Sen. Gary Peters: Trump Actions “A Fundamental Assault on Core Values”
Has President Trump embraced fear over diplomacy?
Our country has changed in a fundamental way over the past week. America has never been perfect in its position as the world’s leader in international matters, but it has long led from a position of embracing multiculturalism and diplomacy.
Now, has President Donald Trump broken those commitments in favor of protectionism, in favor of one religion over another, in favor of fear?
So many Americans still believe in the values of inclusion and hospitality for the least fortunate, and they have mobilized in a way that we have not seen in a long time by protesting on the streets and in airports over the weekend.
Democratic U.S. Senator Gary Peters joins Stephen Henderson on Detroit Today to discuss the recent decisions made by the president, and the widespread reactions seen throughout the country in response to those actions.
“Well there’s no question, it’s a fundamental assault on core values, core values that I believe are what make this country a great country that are under assault right now,” says Peters.
While he says the most important job of a country is to protect its people, Peters says that the United States has a moral obligation to the world community to help the individuals who are fleeing an unsafe environment. Entering the United States as a refugee is not an easy process, he points out, and takes over a year and a half to complete.
Peters also explains how he thinks Trump’s action differs from a 2011 policy issued by former President Obama.
Click on the audio player above to hear the full conversation.
