Tucson speaks out: April 17 letters of the day

It seems every day we read in the paper about how the Republican leadership, through bills in the Arizona Legislature, will help “improve” education in Arizona. This “Nanny-State” approach, of which the Republicans continually denigrate the Democrats, does nothing for the larger education needs of the students and support for teachers.

Meanwhile, China is planning to isolate itself technologically from the United States and has taken the lead in 5G, while India and Russia with their BrahMos PJ-10 Hypersonic Missile lead the world in Hypersonic technology.

Yet, the 21st century version of the Scopes-Monkey Trial is awaiting any Arizona teacher who steps across the imaginary line with Tom Horne. Instead of letting teachers teach, Horne wants a “my way or the highway” approach to education. With many teachers leaving, it seems this highway has a traffic jam.

By not paying teachers what they are worth and demanding allegiance, the Republicans are literally handing China, Russia and India the intellectual keys to the future.

Matt Somers

Midtown

Murder of Professor at U of A

I am still concerned about the murder of the hydrology professor as almost the same event happened at the U of A College of Nursing on Oct. 28, 2002 when a mentally unstable student with a grudge with one of the female professors walked into the College of Nursing and killed this female professor along with two other female professors in the hallway. This is the same scenario of the death of the hydrology professor who was shot and killed in his office. In both cases, the shooter just walked into the office and pulled the trigger. The U of A should relocate these professors whenever they feel threatened or receive threats. Put them in another location away from their usual office for all conferences, group meetings or individual student meetings. Off campus would be best. This should continue until the person felt to be a threat has been apprehended or left the area. I feel this is a commonsense step to protect U of A staff.

William Schwark

Downtown

Faux News (formerly Fox News)

A recent article by BBC News Anthony Zurcher detailed that Fox News, in a statement released after the Dominion filings had been made public, said that the voting company had “mischaracterized the record, cherry-picked quotes stripped of key context and spilled considerable ink on facts that are irrelevant under black-letter principles of defamation law.”

Isn’t this the standard operating procedure for Fox News hosts (think Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham)?

Time to boycott Faux News; there are plenty of other streaming news providers that contain professional reporters, not fabricators, that are worthy of your attention. And PBS, available with just an antenna...

Robert McCombs

Marana

Bad behavior

Re: the March 15 article “Don’t defend destructive behavior.”

I read Paul McCreary’s article and agree that bad behavior is often ignored and it only serves to get worse or more often as time goes by. For instance, there was Bill Clinton’s dalliances especially with young women like Monica Lewinsky. And then there is his multiple trips with Jeffrey Epstein. Then there was Joe Biden’s holding hostage $1 billion for Ukraine pending the firing of the AG. Now there is alleged pay to play with China. And of course, there are his tall tales (one might call them lies) like his epiphany on gay marriage or the murder of five policemen on Jan. 6. And his childhood roots as Puerto Rican, African American, Chinese, etc. I pick on Biden, but politicians, celebrities, ultra wealthy all exhibit these traits in public, primarily because there is no repercussion for bad behavior.

Bill Blaine

Marana

Are guns the GOP’s new god?

It’s bad enough that the U.S. Congress doesn’t have the guts to stand up to the gun lobby and reinstate the assault weapons ban.

But our Arizona Legislature is just as bad. Two House bills proposed by Democratic representatives would have helped keep our children safe. One is HB 2075; it would have removed Arizona school floor plans from public access. The GOP Speaker of the House hasn’t scheduled it for a vote even though it passed out of committee a month ago. The other is HB 2192, which would have required homeowners to keep weapons locked up. It won’t ever see a vote because the GOP House leader used a procedural move to prevent that so his cohorts won’t have to go on record against it.

What are these spineless legislators waiting for? Another school shooting here like in Nashville?

Karen Schickedanz

SaddleBrooke

Second amendment

Re: the March 30 article “We should change the second amendment.”

I totally disagree with this op-ed. We just need a better understanding of it. The Second Amendment says, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state,…”. We have multiple well-regulated militias on the local, county, state and federal levels. Therefore, there is no need to “keep and bear arms” to maintain a free state.

Regardless of the intention, the mental status or the target victim(s), the common denominator is the gun.

Leave the military hardware to our well-regulated militia.

Art Di Salvo

Northwest side

Legal vs political

We hear in the news that Trump supporters, even some Trump detractors, believe that the Manhattan AG Bragg is conducting a witch hunt, persecuting Trump and/or jumping the gun by bringing this indictment.

In a democracy, the legal system must operate separately from the political system. Trump committed fraud and acted in bad faith in many of his business dealings. Most New Yorkers are not supporters of the man, particularly in Manhattan where the bulk of his business operated. Those who dealt with him have been outspoken about his dirty dealing. Trump’s attitude was “So sue me” knowing full well that most small businesses could not afford to pay the legal fees in what would be a long, drawn-out process that he would be able to delay, delay, delay.

Mr. Bragg works for the citizens of NY. If he did not bring this case and attempt to get justice, it would be patently unfair to his constituents. This is a state legal issue — national politics must be ignored.

Cindy Soffrin

Northeast side

The Second Amendment is not sacrosanct

Many people argue that the Second Amendment should not be changed because it was part of the original Constitution. I don’t think the Founding Fathers envisioned that it should be etched in stone for all time. To emphasize this point, here are some words written by Thomas Jefferson over 240 years ago:

“I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind.

“As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times.

“We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as a civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.”

“Barbarous Ancestors,” indeed.

Sam Page

SaddleBrooke

Constitution

Remember our history. Our country was founded by rich white men; the Constitution was written by rich white men. Why are we surprised that rich white men (particularly GOPers) are slowly and systematically trying to rewrite, if not destroy, the Constitution?

Toni Kane

Oro Valley

Where did you get the bootstraps?

The idea that individuals can bootstrap themselves to success is filled with omitted facts. We can’t pick our parents and living conditions that affect our opportunities and even the level of IQ we can develop. Poor people are exposed to environmental toxins like lead that affect their neurophysiology. Truth is that having the opportunity to be able to work hard and get ahead is limited to people above a certain level in any society. This is a complex subject and I would encourage anyone that wishes to get more insight to read the following book, “Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream,” by Alissa Quart. Yes, some folks can overcome poor living conditions, but some folks can also become NBA MVP’s. Odds are against it. In other words, what if you weren’t provided the boots much less the straps?

Dan Pendergrass

West side

CRINO

Did you hear the one about Lindsey Graham (R) coining a new acronym? CRINO! Crying Republican In Name Only.

James Abels

Midtown