Today, Donald J. Trump officially becomes the 45th President of the United States of America. The entire world is aware of this occasion, and Iceland is no exception; in fact, the birthplace of the first European to land in America has a special message regarding the event.
In a statement sent to West Iceland news service Skessuhorn, in Icelandic and English, the dawn of the Trump presidency is being regarded as cause for mourning.
The full statement can be read below:
In the year 1000, the Icelandic explorer Leifur Eiríksson set sail from Dalabyggð, west across the ocean. After landing in Greenland, he sailed on and discovered America. He realised that the continent was huge, and one of the many landmasses sharing this planet. What Leifur didn‘t know was that 1017 years later the world would be in trouble because of several environmental problems, including pollution and climate change. Today, 20th January 2017, a new president, Donald Trump, takes office in the country Leifur discovered. He has failed to use common sense in matters of global climate [change]. For that reason, a friendly nation draws the flag to half mast at the site where Leifur Eiríksson was born and started his journey to the west.
In memory of Leifur Eiríksson,
Svavar Garðarsson, leifureiriksson@simnet.is.
No word yet on whether a response from Trump is pending.
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