Rabbi Moti Rieber

Topeka, KS

So the thing that bothers the most is the anti-factual nature of politics in this state. The assertion without proof that tax cuts will lead to economic activity or that it's better for people to be forced to work menial jobs in order to get food stamps or other kinds of help.

The one that really stands out for me is climate change. I am the director of Kansas Interfaith Power & Light, which is a state-wide organization that works in the faith community on issues of clean energy and climate change. You talk to the legislators and a lot of voters in the state and "climate change just doesn't exist." You can show them any proof that you want to or all the science and all the studies, and even the language of the pope, and it's just like "Carbon dioxide doesn't cause climate change. Man's not contributing to it." It's really very frustrating to be in that place where facts don't mean anything.

How you try to bridge the divide is to try to bring people in from the faith community. How we try to do it is by bringing people in from the faith community to try to get them engaged, to understand the issues, and to speak in their communities, sort of like what Sr. Simone was saying. Speak to the people around you. Speak to your pastor. Speak to your priest. Speak to your legislator about how this is a serious issue and we want something to be done about it because of the consequences both to us and our children, and to the least of these around the world.