Tucson Speaks Out: March 6

Trump compares his war with Putin's

So has Trump gotten enough pictures showing how our wonderful bombs have destroyed Iran, so he can compare them with Putin's destruction of the Ukraine? Won't that be a wonderful sight to see? Hey it only took me 4 days to achieve what you've done in 4 years. I guess that makes Trump a better dictator than Putin. Let's shout it from the rooftops to once more make the Republicans proud of their spineless behavior. And now aren't we proud to be Americans?

Carl Olson

Sierra Vista

RTA Next

Remember the children's fable about Chicken Little where Chicken Little convinces his friends that the sky is falling, but ultimately leads them to their death.

This is the new tactic of the RTA Next supporters lead by Mayor Romero. Convince everyone that the sky is falling, so they'll vote for RTA Next. They can't win with the plan presented, so scare everyone into believing life will end as we know it.

I am not that stupid. The sky will not fall, the buses will not stop running, the economy will not come to a halt, and there will be no bread lines when RTA Next fails.

Vote no on props 418/419 and let's get a plan that works for all of us.

Elise Lawson

East side

War is too costly

Years ago I rolled up and kept in the back of a closet my American Friends Service Committee tee-shirt with its illustration of black military boots and the message “LA GUERRA ES COSTOSA” (War is Costly). On the back, the message reads “LA PAZ NO TIENE PRECIO” (Peace is Priceless).

After some time I thought such a shirt might belong in a Peace Museum. But today those messages need to be worn and shouted and amplified and printed and sent to policy-makers and those giving orders. War is, indeed, too costly.

Judy Ray

Midtown

Going to war on lies — modified

My contemporaries and I fought the in Vietnam War, which lasted over a decade. Our involvement was based on a lie — alleged attacks on ships in the Gulf of Tonkin. A generation later, our young woman and men fought in Iraq for eight years. This too was based on a lie — Iraq had nuclear weapons.

Now today’s generation are engaged in Iran and who knows how long it’ll last. This time based on several lies – Iran refused to make a deal or they were developing nuclear weapons or long-range ballistic missiles, or we needed to re-obliterate their nuclear weapons program or Israel made me do it. Take your pick.

This abomination in charge started a war from his Florida resort then mingled with friends at a black-tie-gala.

Paraphrasing one pundit, “If Obama has started a war from Hawaii and went to a party, critics would be talking about it for 50 years.”

God help our military.

Dan Gipple

Southeast side

Sharia Law

Kudos to the state Senate for dealing with the ominous threat of Sharia Law threatening to take over our legal system. Now that we've taken care of the Muslims — who comprise 1.43% of the state's population and 0% of the people pushing for Sharia Law here — let's now attack other religious minorities who might conceivably pose a threat, like the pesky Buddhists who might impose Pattimokha in Arizona. And let's make sure the Jains don't try to enact Jain Law here, either. And let's not forget those fiendish Raelians — give them an inch and they'll take a mile. 

Whatever we do, while we're busy dealing with a phantom Muslim threat, let's not pay any attention to real problems like dealing with the state's looming water crisis, homelessness, or the increasing cost of health care. Tackling those real problems wouldn't be nearly as easy as discriminating against an already-despised religious minority group, so why bother?

Darian Qureshi

Sierra Vista

Reconstructionist nails it

On Monday, March 2nd, the article “Study shows ancient coupling between humans, Neanderthals” on page A7 caught my eye. Mainly because of the picture of a reconstructed male Neanderthal and a human female that are housed in the Neanderthal Museum in Mettmann, Germany.

Even after reading the article as to why the male Neanderthals would seek to have "mating events" with human females, the picture absolutely explained it all.

Without words.

The male Neanderthal has a goofy grin; he’s a happy boy. While the human female, who despite her bad haircut is pretty … and taller than the male Neanderthal, has a puzzled pout that screams “That’s it?”

However, given that her numerous other human BFFs are also looking for an able-bodied male to hunt for and protect them, she is willing to accept her happy boy Neanderthal.

Not hard to figure out.

The reconstructionist nailed it.

Karen Papagapitos

Northwest side

Justice in our land

We are faith-filled citizens in Arizona that uphold human dignity. The impact of broken immigration policies, inhumane disruption, and cruel detention of immigrant families cannot be denied. Witnessing the murders of US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as a nation we must stop illegal actions by ICE. Immigrants have fled persecution and death only to be re-traumatized. They judged for their skin tone and detained without due process.

As Franciscan Justice Circle members from Arizona, we are deeply dismayed by the violence being perpetrated against a vulnerable population without regard for their humanity. Given the aggressive raids by ICE, and DHS agents, we ask that all citizens express their outrage.

“When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt…” Leviticus 19: 33-34.

AZ Franciscan Justice Circle Members from Chandler, Payson, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sun City, Tempe, Tucson.

Roy Van Duivenbode

Foothills

They aren't that bad

While reading the memoir of Winston Churchill, as early as 1934, he reviewed industrial data indicating that Germany was ignoring constraints regarding military buildup and was beginning to form a strong, but hidden military. He could also see the first restrictions on non-Aryans. As a bit of a maverick, he was ignored and ridiculed by the pacifists’ governments of England, Europe, and the United States until England was in dire danger. That failure to act when success was assured led to World War II and all of its terrible ramifications. If one is upset about the current actions in Iran, do not forget that that country’s main goal is “death to America,” supports proxies who spread terror and violence throughout the world, desires to totally eliminate Israel from the face of the earth, and brutalizes its own citizens. And this rogue country is close to developing a nuclear weapon. Look back in history and it is obvious that timely, impactful actions can prevent a later unspeakable horror.

Loyal M. Johnson Jr.

Oro Valley

Sharia Law outlawed

Who would have thought that Sharia Law would invade and take over the state of Arizona? Rep Shamp of Surprise felt it was such a threat she wrote a bill to outlaw it. Wow, how much time was wasted to outlaw something that didn't exist? Don't our representatives have enough issues like water, energy and immigration to worry about? Why do they waste such time and money (since they do get paid) on such idiotic pieces of legislation? Did anyone reading this LTE worry that Sharia Law would become the law of the land in such a Christian nation/state, seriously?

John Bingham

Northwest side

What exactly is the job of a Congressperson?

Thank you, Tim Steller, for your column (March 4th Arizona Daily Star). It was a wonderful explanation of what Congress's job is supposed to be. Unfortunately, over the last 50 years, Congress has relinquished its power and responsibility to the Executive branch. This defies the separation of powers on which our U.S. Constitution is based.

I then read the newsletter from my Representative, Juan Ciscomani, in which he informs his constituents of all the money he has garnered from the Federal budget for our district. He also informs us that he agrees with President Trump about starting another military action, this one in Iran, without Congress's approval. It seems that Ciscomani's opinion rules — although he has no idea what his constituents want. These bellicose actions were specifically, and negatively, addressed in the last election.

I wonder how much more money would have been available to AZ-06 had it not been wasted on ad-hoc, poorly planned military endeavors.

Cindy Soffrin

Northeast side

What's important to Trump

On March 2 Trump briefly mentioned the service people killed in the Iran war. He quickly pivoted to discuss the golden curtains in his room, said he picked them out and they were beautiful. To me it's impossible that during a war, that he began, a president would, in the space of a few words mention dead soldiers but then quickly move to how he got his wonderful furnishings. He apparently makes no attempt to disguise the fact that anything he has is much more important than anything you have, even your dead children. Disgust doesn't begin to explain how sickened I feel when hearing how he has distanced himself from the reality most of us live with. This monster belongs in a long care facility where he can be fed and watered and allowed to drift slowly into oblivion.

Philip Reinecker

East side