Letters to the Editor: Ronald Reagan’s presidency was one of the most destructive in U.S. history

To the editor: Finally, the Teflon is coming off one of the most destructive U.S. presidents. (“Are Trump’s coronavirus failures Ronald Reagan’s fault?” Opinion, July 1)

Historian Robert A. Slayton clearly spells out the rise of the religious right and the systematic dismembering of our social safety net under President Reagan. Many of today’s ills can be attributed to his administration and those who voted for him, but one in particular is personal for me.

I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras in the 1980s and saw the devastation there. Reagan’s wars against the poor in Central America are well documented to have been atrocities, and they created the refugee crisis that persists today.

The “build the wall” hysteria, which was perhaps the No. 1 issue on which Trump ran for president, is therefore a Reagan legacy. Thanks for that, Mr. President.

Rachel Bruhnke, San Pedro

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To the editor: The example used by Slayton to illustrate his premise that religious fundamentalists deny science — a friend’s second-grade admonishment many years ago on fossils and evolution — is a generalization that is both incorrect and offensive.

It implies that all religious fundamentalists deny science. Contrary examples to his erroneous conclusion are too great to be listed here, but the professor might ask his friend if he has examined religious views on the subject since being in second grade.

Furthermore, what grade would Slayton give to a student who followed his example of generalizing?

Donald Loze, Beverly Hills