Letters: Politics and climate catastrophe

Re “Oklahoma twister ‘was a monster,’” May 21

It is heartbreaking to read of homes destroyed, lives upended, children killed and hundreds left homeless. We know that, without effective action to combat climate change, these events will become more frequent.

And yet the political leaders of Oklahoma are right-wing ideologues who either reject the idea of global warming or question its effects on weather catastrophes. What will it take to get them to realize that their inaction will lead to more disasters?

President Obama and the Democrats cannot wage the battle against climate change without support from GOP lawmakers. How many more of these disasters can we clean up before we run out of resources to do it?

Linda Winters

Culver City

Once again, as in other school tragedies, we learn that teachers at Moore, Okla., put themselves between their students and extreme danger. Once again, parents tearfully thank teachers. And once again, this will soon be forgotten and our politicians will return to bashing teachers.

The tragedy in Oklahoma should become a permanent reminder that we must not allow our teachers to be scapegoated or reduced to numbers on a standardized teacher evaluation form. Teachers who are willing to give up their lives for our children should not be treated so shabbily by a self-serving political establishment.

Dennis M. Clausen

Escondido

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