Letters to the Editor: Political views of Texas flood victims shouldn’t change how we treat them

To the editor: Seeing the pictures and reading the stories from Texas, our hearts are crushed for the pain of the parents, spouses and children of those left behind (“At least 43 people killed in Texas floods; 27 summer camp children missing,” July 5).

We should resist pondering what our president would be saying if this had happened in California rather than Texas. That way lies madness.

I have no idea what the political and social viewpoints are of the heartbroken people left behind, but it should not make any difference. It did not make any difference to the floodwaters and it should not make any difference to us. They are our countrymen, and they need and deserve our support — financially, socially and in any conversations we might overhear that sound to the contrary.

We should all pray, in our own way, for the day when we can work together again to try to solve our nation’s problems.

Patrick McNulty, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the Trump administration would make it a priority to upgrade National Weather Service technology used to deliver warnings. Someone should tell her that, as staff writer Hayley Smith points out, “the Trump administration is planning to cut thousands more employees next year — approximately 17% of its workforce — and slash the NOAA’s budget by more than $1.5 billion, according to the fiscal 2026 budget request” (“Texas flood highlights deadly climate risk from extreme weather,” July 6).

Kennedy Gammage, San Diego