OPINION: To defend democracy — and our climate — we have to vote for it

KOTZEBUE — Here in the Arctic, we’re cleaning up after a storm suddenly flooded town. It’s supposed to be winter, with ice and travel by snowmobile, and instead ocean waters battered the shoreline and inundated our community. It’s strange and surreal. And frightening.

We’ll still be cleaning up on Election Day. And Alaskans, it is vital we vote with our climate in mind. We need to make America great again — starting by voting in a president who acknowledges that our climate matters.

Trump has done his job, done what he’s talented at and made us aware of our many divisions, but it’s reached a point where hate, erratic behavior and ignoring reality are not what’s best for Alaska or our nation.

First, Americans are not that hateful. We Alaskans certainly aren’t. The truth is most of us care about similar things: our families, friends, food, good jobs, clean water and a safe, healthy home that is above water. We are mostly good people, civil and respectful. And we need these shared values to remain strong.

Can we agree on that, and maybe one or two other things?

Second, there’s race, everyone’s favorite subject other than religion, abortion or guns. I hear one candidate is Black and one is white, even though they both look tan on TV.

Most of us have experienced racism or discrimination, and possibly been told we’re too white or brown, old or young, fat or short. Sadly, this can cause similar feelings to flare in our own hearts. Luckily, when the sun is shining most of us recognize that prejudices aren’t our finest features. In quieter moments we realize hate doesn’t heat our homes. We notice friends and neighbors, co-workers and loved ones come in all shades, and we’ve actually grown to like that.

How about we agree to not judge Kamala Harris or Donald Trump by their color?

Next: Do you have a mom, or did you have one?

Most of our moms worked tirelessly. They took on the task of loving and protecting us kids (not always angels) while cooking, cleaning and often holding down jobs. Without those resolute women keeping our families safe and strong, who knows what the men might have done or where they would be. (Off doing something that starts with D or F, probably.)

Let’s agree to not discount Harris because of her gender. (Men, that means being man enough to vote for a woman.)

Now, there’s our country, America.

Occasionally, rare individuals among us whine (not me, obviously) about lost luggage, cold coffee, traffic, the climate, lack of caribou, the cost of ammo, all while remaining fiercely patriotic. The truth is we all — Republicans, Democrats, etc. — love our country. We cherish this land, and our freedoms: to drive cars and boats, to fly, to hunt and fish, travel, study, start businesses, quit crappy jobs, move, or be homeys, to sing, dance, worship what we believe, and yes, even to go to Vegas.

These huge freedoms require a huge, messy and aggravating thing: democracy. Democracy means you and I matter. It means our irritating government is actually on our side and not some thug-factory, like in Russia.

To defend democracy — and our climate — we have to vote for it. Without democracy we can’t do that, and we’re just peons under the rule of a dictator like Vladimir Putin or Saddam Hussein. And here’s the problem: Trump claims our climate crisis is a hoax, and he admires dictators and wants to be one.

Don’t listen to me. Don’t listen to any woke or wingnut newscasters who bug the crap out of you. Listen to Trump. He’s the one saying these things. He’s very clear about his plans. He wants power like Putin has in Russia, and like that evil bloated wiggly guy in North Korea has — to fire government employees he doesn’t like, to ignore environmental safeguards, to round up people, export people, arrest people, and use the military to go after his political opponents.

That’s not America. Americans don’t want that. And we definitely don’t want it for our kids.

The news says we’re divided; we hate each other; climate change isn’t an issue; we don’t like immigrants, etc. This is not true. We get along surprisingly well. And we are extremely concerned about our climate. The truth is Trump is an Olympic gold medalist at mixing and riling this stuff up. Which is why we need him to retire.

The last time I went to church was with my grandma, in Ohio. She was Christian, and during the Great Depression she fed homeless men and later watched my grandpa go off to World War II. She became a nurse and was the kindest person I’ve known, wise and humorous, and shockingly accepting. She lived those words Jesus said, about loving thy neighbor as thyself.

Grandma would know Trump doesn’t care about the Bible. She’d smile and make a sweet little comment about how the Ten Commandments are fairly clear on threatening to kill, or coveting porn stars while one’s third wife is pregnant.

The funny thing is we all know all these things.

I’m a lifelong hunter. If Trump were holding a rifle backwards, with the barrel pointing at his shoulder, would I pretend it was safe for him to be waving that thing around? No.

You’ve probably also started to notice that he doesn’t actually care about abortion, either. He cares about himself — which there’s no law against, but there is a lesson: We need to pull together, quickly, and care about our own future. Especially our kids’ future.

Harris acts like she cares. Maybe she does. She definitely cares about democracy, which makes her American. She has worked on climate issues; she talks about families, finances and our future. She has done a lot of homework, and probably even pumped her own gas once or twice. And guess what? If we get sick of her, we can vote her out.

Which is another problem with Trump: he’s promised to “fix” our elections. I don’t mean like fixing your broken snowmobile, I mean like the way J.D. Vance would fix your dog or cat.

Alaskans: don’t say you’re too busy to vote, or you’re too smart. Or too worn down. Or need to hunt, or are happier hating Harris because of Gaza. (Or, like me, you need to thaw out your flooded freezing frozen shack.)

Our ancestors fought for this right, to vote. We Alaskans have surprised ourselves before, and we’re good at surprising the Lower 48. Remember writing in Lisa Murkowski? Remember writing in Wally Hickel for governor, as an independent?

So just put your pencil on Harris. Commit to voting for the freedoms our grandparents fought for, and for safeguarding our future. If we pass those things on to our kids, they’ll have a shot at figuring out the rest.

Seth Kantner lives in northern Alaska and is a commercial fisherman and the author of “Ordinary Wolves” and the recently released “A Thousand Trails Home: Living With Caribou.”

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