A message from an American business person on Trump's comments

11 January 2018

Today Donald Trump made comments of a most disturbing nature when describing immigrants to the United States and the countries of their birth. The description he used is not printable on LinkedIn, but suffice to say, it's sadly routine for this man. It reflects a narrow-minded belief system which attempts to segregate America from the world. I am writing as an American business person to express complete disagreement with this perspective. I embrace diversity, my role in international commerce, and being a part of a global community.

I love the country of my birth and continue to have great hopes for America. For those outside of America, I hope you have the opportunity to visit and enjoy its wild open spaces and fascinating urban places. America often defies description, especially as it applies to its people. It really can be a crazy quilt of culture, colors, and communities. Please don't paint all of us with the same brush you would use for Donald Trump.

As a citizen of the world, I enjoy engaging in business and friendships with people on every continent. I am not alone among Americans in this regard. My country is having a difficult period with this president; please be patient with us. Know this - - you are welcome here. I feel the same spirit of hospitality will greet me in my travels on every continent . . . this is because ours is a wonderful world.

I wish you a successful 2018 in every regard,

Jay Sorensen, President, IdeaWorksCompany