Fear sells, but global warming is true danger

According to the ancient myth of the hedgehog and the fox, the fox knows many things but the hedgehog knows only one big thing. Evidence from the recent Democratic debates shows that the fox-like candidates might know many things, but they will surely lose the presidential election to hedgehog Donald Trump, who knows the one big thing that sells: fear.

While the Democrats are slicing and dicing policies on health care, education, criminal justice and more, only one of their candidates — Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington — perceives the one big thing that is truly a clear and present danger: climate change.

If the Democrats want to play a fear card, they can do so by pointing out calamities traceable to global warming in red state after red state: Flooding caused by hurricanes in east Texas; overflowing rivers in Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, and Nebraska; tornadoes in Oklahoma; and more. Instead, they are fiddling over lesser issues while Earth burns.

Donald Lamm Santa Fe

Not so different

The road conditions in Santa Fe have become intolerable. It is like riding on a lunar surface with damage to tires and auto structure. It is particularly bad on Paseo de Peralta and Guadalupe Street around the DeVargas Center. N.M. 599 has other bad patches of pavement.

I beg the city of Santa Fe government to work on this and get the needed parties to work together — and quickly. This is not a matter of fixing potholes; whole streets need repaving.

A recent visitor from New York, where I bumped and thumped up and down Eighth Avenue for 30 years, was quite surprised there was such a similarity of degraded roads in the City Different. It wasn’t so different.

Michael L. Grissom Santa Fe

Right to care

Now, more than ever, reproductive rights are being attacked across our country. Four hundred needless abortion restrictions have been enacted since 2011. Currently, there is a bill in Congress that prohibits these restrictions and protects everyone’s right to seek abortion care. The Women’s Health Protection Act (Senate Bill 1645/House Resolution 2975) must be supported.

Many people who have abortions already have children but can’t handle more. Restrictions and the erosion of abortion access across the country cause real harm and can have serious, long-term consequences for a person’s health and safety.

We need Congress to act now. I am calling on all members of Congress to support the Women’s Health Protection Act, and I implore every person in my community to do the same.

Gay Block Santa Fe

Loss for many

Alas, who knew Mayor Pete was fundraising in Santa Fe last weekend (“Dem hopeful Buttigieg visiting Santa Fe,” Aug. 3)? My friends and I would have enjoyed attending, but there was no advanced promotion or invitation. His campaign should step up and get organized. Again, who knew? A loss for all.

Mary Costello Tesuque

Played for fools

It really happened, and not one Marine, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard defender was alerted to save America. The love fest between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump made the takeover a cakewalk. Trump refuses to recognize documented Russian interference in the 2016 election and their known intent to do the same in 2020.

And yet, last year, Trump directed that more than $50 billion be added to our bloated defense budget for more tanks, planes and ships. Russia probably spent under a million dollars to pull off its cyberattack welcomed by Trump.

Trump is plainly playing Christians for fools. Americans who prefer to live in a reasonable democratic society must get to the voting booths in November 2020 and cast their votes for whoever is running against Trump. King Trump is a scary sound.

Roger Brumley Santa Fe