Letter: Nature and n urture?

I read a story today of a newly discovered plant found in a forest outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia called a Fairy Lantern Flower and classified as a mycohetertroph. A mycohetertroph lives a parasitic plant lifestyle which steals all its energy and nutrients from subterranean fungi to live.

“Most plants form a symbiotic partnership with mycorrhizal fungi, a relationship that stretches back in time about 500 million years…” The article goes on to state, “Mycohetertrophs cheat this system by taking without giving anything in return…”

I am often amazed to see how the community and relational dynamics found in nature are mirrored in human behavior.

Is it that Trump and his misguided sycophants and wealthy donors are merely following the parasitic side of nature as the excuse for their behavior — like the Fairy Lantern Flower?

I fear that their nature is shaped by something misguided over time. We must remain hypervigilant to overcome the inequities they are fostering with their shameless behavior.

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Howie Adams

Northeast side

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.