Oregon Republican State Sen. Fred Girod just blamed environmentalists for the loss of his home to the fires raging in the West. I had predicted that the loss of his home would not change Girod’s mind, and he proved my cynicism correct.
Among the thousands who have lost their homes to unprecedented West Coast wildfires in recent days is one of the notorious Oregon 11—the Republican state senators who twice staged a walkout to stop a Democratic majority from passing a climate change bill.
But despite an overwhelming scientific majority that ties the extent and ferocity of the wildfires at least in part to climate change, State Sen. Fred Girod’s personal encounter with the result has left him only more set in his views.
The 69-year-old dentist-turned-politician blames the loss of the house he called “my forever home” not on climate change, but on environmentalists.
“Climate change is not the problem,” he told The Daily Beast on Monday. “The environmentalists have loaded up the timber area with nothing but fuel. That cost me my house.”
He added, “I also lost my pets. We barely got out.”
Girod had lived there with his wife, Daphne, and their three cats. The fury that now filled his voice sounded more genuine than might be expected from somebody who was just trying to please contributors who are big-time polluters.
He seemed to be a bona fide non-believer.
I am sorry for the cats. I have a cat, and I hate when anything horrible happens to any animal.
But I KNEW deep in my jaded heart that Girod would not face up to the fact that his political decisions and climate denial stupidity were responsible for the death of his cats and the loss of his home. And for the loss of other human lives, I’m sure Girod will never face up to the fact that he is partially responsible for those deaths.
Girod’s previous political moves to block the state from doing anything to battle climate change clearly demonstrated that he is an extremist. And let’s be honest folks. How many extremists have you run into that have changed their views when tragedy hits them?
It takes incredible self-reflection and humility to realize that you can be wrong, especially on a matter of live and death. It takes courage to admit that deeply held beliefs can be false. It shakes anyone to their core.
But I have yet to see many people do that, especially someone in politics.
I feel for the loss of those cats, but Girod has none of my sympathy. He will continue to fight efforts to fight climate change and save others people’s lives, their animals, and their homes. Others will continue suffer unless he and his ilk are thrown out of office.