Tucson Speaks Out: January 6

Voting for character

During the last presidential election I heard Trump supporting friends say “I know, I don’t like him either, but he is anti-abortion, he will secure the border, fix the economy,” etc. So they voted for a man who was openly self-serving and cruel, a proven liar, had no respect for law or the Constitution, bragged about assaulting women, made fun of people with disabilities, berated our troops, tried to overthrow an election, blamed others for everything, and obviously had no moral values, integrity or character.

When you elect someone like that, what you get is a President who lies, has no respect for women or people different than himself, will employ illegal means to keep himself in power, will be totally self-serving and cruel, and has no integrity, moral values or character.

Perhaps voting for character first — instead of not at all — would work better.

Kathleen Harris

Foothills

University of Arizona football

I was one of the thousands of Arizona football fans who drove with my son, grandson, and nephew through the wonderful oasis towns of Gila Bend and its Shell dinosaur station, a Yuma crossing of the Colorado River, and a stop at the El Centro Starbucks, both ways. While not the outcome we had wanted or wished for we were amazed at the layout of Snapdragon Stadium and had a grand time. Ms. Desiree Reed-Francois and Arizona Board of Regents please take note of that stadium's many, many eateries, ice cream stands, stand up bars, craft beer stations, and the most notable of amenities, the gathering places for fans and families to sit, watch, and enjoy the game. There was even a loft area in an end zone with concessions and a birds-eye view of the game. As a 30-plus year, 8-seat season football ticket holder, I would urge Ms. Reed-Francois to look at renovations to our stadium to enhance gameday experience.

John (Jay) Van Echo

West side

Down with dictators??

Trump orders the kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro using the CIA and the military without Congressional notification. Trump justified the removal of Maduro because he is a narcotics trafficker and a dictator. Maduro held fake elections to stay in power.

Former President Juan Hernandez, a dictator from Honduras, was convicted In the USA of trafficking in narcotics, and Trump pardoned him. Putin, the dictator of Russia, holds fake elections where he "wins" over 90% of the vote. Putin attacks a democratic nation and Trump cuts funding to the nation victimized by Putin. Putin suffers no consequences for being a dictator who attacks and kills non-combatant Ukrainian citizens. When do Delta Force teams of the United States military go in and capture Putin and bring him to Brooklyn for his trial? Putin has oil too.

Richard Bechtold

West side

Two brutal dictators

This morning I awoke to the shocking headline announcing the invasion of a South American country by the US military and the abduction of a “brutal dictator.” As I read more about the operation, I realized there were two brutal dictators involved. So sad that one of them is an American.

Bruce Hilpert

North side

Trump’s illegal Venezuela invasion

Trump’s invasion of Venezuela and arrest of its president has made the U.S. more vulnerable than at any time since WWII. He has violated U.S. law and the Constitution, usurping the exclusive power of Congress to declare war. He has violated international law and the U.N. Charter, putting us in the same category as Russia by invading a smaller country.

He claimed, in contradiction of all facts, that Maduro is a narco-terrorist sending fentanyl to the U.S. while pardoning the former president of Honduras who was convicted in our courts of drug trafficking. He now claims Maduro has stolen “our” oil. Even if private oil company assets were nationalized many years ago, that does not confer the right of invasion.

It is also sickening that our U.S. Rep. Ciscomani issued a statement supporting these illegal acts. One more reason to vote him out.

Gail Kamaras

East side

Stop normalizing Trump

One reason President Trump keeps getting away with all he does is the media does not call him out on it. Case in point: Sunday’s front page story reads: “…the U.S. leader once again demonstrated a willingness to use U.S. forces for risky missions that come with a potential big payoff.”

What should have been written is: “President Trump once again violated the U.S. Constitution by unilaterally declaring war and kidnapping the leader of another nation without consulting Congress.”

His actions were a clear impeachable offense. We can only hope Congress does something to stop him, although I won’t hold my breath.

Karen Micallef

Oro Valley

War

After destroying small boats and killing the passengers, seizing tankers loaded with oil, capturing a foreign president and his wife, Trump's minions have now opened fire on suspected ISIS terrorists in Nigeria. Keep in mind that this military invasion is illegal and without approval of the US Congress. Who knows why Trump is doing these things?

To take the spotlight off Epstein, just because he can, maybe he had a bad golfing round and decided to take it out on others. Remember that nothing is ever his fault. Whatever the reason it must be stopped. When any of the aforementioned shoots back and we respond we are in an all-out war. Trump's actions are identical to Putin attacking Ukraine, exactly the same. The world is against Putin and now Trump for their illegal and reprehensible actions. Trump is proving that he is demented and, I suggest, probably insane. We must, for the sake of our country, stop him now.

Philip Reinecker

East side

We live in surreal times

Continual US interventions and regime changes have never served our national interests well, generating regional resentment, economic instability and chaos.

This directly leads to increased immigration because when a country's ability to care for its own people is destroyed, the people leave for better opportunities. America, in essence, has created its own immigration problems. And now Venezuela — interesting that Trump pardoned the "cocaine kingpin" president of Honduras but arrested Maduro on the same premise. He also said he'd send troops to protect protesters in Iran while sending troops to American cities to quash protests against his administration, which does not honor the rule of law nor the Constitution. He wants to "run Venezuela" and take over its oil production when he can't even properly run his own country. You can't make this stuff up. We live in truly surreal times.

Anne Lane

Northeast side

Truth about administration

Epstein files. Invasion of Venezuela. Want to know what's really happening within the current administration? Watch the movie "Wag the Dog."

Maureen Salz

Oro Valley

When will they ever learn?

On Jan. 1 New York City's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani was inaugurated and announced, ‘We will replace the fragility of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.’

Two days later another committed socialist arrived in NYC to belatedly join in the celebrations. Ex-Venezuelan president and brutal cartel drug lord Nicolás Maduro will be enjoying the warmth of collectivism in a publicly funded detention facility courtesy of the "rugged individualism" of the United States military.

Socialism fails everywhere, always. NYC is unfortunately next.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Something to think about AI

In 2017, President Putin stated that the nation which leads AI will be the ruler of the world.

In December 2025 Trump signed an executive order for the purpose of preventing states from enacting or enforcing their own AI regulations.

Dan Bannon

Midtown

Invalid license plates

There are a staggering number of expired license plates that our citizens are driving with.

Recently I saw years 2021 and 2022 and NO ONE should be driving with anything other than a 2026 tag.

Where are our policing policies? Why doesn't ADOT send out reminders or even violations?

The revenue could be in the thousands if the police would take notice.

I guess rules are made to be ignored.

Phyllis Bowcott

Northwest side