Letters: Climate change reality
June 29, 2012 11:24PM
Updated: August 2, 2012 6:08AM
Do you think the earth is flat? Would you treat yourself with snake oil if you found you had cancer? Yet, some people deny the reality of climate change, and in doing so, accept science selectively at their own convenience.
Human activities have disrupted long-term weather in the not-so-distant past. The dustbowl of the 1930s was caused by bad farming, and when coupled with drought, the result was nothing short of cataclysmic. Fortunately, smart people figured it out, farming practices were changed and the problem resolved.
It’s easy to understand why greedy fat cats don’t give a hoot and are happy to pollute our atmosphere with carbon emissions for the sake of the almighty dollar.
But when Christian evangelicals jump into bed with big business by spewing the corporate rhetoric that refutes climate change, it is shameful because there is no scripture to support that position.
They cannot claim Genesis 8:22 because scientists don’t claim cold temperatures will disappear, but rather elevated temperatures will bring about drought, hurricanes, flooding, crop failure, coastal erosion and extinction of species. All this will be man’s doing, not God’s curse.
Fortunately, my church is enlightened and compassionate. But I wish religious bigots would read the entire Bible rather than verses that fit the Republican platform of hatred of homosexuals, the poor, the weak and whatever else they come up with. We are all sinners, even the GOP “Pharisees,” and we certainly are all stewards of God’s creation.
Decades of scientific data and months of record-breaking weather in this area might serve as a wakeup call. If anyone denies climate change in my presence, I will slap them silly for the sake of my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Just dare me to do it. It will make my day.
Irene Lauffer
Braidwood
This is not a democracy
There are less than five months until the November elections, which probably will be the most expensive elections ever held. The two candidates running for president will probably each spend more than $1 trillion.
Perhaps some of the money will help our economy, but it seems to be a waste of money to me. The Supreme Court can claim responsibility for a good portion of this waste of money by its decree allowing monies to be donated to campaign funds without control as to where and how that money can be spent. Did you know we allow money from any source to be used in any state to elect to office those who will vote a specific way, regardless of whether it will benefit their own state? Even within a state, money from one district can be given to another to elect a candidate who will vote as directed by the donor.
Another area of that has few controls is lobbying. Lobbyists can donate to campaign funds with few restrictions. To say Americans elect anyone to an office with their votes is a farce. The winner in most elections is usually the candidate who has the most money to spend.
We say we are a democracy, but our system refutes every concept of democracy. The day will come when voters will take action to throw out lobbyists, limit terms, establish when and how long campaigns can be run and how much office holders can be paid and the benefits received.
Jerry Cavender
New Lenox
