To the editor:

I do not agree with the “harsh words” of Adrian Melott’s letter (Journal-World, Sept. 4). We do not abandon a major source of our country’s history and culture in order to teach a lesson on ecology to people who are suffering and had no part in previous environmental decisions. We do learn from the errors of the past, apply our current knowledge and borrow from the success of other countries in order to rebuild a viable New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Besides, the major lesson to be learned from this catastrophe comes from the failure of our political leaders to anticipate and respond to the aftermath of a major meteorological event.

Robert L. Hohn,

Lawrence