Letters to the Editor (Oct. 1)

Is forest mismanagement to blame for the fires

Editor:

Is forest mismanagement the problem with all the fires on the West Coast?

Is it responsible for the millions of people who are now breathing unhealthy air that is roiling in smoke from these fires?

Is forest management primarily responsible for the hundreds of thousands of people who are being evacuated because of fires encroaching on their communities?

Yes, but only in a small way. Forest mismanagement is only a minor part of the problem.

The primary cause of these fires is climate change — global warming. The fires are just one symptom among many that the earth is warming at an ever-increasing rate.

There are so many symptoms of global warming, and all these forest fires are another one of the symptoms. The world’s glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate.

The ice at both the North and South Pole is breaking up and melting due to abnormally high temperatures. Highly unusual, heavy flooding is occurring in several states in this country. Hurricanes are getting stronger and more numerous. And now we have massive forest fires even in the Northwest, which is known for its rain.

How does mismanaging our forests account for all these other unprecedented changes to our heretofore stable climate? What does mismanaging forests have to do with severe flooding, the poles melting, and many major hurricanes?

We have been warned by the experts that we have just a few years to get our act together and take steps to minimize the effects of climate change. So let’s do some planning and take our first steps in solving our climate problems before it’s too late.

The most important step in solving a problem is to recognize that the problem exists in the first place.

Let’s quit denying the reality of climate change and start to solve this huge problem. And let’s not wait another year!

Thomas Lobb

Los Lunas

I don’t want nation to fail

Editor:

In these heated times of political differences, it is very disturbing to hear individuals say that they hate President Trump and wish that he would fail.

Anyone who wants our president to fail is really saying they want the country to fail. I may not like the policies of the political party elected in a given election year, but I do not want their leader to fail because I love our country.

The Founding Fathers of our country were guided by inspiration from our creator, and they demonstrated that by the results of our Constitution and Bill of Rights by giving us a Republic rather than a Democracy.

There is a significant difference in our country’s history can be referenced as to the benefits of the electoral college with our representative system in deciding an elected president, and our educational system schools would be advised to teach students the differences. It is important to note because it gives rural areas of our country more equal footing against control by large city’s populations.

The two major political party conventions this year were a stark contrast between their focus and policies. One party’s speakers did not or seldom referenced God in their presentations; and the presentations by conventions speakers in the other party consistently used the phrase, “God bless America” at the end of their presentations.

Which of these situations demonstrated what the Founding Fathers considered in establishing our laws and policies to guide our government’s future actions?

I am disturbed by support for socialist and communistic ideas creeping into a large segment of our citizens’ thinking when history has shown the failure of these two forms of government. The socialist keeps wanting more free stuff from our government, and don’t seem to realize that the government is us, the people. England’s Margret Thatcher, when confronted with this in England years ago, asked, “What are you going to do when the money runs out?” Consider the status of the people in Russia, Venezuela and other countries that have gone down this path.

They sympathy for the Black Lives Matter group is not a well placed concern when one looks at the policies they profess. We should very carefully check their intentions by the documents they have published and statements they have made in TV interviews.

They are right out of the communist playbook. Remember the riots and property destruction sponsored by this group and currently occurring in some large cities as we vote for candidates before or on Nov. 3.

We need to adhere to the questions, “Is God on our side or are we on God’s side?” It may well make a difference to our children and grandchildren’s future quality of life they have.

Luther D. Robertson

Los Lunas

Interested in submitting a letter to the editor?

The News-Bulletin welcomes and encourages original letters to the editor, especially on local topics and issues. Shorter letters, about 350 words, are preferred.

Letters must be signed and include the writer’s address and telephone number (street address and phone number won’t be published). No letter will be published without the writer’s name.

Letters may be edited for length, spelling, grammar and legal considerations, but in all cases the writer’s intent will be maintained.

Political candidate endorsements or attacks are considered paid political advertisements and will not appear on the opinion page.

Letters that might be deemed unsuitable for publication include those that are libelous, are essentially personal attacks, are pointless, are part of an organized letter-writing campaign or are part of a mass mailing.

Qualified individuals wishing to directly reply to a News-Bulletin editorial or column are invited to contact the editor to discuss writing an op-ed piece, guest editorial or guest column.

Write to:

Letters, News-Bulletin

221 S. Main St., Ste. B

Belen, N.M., 87002;

or email your views to us at [email protected]