. We condemn his refusal to engage in healthy and honest debate, which is fundamental to the health of this nation, and is the cornerstone of any institution of higher learning.
- Despite claims that he would do so, Donald Trump has still not divested all of his international business holdings. He continues to make profits from, and receive payments from a number of his global holdings. This is in violation of the spirit (if not the letter) of the Emoluments clause of the Constitution. We condemn his insistence on putting his own profits above the good of the nation and continuing to act, on matters of his finances and business holdings, as if he is above the law. This is contrary to the spirit of citizenship we aim to foster in our students. We believe the above actions, among others, taken by the Trump Administration are a threat to our democracy, our economy, our American values, our international alliances, and the ideals of citizenship and respect for knowledge and diversity that we strive to foster in our students.
Sincerely
In alphabetical order:
Dr. Edna Aurelus, Assistant Professor of Nursing
Dr. Susan Bernardo, Professor of English
Dr. Amy Eshleman, Professor of Psychology
Professor Sarah Friedland, Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies
Dr. Celeste Gagnon, Associate Professor of Anthropology
Professor Phill Hickox, Professor of Theater and Speech
Dr. Anne Hurley, Professor of English
Dr. Steven Jenkins, Associate Professor of Psychology
Dr. Marilyn Kiss, Associate Professor of Spanish
Dr. Anne Love, Associate Provost of Assessment and Academic Affairs
Dr. Bernadette Ludwig, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Professor Theresa McCarthy, Assistant Professor of Theater and Speech
Professor David McDonald, Professor of Theater and Speech
Dr. Laura Morowitz, Professor of Art History
Dr. Patricia Moynagh, Associate Professor of Government and Politics
Professor Bill Murphy, Professor of Art
Dr. Laurence Nolan, Professor of Psychology
Dr. Brian Palestis, Professor of Biology
Professor Michele Pawk, Associate Professor of Theater and Speech
Dr. Florin Pop, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Dr. Rita Reynolds, Associate Professor of History
Dr. Margarita Sanchez, Professor of Spanish
Dr. Anne Schotter, Professor of English
Dr. Sarah Scott, Associate Professor of Art History
Dr. Zohreh Shahvar, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Dr. Alison Smith,Professor of History
Dr. Steven Snow, Associate Professor of Government and Politics
Dr. Dane Stalcup, Assistant Professor of Modern Languages
Professor Jennifer Toth, Associate Professor of Art
Dr. Steve Thomas, Associate Professor of English
Dr, Mark Wagner, Professor of Psychology
Dr. Lori Weintrob, Professor of History
Dr. Roger Wesby, Professor of Music