Gazette should publish opinions, not propaganda

I was distressed by the Cal Thomas column “The Truth About ‘Climate Change’"' in the Sept. 6 print edition of The Gazette. On most other pages of The Gazette, climate change caused by burning fossil fuel is an acknowledged fact. But on the editorial page, The Gazette is willing to publish a column denying climate change, by an author who gets their information from Climate Intelligence, a foundation funded by billionaires to promote climate science denial.

An opinion page editor for another publication told me they published Op-Eds with unpopular opinions to "spark dialogue." Here's my part of this dialogue: Thomas is wrong on the science, and is participating, knowingly or not, in a well-funded campaign of resistance to solving the climate crisis, paid for by the people who profit from the exploitation of fossil fuels.

This editorial is not posted on The Gazette’s website. Readers can findit on his website here: https://calthomas.com/2023/09/the-truth-about-climate-change/

Editorial pages should be a forum for open, honest debate about issues. The Gazette should publish all sorts of opinions, even ones with which I disagree. But it should not publish dishonest, manipulative propaganda without judgment or comment.

Kent Williams

Iowa City