Tucson Speaks Out: June 30

Red light cameras

Apparently, red light runners in Tucson are a common, dangerous, human-killing event. Obviously, there are not enough police to monitor in intersections and there will not be. Because red-light runners deem themselves so self-important and non-caring, they just do not care, especially when they know they will not be held accountable for their actions unless they main or kill someone. The opposition to red-light cameras appears to be that the company responsible for the cameras and ticketing made more money writing more tickets. Duh. Simple solution. Negotiate a fixed-monthly fee contract with no incentive to write tickets. Drivers who run red lights will get tickets because they broke the law. If as a driver, you do not like it, don’t run the red light, stupid. How about for once, we hold people accountable and actually try to protect the innocent.

Loyal M Johnson Jr

Oro Valley

Empowerment Scholarship Accounts

Regarding Dreama Peterson's letter to the editor on June 28 about ESAs, I would like to make a few things clear. The Save Our Schools petition that is circulating, only until July 2, will not affect her family unless they earn more than $150,00 per year. Any child with special needs, like her son, will always be able to use ESAs. However ESAs cost our state government over $1billion a year and around 20% of that money is spent on high risk expenditures. Just think of all the good that money could do to help the poor and unhoused in our state. I am happy that Ms. Peterson's children have thrived using ESAs. But the petition probably won't effect her unless she earns more that $150,000 a year. If the petition gets enough signatures, it will be a proposition on the ballot in November, Protect Education Act. Please support this important proposition.

Judy Moll

Northwest side

Disclosure Day

Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day is being sold as a sci-fi blockbuster. It is. But at its core, it asks something more urgent: what happens when the truth exists, the evidence is real, and institutions simply refuse to listen?

The film's whistleblower, Daniel Kellner, is not disbelieved because his evidence is weak, but because powerful institutions need him to be wrong. Similarly, the long-discredited Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo) becomes credible only when those suppressing the truth lose the power to do so. That is not science fiction. That is history.

The film's climax says it all. After everything she endures, Margaret Fairchild delivers the aliens' message to a watching world. One word: Listen.

Human dignity begins not with grand gestures, but with the willingness to hear someone out.

Matthew Lehrer

Foothills

Traffic law enforcement

So people are already whining about the reintroduction of traffic cameras! For heaven's sake, our streets are unsafe, and cameras are necessary everywhere. The city does nothing in the way of adding police to protect motorists and pedestrians from erratic drivers. Walk your neighborhoods, watch the speeding cars. And some are so loud, they're deafening. One letter writer suggested the city council hire more motorcycle police to control traffic. Yes, that would be nice, and should already be enacted. Instead the circus on our roads continues. If, in order to enforce traffic law, the city can do nothing but reinstate cameras, then so be it. It's the city's job to protect its citizens and enforce law. The public should have no issue with the city's decisions on that type matter. The people arguing against cameras, what will they want next? No speed limits at all? Take down all the speed limit signs. Might as well since very few people obey the signs anyway. It'd be laughable if it weren't sad.

Catherine Grossman

Midtown

Sadness abroad

I recently traveled to Hong Kong on vacation. My brother and I were exploring the outdoor market area where many vendors were set up hoping to sell their merchandise. I came upon a table with baseball hats and front and center I noticed a red one with MAGA; however what was stitched was:

Make

America

Go

Away

I felt a gut punch and profoundly sad. I used to be proud of my country and most of the top leaders. I am now embarrassed, disgusted, angry, frustrated with the top leadership in Washington D.C. I don’t believe in running a country with hate, vengeance, discrimination, and idiocy.

I am proud of myself, my friends, my family, and the people I choose to be around. People with integrity, honesty, intelligence, and genuinely care about others.

Unfortunately, other countries see our top leadership and not the majority of truly great people who make up America.

Please vote with integrity.

Donna Bak

Oro Valley