<div dir="ltr"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Asmeret Berhe</b> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:aaberhe@ucmerced.edu">aaberhe@ucmerced.edu</a>></span><br>Date: Fri, Sep 18, 2020 at 10:41 PM<br>Subject: Please join me<br>To: <br></div><br><br>



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Many scientists are watching news and events in our country with real concern about the state of our constitutional democracy.</p>
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<span style="box-sizing:border-box">In recognition that the science community can not hold itself separate and apart from democratic society, we believe we must voice our concern.</span></p>
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<i style="box-sizing:border-box">We invite like-minded scientists to join us in signing on to the following statement by visiting this link </i><a href="https://secure.everyaction.com/onlineactions/wyqo2a6rB0aXTH1XB4icYQ2" title="https://secure.everyaction.com/onlineactions/wyqo2a6rB0aXTH1XB4icYQ2" style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:12pt;color:rgb(5,99,193)" target="_blank">https://secure.everyaction.com/onlineactions/wyqo2a6rB0aXTH1XB4icYQ2</a><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:12pt">.</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:12pt">  </span></p>
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<b>As scientists committed to democratic principles, we observe troubling developments in the public affairs of the United States: the undermining of democratic checks and balances; threats to the electoral process; subversion of the rule of law; vilification
 of people of color, of other minorities, and of immigrants; the fomenting of hate, division, misogyny, and violence; attacks on the free press; propagation of disinformation; and sidelining of science as input to public policy. We must counter these trends
 that are moving the nation away from its roots in democratic self-governance towards authoritarianism.</b></p>
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<b>We face a national crisis unlike any we have witnessed. It comes at a time when there is a pressing need to employ science to address urgent national and international challenges, including COVID-19, climate change, the danger from nuclear weapons,
 and racial and economic injustice.</b></p>
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<b>Action is needed now to defend the democratic foundations of the United States. Other nations have gone down the path away from democracy, leading to dark places. We call on all people of conscience to consider and to act on these issues through
 the full exercise of their democratic and civil rights, including participating in the national debate, supporting candidates, voting, and defending the integrity of the electoral process.</b></p>
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<font face="Avenir-Book">Cheers, </font><br>
<font face="Avenir-Book">Asmeret</font><br>
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<font><font face="Avenir-Black"><span style="font-style:normal"><b>Asmeret Asefaw Berhe<br>
</b></span></font><font style="font-style:normal" face="Avenir-Book">Professor,<span> </span>Soil Biogeochemistry </font></font></div>
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<span style="font-family:Avenir-Book;font-style:normal">Falasco Chair<span> </span>in Earth Sciences</span></div>
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<font style="font-style:normal" face="Avenir-Book">Life & Environmental Sciences Dept. </font></div>
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<font style="font-style:normal" face="Avenir-Book">Interim<span> </span>Associate Dean of the Graduate Division<br>
University of California, Merced</font></div>
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<span style="font-style:normal"><font face="Avenir-Book"><a href="http://www.aaberhe.com" target="_blank">http://www.aaberhe.com</a> </font></span></div>
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</div><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">Jason Sexton</span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">Associate Professor<br>Department of Life and Environmental Sciences<br>University of California, Merced<br></span></font></div><div><font size="2"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">231 Science and Engineering Building 1<br></span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><a href="mailto:jsexton2@ucmerced.edu" target="_blank">jsexton2@ucmerced.edu</a><br><a href="http://sextonlab.ucmerced.edu/" target="_blank">http://sextonlab.ucmerced.edu/</a><br></span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><br><font size="2"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"></span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">


















</span></font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">---Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished ~
Lao Tzu---</span></font></p><font size="2"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">

</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">

</span></font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:12pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif">---We are quite literally air, water, soil, energy and other
living creatures ~ David Suzuki---</span></font></p>





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