Dear Students
and Alums
and Alums
Dear Students and Alumni,
Over the decades I’ve had the deep privilege of teaching well over 1,200 Penn State landscape architecture and allied students—domestic and international, graduate and undergraduate. While I doubt I could recall all of your names (LinkedIn helps), I fondly remember your faces, personalities and course work. And I hope you remember your time with me on campus, on field trips, and abroad as one of principled mentoring and some encouragement and inspiration. My simple wish was always that each of you would go on to do good work and enjoy life.
I've always thought professors should be able to profess. And I trust you remember us faculty as fair and welcoming to students from all walks of life, guiding you to imbue your strategies and designs with life, health, beauty, resilience, and accessibility to all. Until recently, these precepts mostly straddled political lines, so we felt safe, even obliged, to articulate them. (Note: per Penn State policy, my opinions are my own, not the institution's.)
Disturbingly, faculty are now being told not to freely voice what we know to be right and good, from our disciplinary perspectives. Administrators, staff and students feel threated too, each in their ways. In red states and the Ivy League, the situation is especially acute. In fact, the anti-intellectual miasma that has permeated American conservatism is impacting the whole of the academy.
Thirty years ago, Carl Saga warned of a “combustable mixture of ignorance and power.” Today, academic freedom (there are many definitions) remains an essential condition in speaking truth to power in free societies.
Clearly, the United States is in crisis. Its democracy is imperiled; rights are being trampled; natural systems, landscapes and places maligned; progress on sustainability reversed; well-documented histories on racism erased... None of this makes America great again.
Now at arm's length from campus, I feel fortunate (and a bit guilty) to be on the outside looking in. But with the crisis in our democracy deepening, we risk much when we shy away from our First Amendment voices. So I’ll use this space to highlight some linked ideas and concerns. I’ll also edit as new issues arise and better clarity is afforded.
To you, my wonderful students past and present: I hope these words resonate. Below you may recognize some first principles, like those that guided our studio work, but now expanded to encompass larger and more politically-charged themes. While you ponder these things, I encourage you to look for nuance and underlying motives where so many only see black and white.
Think critically and trust your creativity and ability to bring things together, to heal. Then take action as moral, ethical and creative human beings in a hurting world.
Imagine: 1,200 of you could be a powerful force for good!
__________
On Humankind, the Oppressed and the Occupied. I believe in the inherent dignity and right to life, liberty and happiness of each human being. We must acknowledge and strive to remedy the dreadful legacies of colonialism, totalitarianism, ethnic cleansing, and politics of purity, as well as the everyday depravities of racism, classism, misogyny, bigotry, and prejudice.
I stand with those who continue to carry the particular burdens of slavery's legacy. I support the NAACP's call for long overdue reparations. The Trump bureaucracy's erasure and whitewashing of American history is wrong and disgraceful.
I support First Nations and Indigenous People as they strive for recognition, justice and reparation. The UN's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is shown here.
I acknowledge that central Pennsylvania, where I live, is the ancestral home and crossroads of the Erie, Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Shawnee, Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe Nations.
Further afield, I hope that all individuals and nations with a conscience will stand with Ukraine and make their support both heard and tangible. Putin, Trump and their ilk will be judged harshly by history.
And I stand with those people of Gaza, Syria, Sudan, the Sahal and other places who are innocent, oppressed, fearful and hungry. They need our help, no strings attached. I call on all members of the United Nations to get past the rhetoric and leap to action.
FInally, diversity, inclusion, equity, justice, and empathy are simple, universal goals that decent human beings try to live by. Our professional organizations—CELA, ASLA, CSLA, IFLA—all uphold them.
On the 47th President. Let's begin by recognizing that the Trump is an oft-indicted felon, a wretched human and (I'm talking to you, christo-fascists), and a persistently sinful mortal with no moral compass. A master manipulator of family, friends and enemies alike, his life is Machiavellianism on global display.
How can a person have zero shame? Forensic psychiatrist Bandi X. Lee provides some fascinating insights into Trump's contagious psychosis. In parallel, political psychologists see Trump's delusional self-image as precisely the thing that appeals to his fans. His skewed values, lying as an art form, transactional relationships, sadism, zero-sum us-or-them world view, impulsive actions, cruelty-as-pleasure, delight in retribution, etc.—all build from his distorted sense of self.
These traits lead him, his billionaire buddies, and his terrified Republic sycophants to spew false histories, disinformation and hate, driving an ever deeper wedge into an unsustainably polarized American public. They sound like populists, but they care nothing for the working class. They gaslight and proselytize, but their belief system soulless and self-serving.
Today, Trump rules with brutality alongside a corporate monarchy (on display at his inauguration) blending reactionary and radical right beliefs. He and his subordinates pummel the American people and the global community with incessant lying, while retribution against challengers is swift and merciless. Although the judiciary is wavering, the three branches of U.S. government seem to be tumbling toward a functional plutocracy, where key decisions are made by the super-rich.
Fascism is at our bedside.
Resistance is urgent.
Silence is a white flag.
On U.S. Expansionism. Trump's push to annex nearby sovereign states and seize foreign resources is right out of the playbooks of the Third Reich and the Kremlin, in open defiance of international and U.S. law. The current regime's imperialistic aggressions against Canada, Mexico, Greenland, Panama, Ukraine and others are obscenely disrespectful and unlawful.
I'm especially appalled at Trump's threats of forced annexation of a sovereign Canada. He decries Canada's NATO contribution, but conveniently ignores Canada as the primary source of cheap resources that have bolstered U.S. and NATO military machinery for decades.
Trump's irrational demands for things that he wants but aren't his to take remind us of the classic schoolyard bully with the frail ego and lust for power. He's envious of Canada's strengths: quality of life, abundant resources, and strategic geography, while despising its robust social diversity, civic embrace of (relatively) good governance, and wide esteem globally.
Trump's callousness and envious contempt for good neighbors have ruined what has long been one of the world's most steadfast and honorable friendships. Canadians will never agree to annexation by an external force, and they will look for trustworthy allies elsewhere.
On U.S. Tariffs. Trump's tariffs are based on falsehoods and wild distortions of the facts—particularly in Canada's case. Fentanyl and illegal immigration from Canada into the U.S. are a non-issue; in fact, the 'leakage' of drugs, guns, and migrants into Canada from the U.S. is the actual, serious problem.
Trump's tariffs are illegal under international law (WHO's General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, to which the U.S. is a signatory). Drugs and immigration at the U.S.-Canada border are a false pretexts; there is no national emergency between the two countries:
Trump lied about the U.S.-Canada trade deficit, his figures range from $250B to $100B. In fact, the 2024 deficit with Canada in goods and services trade was $35.7 billion.
Trump's executive order under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act is illegal. The tariffs break the USMCA trade agreement that he himself signed with Canada and Mexico in 2020.
The tariffs un-constitutionally bypass Congress which enacted the agreement in the first place.
In real life, tariffs lay waste to the highly productive and stable North American free trade region. The ripple effect will be global and harmful to millions of people at home and abroad.
Tariffs on this magnitude ruin human lives; they are simply an economic form of terrorism.
Further, Trump intentionally distorts the good that can come from strategic deficits (as any economist knows). For example, Canada makes cheap raw aluminum. U.S. manufacturers eagerly buy a lot, hire workers, make a wide range of products (incl. military), and sell at a profit. In fact, cheap and reliable Canadian materials help drive U.S. manufacturing. Trump's claim of "subsidizing Canada" is simply more resentment politics and trans-border envy. It's bullying on a global scale. Thus, I support:
Canada's justified response of counter-tariffs.
Wide international boycotts on American products and services.
Peaceful protests (know your rights).
Travel away from the USA.
A few select resources:
The False White Gospel. U.S. Christian nationalists' central and venomous role in D.C.'s inner sanctum denies a humble, contextual and true reading of the New Testament. As pastor Benjamin Cremer put it, “When you worship power, compassion and mercy will look like sins.” Christian supremacists: you've misappropriated and distorted the biblical message; scripture contradicts your Trump idolatry, your prosperity gospel, your white exceptionalism, and your disdain for the Constitutional bases of religious freedom, including freedom from religion.
The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), the Claremont Institute, and fans of dominion theology lead the threats to our pluralistic democracy. In contrast, I applaud 'insiders' like #exvangelical, #churchtoo, #deconstruction and others who speak truth to pro-Trump religious power. For more insight on the key role of Christian nationalists in this current mess, see Stephanie McCrummen, AME Bishop Silvester Beaman, Tim Whittaker, Jemar Tisby, Kristen Kobes du Mez, Zach Hunt, Matthew Taylor and Doug Pagitt's progressive evangelical group, Vote Common Good.
Climate change is real and is largely human-induced. It threatens humanity and human well-being around the world, but especially poorer and at-risk countries with less ability to adapt. Richer industrialized countries are most culpable and must lead in reducing greenhouse gasses and globally addressing rising climate change impacts.
Trump is crushing American climate policy, such as it was. I condemn his short-sightedness, and continue to support the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNCCC). I urge all nations to participate fully in the Paris Agreement, as amended.
Trump's devious approach to climate change science is to silence it, thus worsening an already human existential problem. I urge you, students and alumni, to follow the science on such issues. ASLA, CSLA, and IFLA are all committed to climate change-responsive professional practice. Want to be involved as a concerned layperson? Join Citizen's Climate Lobby.
Biodiversity is in decline in many parts of the world. The science is clear: when we diminish biodiversity, we threaten the health and well-being of current and future humanity. Since this vast problem is caused largely by humans, we have a moral obligation to reverse the trend. The IUCN's declaration, "Saving Species Saves Lives" is well worth the read. One activist-scientist I've long admired is David Suzuki.
Pollution, habitat destruction, and environmental injustice foisted on poor and marginal communities should never be part of the cost of doing business.
Sustainable Development. I support the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), shown here. There are lots of sources online supporting sustainable and green business, such as this Springer journal and on ASLA's and CELA's websites.
Trump vs. American Universities. American universities have been incubators for discovery, culture, cures, intellectual pluralism, critical thought, and democracy for well over two centuries. Our universities take the pulse on the human condition and keep watch on the horizons of the human story.
On-going assaults by the Trump regime and red state legislatures have de-funded important research, packed boards of trustees and upper administrations with slash-and-burn lackeys, and reversed academic freedom. These unprecedented attacks are a form of educational authoritarianism and scholasticide that totalitarian regimes use to suppress and re-cast knowledge to suit their ultra-right wing agendas.
Yale's Jason Stanley said, “There are no liberal arts colleges in authoritarian countries. So, if you’re transitioning to authoritarianism, you have to target colleges and universities, as well as education. As Vladimir Putin recently said, wars are won by teachers.”
To You Eligible Voters who didn't vote last November, the world needs leaders with vision and integrity more than ever. Please show up for the mid-term elections on November 3, 2026. (For more information and to register to vote, see here.)
For all of us who didn't vote Republican, and for those who are starting to wish they hadn't as well: let's keep the hope, stay strong, and help those here and abroad—however we can—who are hurt by the actions of the current regime.
__________
A checklist of the Far Right's tactics is shown here.
For general insights and action on what's happening, I suggest:
The New Evangelicals (the good kind)
In solidarity.
🇨🇦 🇺🇦 🇲🇽 🇵🇦 🇩🇰 🇬🇱 🇧🇷 🇵🇷 🇱🇸
🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️
Other Voices
On Trump's weaponizing of the U.S. presidency through retribution—
“This is the greatest pressure put on intellectual life since the McCarthy era. And I think it’ll be seen in the future, as that time was seen, as a time when people either stood up for their values or ran in fear of the federal government.”
M. Roth, 2025
President, Wesleyan University
“Quiet and cowardly is no way to live. It’s an even worse way to let a nation die.”
L. Angelo, 2025
(quote by D. Westneat)
More on the current U.S. regime—
“No one is overreacting. We're living in real time in a catastrophe.”
J. Carville, 2025
“The point of modern propaganda isn’t only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.”
G. Kasparov, 2016
“Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage and, worst of all, divided us as a nation.”
W. McRaven, 2018
U.S. Navy Admiral, retired
“Fascism is might over right, conspiracy over reality, fiction over fact, pain over law, blood over love, doom over hope.”
T. Snyder, 2024
“Their extreme wealth makes them think they're gods.”
N. Klein, 2025 (video)
“Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed. ...Against stupidity we are defenseless. ...It really will depend on whether those in power expect more from peoples’ stupidity than from their inner independence and wisdom.”
D. Bonhoeffer, 1942
(Theory of Stupidity video)
“... in order to get some people to follow you, all you need to do is tell them that it's okay to be the worst version of themselves. Be racist. Be xenophobic. Be misogynistic. Instead of inspiring us to be the best version of ourselves, Trump tells us it's okay to be awful. I miss Obama so much.”
hipnerd, Reddit, 2025
“... the Trump years have genuinely made so many right-wing people worse. What they have undertaken has been a long, slow, corrosive education in vice: from giving themselves permission to rationalize away Trump’s cruelty, to indulging in it in a quasi-performative way themselves, to realizing—almost to their own surprise—how much they liked the taste.”
W. Kristol et al., 2025
On Canada-U.S. relations—
“Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies. Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder.”
J.F. Kennedy, 1961
Earth versus Mars as our home—
Mars Sucks.
S. Boeri, 2024 (video)
On diversity and our mutual humanity—
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.”
M. L. King, Jr., 1963
“A garden's beauty never lies in one flower.”
M. Dhliwayo, 2021
“There are unqualified people getting a leg up—just not the people conservatives are whining about.”
A.M. Christnot, 2025
On climate change—
“The impacts of climate change are no longer subtle. We are seeing them play out in real time. We are seeing our predictions come true. As a scientist that is reassuring, but as a citizen of planet Earth, it is very distressing, as it means we have not taken the necessary action.”
M. Mann, 2018
“The essential question of the Anthropocene is whether the most powerful societies will deliver on their shared aspirations for a better future for all people and the planet. And that means taking responsibility.”
E. Ellis, 2023
On biodiversity and healthy ecosystems—
“I can't imagine anything more important than air, water, soil, energy and biodiversity. These are the things that keep us alive.”
D. Suzuki, 2008
On wokeness—
“Being woke means having empathy. And empathy is the mother of morality. A person without empathy is called a psychopath, sociopath, or narcissist. So yeah, damn straight I'm woke.”
cheersannkennedy, Reddit, 2025
On cities—
“Never underestimate the power of a city to regenerate ... Streets and their sidewalks—the main public places of a city—are its most vital organs.”
J. Jacobs, 1961
On democratic design—
“The questions that designers need to ask are implicitly ethical ... Design is a basic human activity to which everyone should have access.”
K. Krippendorff, 2007