Tucson Speaks Out: September 25

Financial boycotts work

It was gratifying to hear that Jimmy Kimmel has been reinstated to appear on his late-night show on ABC. Mr. Kimmel’s comments were viewed as a political slam against the right wing, which supported Charlie Kirk. MAGA republicans applauded President Trump’s FCC chair Brendan Carr for pressuring Disney and ABC to suspend the show.

Freedom of speech is central to our democracy and designed to allow different points of view. The overwhelming backlash confirmed that the First Amendment is worth protecting. I think what really helped Disney decide to reinstate Jimmy Kimmel is that people expressed their discontent by canceling their subscriptions to Disney and Hulu, along with plummeting Disney stock. Over a four-day period, Disney lost $3.87 billion.

We, the people, have the power to make our voices heard, not only through protest but also with our wallets. This may be the most effective way to stop the current president and his administration from imposing policies that ignore our Constitution.

Gail Schumacher

Southwest side

Border czar bribery inquiry

Fox News’ Laura Ingraham’s relevant question to the border czar Tom Homan was, did you take $50,000 from undercover FBI agents? And instead of answering “no,” Homan said, “I did nothing illegal.” But because the Trump administration is a corrupt kleptocracy, it’s no wonder that his DOJ and FBI closed the investigation this past summer, which had begun in the summer of 2024. According to reporting, the FBI recorded Tom Homan taking a bribe from supposed business leaders for securing government contracts, should Trump win the election. Congress must reopen an investigation and subpoena Tom Homan to appear and answer direct questions under oath. Let’s not let this story disappear like the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Karen Allison

Three Points

Rep. Gosar’s bill, H.R. 5392

To the Editor:

Rep. Gosar’s bill, H.R. 5392, would nullify Ironwood National Monument and ignore the city’s profound respect and continued appreciation of this historic monument. The monument offers local residents the opportunity to hike, hunt and camp. Not to mention being a home for 674 species, many of which are federally listed as threatened or endangered. Opening the monument for copper and gold mining is insulting to this wide range of biodiversity and the local residents that enjoy the land.

Ironwood National Monument is integral to Tucson’s identity. Our Marana Town Council even approved Resolution NO. 2025-075, which represents the unanimous official opposition to shrinking the boundaries and the opening of the monument for extraction, mining exploration and potential development.

Our city and public land deserve better than opening this area up for mining.

I urge Rep. Ciscomani to oppose this bill.

Kaya Byrd

Marana

Kirk memorial

I hear that tens of thousands appeared at the memorial service for Charlie Kirk. A man who, though not deserving of his demise, was definitely not a person to be anointed with oil. People say I lack empathy, and while I am sorry for his death, I know he was not a hero to me. Answer a question, you who so gladly attended his services, what about the myriad of innocent school children gunned down in our streets almost every month? Where were you when their funerals were taking place? I suspect you were just “ho hum” and going on with your life. Please don’t insult reality by suggesting that you are patriots or that you truly care because you obviously do not. You only espouse the bragging, lying, bullying of your fearless leader. This is what you want, don’t deny it. You reap what you sow.

Philip Reinecker

East side

A wicked wit?

I believe your “conservative” LTR writer from Oro Valley has been misinterpreted. To my mind, he is a brilliant comedian with a wicked, sly wit. His recent letter complaint about a lack of published conservative letters was a prime example, as he seems to be published weekly.

His pièce de résistance so far, however, was his trumpeting of this administration’s law and order stance. With a convicted felon at the helm who pardons thousands of fellow felons and appoints one of them as an ambassador, who daily violates settled law, the Constitution and Posse Comitatus, this accolade has to be the penultimate tongue-in-cheek pronouncement.

Writing in this style must be an effort to avoid the authoritarian censorship currently be applied to administration dissenters, but I hope the Star will give him his own Opinion column as his consistent send-up of this administration is not to be missed.

I look forward to his next LTE and hope someday this closet Democrat has the courage to come out.

Todd Ackerman

Foothills

Facts vs. fear

Again, a LTE makes claims about immigrant crime without substantiating the comments. A study in Texas showed the murder rate among native born citizens is three times greater than immigrants. The rape statistic shows native-born people commit rape at twice the rate as illegal persons. All statistics from a variety of sources show the writer was making exaggerations and bogus claims. It’s a broad brush that paints people coming to the USA as rapists, murderers, thieves and dangerous people. We already have a bunch of people stoking fear and mistrust of anyone who isn’t white. It seems the melting pot has become the boiling pot, stirred up by ignorance and prejudice.

John Kautz

Midtown

Trump and the Fed

I read with interest “Faulting the Fed” in Monday’s paper. Paul Vallas’ comments against the Fed were ridiculous. Bill Dudley’s comments were much more correct.

Behind the concern for the Fed is Donald Trump and his nihilistic economic policy. After destroying the American fiscal future by having a mindless, puppet-like MAGA Congress pass his “Big Beautiful Bill,” he wants to destroy the monetary present by lowering interest rates to near or below zero. I still remember that in his first term he wanted the Fed to lower interest rates below zero like Japan. Now, because of the economic damage, even Japan is raising rates. Negative interest rates are to fight deflation and stimulate growth. We have no deflation. Trump’s economic policy of tariffs, and their illogical use, is the only thing holding back real growth. Seriously, are you better off today than a year ago?

It is too bad for the country that 90% of those voting for Trump in 2024 voted against their own economic self-interest.

Matt Somers

Midtown

And the stats say ...

Re Sept. 23 LTE: Avoidable.

The conservative Cato Institute states, from 2010-23, native-born citizens committed more crime per capita than immigrants. Illegal immigrants committed more crime than legal immigrants. According to the Cato Institute, overall crime rates have been decreasing since 2010. 2024 statistics did not provide per capita information, i.e., inherently useless data.

To “prevent” crime, native-born citizens should be deported before illegal and legal immigrants. Odds are, a person is more likely to be a crime victim perpetrated by a native-born citizen.

But that’s OK. In the MAGA reality, facts are myth, myths are fact and what you want to believe defines your perception and your reality.

James Abels

Midtown

Going where?

Where is our country headed? The land of the free and the home of the brave is no longer as free nor as brave when compared to earlier times.

We watch our freedoms being eroded constantly. We are no longer fearless in speaking our minds. Now we are hesitant to criticize our government’s actions. Comedy used to be a form of relief, but even that is being taken away. Censorship is now the rule, not the exception. America is turning ugly to the point where many are leaving the country, hoping for a better life elsewhere.

It is a shameful happening. This formerly was the country where our forebears embraced its shores. Immigration was a welcoming word. Everything seems to have turned upside down.

Yet many are happy with the country’s direction and leadership. Complacency reigns as long as there is no talk of gun control, minority rights, or such values. No need to be watchful. Big Brother will provide.

We are spinning out of control.

Fred Abood

Green Valley

Opening a package

Congratulations, packaging designers of America. You’ve done it: you’ve invented a product so secure it doubles as a body armor for the item inside. I bought a three-pack of scissors the other day — because, naturally, the only thing standing between me and opening anything in this house is exactly one of those scissors — and then I discover the twist: The scissors themselves are encased in industrial-grade Fort Knox plastic.

Seniors, parents, busy people and anyone whose fine motor skills peaked in high school have two choices when presented with such packaging: (a) try to pry plastic apart with fingernails or (b) walk your purchase back to the store and explain why you’re returning an unopened — but unopenable — set of scissors.

May I humbly propose a radical new design concept: the tear strip or a little perforated tab. Heaven forbid that people can open their purchased goods without needing an engineering degree or a visit to the emergency room to suture a gash from the package.

Lawrence Mazin

SaddleBrooke

Afraid of the U.S.

Not long ago, the U.S. posted travel warnings to Sonora because of narco violence. Recently, we visited José Ríos and Lucía Carrilo in their home in Santa Ana. He is 82 years old, a retired teacher, museum director, municipal historian, and a talented artist. Recent sicario (cartel assassins) battles in nearby El Claro and Trincheras did not alarm them. Normal life goes in in this vibrant community. Lucía said that they were afraid to revisit the U.S. and chose to let their passports expire. Narco violence in Mexico is mostly internal, not toward normal citizens or American visitors. My wife and I have safely traveled in Sonora for 30 years. Trump’s masked ICE agents are detaining Mexican illegals and citizens without all over the country and put them in unhealthy tent detention camps. It is shameful that our neighbors are afraid to visit Arizona.

Tom Van Devender

North side

Following in his bootsteps

Horst Wessel was a member of the Nazi Party, who became a propaganda symbol in Nazi Germany following his murder in 1930 by two members of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD). Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels elevated him into a martyr. Wessel’s funeral was given wide attention with the Nazi elite in attendance. A march for which he had written the lyrics was renamed the “Horst Wessel Song” and became the official anthem of the Nazi Party.

When The MAGAs come out with a song for Charlie Kirk, you will know which way we are headed.

Dale Emmel

Southeast side