Tucson Speaks Out: Feb. 4

Raytheon isn’t evil and we need it

Jack Cohen-Joppa’s essay “Raytheon pushes Doomsday Clock closer to midnight” blames Raytheon for pushing us closer to nuclear Armageddon. I too am worried about that catastrophe, but he’s focusing on the wrong actors, and I don’t know why he ignores them.

He says half the nations of the world have adopted the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of nuclear weapons. But he doesn’t tell us that China, Russia, North Korea and Iran have not.

Does he believe Putin, Xi, Kim Jong Un, and the ayatollahs will disarm if we do? Please look at the tyrants of history. Some have speculated (search the web) that Putin would not have invaded Ukraine if it had not unilaterally abandoned its nukes.

There are evil actors in the world, and we have to remain strong. I for one am glad we have Raytheon and its employees to deter them.

James Tuthill

Oro Valley

Trump section

Denise from midtown suggests that the Star designate one section to cover all the news about #45/47’s anti-administration coverage. All the LTEs complaining about what the felon and chief should be in one section, so it’s easier for her to throw out as garbage. I suggest a similar approach. Although the Star will need to increase the number of pages exponentially by the change. Why not have one section just to cover the lies that the sexual predator states daily? It would be far more interesting, or confusing (for those of us with an education) and much funnier than the abysmal comic sections that the Star decided to change to from what they’ve had for years. We don’t need news about the liar’s policies since none of them are based in reality, just a cruel attempt to bring back the white values of the 1950s.

John Bingham

Northwest side

One-sentence letter

When Democrats say that Republicans are a threat to our fragile democracy what they really mean is that we are a threat to their bloated bureaucracy.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Descent into autocracy

The Trump-installed sycophant at DOJ fired all prosecutors involved in Trump’s federal cases. The FBI sycophant fired multiple, non-political, career senior department heads, including those for national security and intelligence. Why? The departments had investigated Trump’s crimes.

The FBI demanded the names of thousands of staff and agents involved in any Jan. 6th case for possible “personnel actions.” Their offense? They did the jobs they were assigned to. Their names will be made public, for all the pardoned Jan. 6th criminals to see.

This is just the beginning. More sycophants will run DOD, DNI, CIA, NSA, DHS, etc., More loyalty purges will follow, hollowing out the agencies and creating a clear and present national security risk.

This descent to autocracy and fascism was foretold during the campaign, again and again. However, the speed at which it is happening and the fragility of our democracy is stunning.

We can thank the Maga crowd and all their supporters.

Dan Gipple

Southeast side

Government programming

The new administration has taken the White House and the results are dramatic and tragic; instead of compassion there is hatred, instead of empathy there is indifference and instead of justice for all there is injustice. It must be understood that government is a machine that is neither good nor bad — but like any machine, it can be programmed to achieve a specific result as a result of voting. The “voters have spoken” and with that vote, the machine that is government has been programmed to adhere to the baser instincts of humanity that will only benefit a few but harm many. This is a time for reflection and review of decisions we as a people have made — and re-assess our vote in the future. If you are unhappy with the current outcome, do not despair and do nothing, rather be prepared to “reprogram” the machine that is government for a better outcome!

Richard Rebl

East side

What children teach us about diversity

Years ago, I took my toddler to visit a local playground. Her bright, blue eyes sparkled as she played in the sunshine. After a few minutes, a black woman sat down beside me with her toddler. He jumped off her lap and ran to my daughter.

I looked at her and said, “How will we explain the skin color difference to them?” She smiled and said, “Let’s just see how it goes.”

The children played together for over an hour — laughing, holding hands, and singing songs — without bias.

This memory came back to me as we honor Black History Month. In Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech 62 years ago, he dreamed that “… children will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

The elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs challenge that dream for all of us and undermines the fair treatment and participation we all deserve. Just ask a toddler.

Carla O’Hara

Oro Valley

Tariffs and inflation

Numerous stories have appeared claiming that any tariffs imposed on foreign goods will cause inflation. This is partially true. Tariffs can cause prices to rise for specific products or industries but not for the economy as a whole. That can only occur if the Federal Reserve increases the money supply like they did earlier this decade by 42% in 24 months shortly after Congress passed multiple trillion-dollar spending bills.

Randy Park

SaddleBrooke

Credit where credit is due

Most aircraft accidents are the result of a series of events and not an isolated incident. The factors surrounding the midair in Washington D.C. will probably be a combination of helicopter altitude, controller working two positions, night goggles, using visual separation between a fast and slow aircraft, an employee who went home early and the supervisor who approved combining air-traffic positions. However, if you are going to blame DEI as a cause, then you must also credit DEI for the last 16 years of safe air travel.

Daniel Smejkal

Oracle

Elon Musk and his data breach

Elon Musk has accessed millions of Americans’ private data — Social Security numbers, other interactions with the Federal government — through illegal means, and plans to use it to unilaterally decide — apparently at President Trump’s behest —who will be able to receive the money or services they have been promised. I urge all of us, regardless of whom we voted for, to contact our senators and representatives and let them know that this illegal act cannot go unchallenged. I especially ask that Congressmen Ciscomani step up and decry this illegal taking of our private data, one of the worst security breaches America has ever experienced.

Diane Dittemore

North side

The truth hurts

For once I do agree with a whining Trumpster. Seems like Denise Walker doesn’t like being exposed to letters and commentary critical of Donald Trump. Perhaps the Star does need a section just about Trump, dedicated to the daily barrage of lies, revenge, blatant corruption, gross incompetency and outright cruelty. Informed people do want to know, not ignore the unpleasant truth. And why is printing the truth bias? Perhaps you can’t handle the truth, preferring to live in your alternate reality.

Stanley Steik

Midtown

Proposition 414

Just expanding access to early childhood education programs and after-school programs makes Prop 414 more than worthwhile for long-term safety of our community. Yes on 414.

Louis Hollingsworth

West side

Tariffs and fentanyl, Mexico and China

President Trump’s tariffs on Mexico and China are All-American. Chinese chemical brokers funnel fentanyl ingredients to Mexico, and Mexican cartels are the producers and traffickers of fentanyl across the border into America. The tariff strategy is to pressure Mexican authorities to deter the cartels (with bullets if necessary) from their deadly fentanyl infiltration into American society. If we pay 70 cents a gallon more for gasoline because of these tariffs, that constitutes a unified front of the war on fentanyl drugs in America. This would be a small austerity measure on the part of American citizens.

The Greatest Generation fought in World War II. Back home during the war, the government asked American citizens to cut down on home heating oil and reduce their gasoline consumption in cars, because mechanized warfare uses untold gallons of diesel and gasoline. Such was done for World War II, why can’t we do the similar-opposite for a war on fentanyl drugs?

Daniel Pryor

West side