Tucson Speaks Out: Feb. 20 letters of the day

It looks like the 2024 election will be between reality and brainwashing. Anyone who wants to know the truth about who won the 2020 presidential election can easily find that out. All the official agencies and the many excellent, legitimate news sources provide very accurate information.

When Hitler and Stalin used brainwashing, they took over all the newspapers and broadcast stations, so they could control all the information. If the people could learn the truth, the spell of the brainwashing would be broken.

In the U.S. in 2024, we have something more like the Branch Davidians. The cult members have been programmed to reject all sources that disagree with the cult leader. They voluntarily tune in only their propaganda channels. A crowd of them recently booed Chris Christie when he told them, “Your anger against the truth is reprehensible.”

Can a U.S. dictator brainwash enough voters to vote democracy out?

Brooks A. Keenan

Oro Valley

Disappointed

To the Editor:

As a regular winter visitor to Tucson, I frequently read the Daily Star in advance, in order to identify events I may wish to attend while there.

I learned the popular and talented singer Matisyahu was scheduled to perform at the Rialto this week and made plans to attend.

I was completely shocked to learn that the Rialto theater had suddenly canceled his appearance, no doubt fearing protests related to Matisyahu’s outspoken support for U.S. ally Israel.

I was very disappointed to learn this, as I’m sure were many of his other local fans. But even more importantly, this decision by the Rialto is in effect caving to the often loud and disruptive anti-Israel protesters, and thus enabling the rank anti-Semitism which is usually the main driver for these people.

Shame on the Rialto for this cowardly decision.

John Jaffe

Downtown

Vote for Ukraine funding

Rep. Juan Ciscomani: Please vote in favor of Ukraine funding. It is the right thing to do. Be ready to join with Democrats who are also doing the right thing in supporting American foreign policy and democracy abroad. Find a Democratic colleague and build a relationship on important, democracy supporting issues. Be ready to join a cross-party block as needed to promote the common good. Blind following of entrenched radical Republicans on all issues is no way to represent Southern Arizona.

Donald Ijams

Midtown

Ukraine good, Republicans bad

Are Republicans nuts? Ukraine is the battle ground between Authoritarianism and Democracy and desperately needs our assistance — right now! Sure the border is a significant issue, but it pales in comparison to what’s going on in Europe. Perhaps Republicans need a review of the events leading to WWII. One either stands firm, or cedes the future to Russian expansionism. I’m a conservative who left the Republican Party in 2021, after 55 years, and became an independent. Hard line Republicans and their party of sheep are self-centered and ignorant. Republicans, GET A GRIP!

Bruce Grossetta

East side

Mean Tweets

Re: the Feb. 19 article “Lawmakers: ‘Yahoos’ tweet enough to boot judge.”

Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma want Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Tim Ryan to disqualify himself from hearing their claim against Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, because the judge’s brother has made disparaging tweets against them.

I assume they are then entirely on board with Supreme Court Justice Thomas being disqualified from any case around January 6, since his wife, Ginni Thomas was deeply involved in the Trump scheme to overturn the election?

Being a part of the plot is a lot more substantial than some mean tweets.

Bruce Johnson

Midtown

Half-truths leave a lot out

Half-truths are statements that are technically true but leave out details that alter (or reverse) the meaning. It’s the most damnable form of lying because it hides behind a veil of honesty.

For an example, see Regent DuVal’s Feb 15 appearance on Arizona Horizon (at AZPBS).

Blaming spending on “61 units” is a truth. Not mentioning that the President and ABOR told the units to overspend is half-truth. Not mentioning that the President’s office is one of the biggest spenders is half-truth.

Saying the current financial crisis was aggravated by federal COVID money is a truth. And the 27th payday. Truth. Not admitting that it is ABOR and the President with the responsibility to pay attention is half-truth.

Can Regent Duval really be blaming staff/faculty — who have never had access to UA’s finances — for the overspending? Unfortunately, ABOR’s and the President’s promises for financial transparency don’t even rise to the level of half-true.

Keith Maggert

Midtown

Republican legislative proposal

Re: the Feb. 16 article “Bid to give Trump AZ’s electoral votes blows up.”

Just when you think that Arizona’s Republican Legislators couldn’t come up with more bizarre proposals than they already have, they surprise us. This article described a proposal by Tucson Representative Rachel Jones to have the Legislature give the State’s electoral votes to Donald Trump now. Yes, even before the election in November and even without regard to what voters might say then! Forget the Arizona Constitution; forget the U.S. Supreme Court! Fortunately, there were Republican Representatives who saw flaws in this daffy idea, and contrary to frequent practice of voting in lockstep to support their colleagues, the idea did not get out of committee. Voters in LD-17 and throughout Arizona need stable representation by people who understand what Arizona citizens really want. They need to have their votes count, and the best way to assure that is for voters to support candidates who will address the issues that matter.

Joseph Alexander

Oro Valley

Tucson needs a light rail system

Re: the Feb. 18 article “In AZ, not driving a car is ‘Marxism’.”

Traffic in Tucson is getting worse by the day, especially during rush hour. Pima Street went from a four lane street to a two lane street in spots. Now, Fifth Street is going on a “Road Diet”. Meanwhile, more housing developments, apartment complexes, student housing and the like are increasing, which means more people driving on our streets. Tucson’s lack of a viable crosstown freeway system, along with the absence of a rapid transit system just ads to the already bloated congestion. Valley Metro Rail (styled as METRO) is a 29.8-mile (48 km) light rail system serving the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa. Why can’t the cities in Pima County come up with a light rail system that serves the cities of Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, Vail, and others?

Max LaPlante

Southeast side

Reagan is not the answer

As much as I fear a Trump presidency, I have trouble retreating to the days of Ronald Reagan as the answer. I remind everyone that Reagan funded an illegal revolution against a duly elected Nicaraguan government, supported Salvadoran and Guatemalan militias who were murdering religions figures, and lost many of his subordinates to crimes against these Hispanic victims. As we seek the causes of Hispanic immigrants desperate to leave their countries and immigrate to America, we only have to realize that this started with Reagan’s foreign policies that supported wealthy autocratic thugs over the voice of the people. Trump and Reagan are both horrible examples to follow.

Craig Wunderlich

West side

Shameful cancellation of Matisyahu concert

What an absolutely shameful act of cowardice on the part of the Rialto Theatre in cancelling the Feb. 15 Matisyahu appearance! “Safety concerns and staff shortages” were dubiously cited as the reason. Surely, if pursued, adequate security could have protected both public and staff from implied threatened violence. The event itself was totally apolitical, the singer, himself, a well-known advocate of Israeli Palestinian peaceful relations. That clearly mattered little to the hateful Tucson Coalition for Palestine, or the fringe Jewish Voice for Peace, in mounting their venomous attack on the event. Evidently it only takes a few shrill anti-semitic, anti-Israel voices to deny a sold-out audience its right to attend an enjoyable concert. Venues everywhere need to shore up the courage to stand up to such despicable bullying!

Richard Wilkins

West side

Funding our allies

Please correct me if I am wrong. Is not most of the money we intend to use for the support of our allies in the form of munitions? Where do these munitions come from? Are they not made in the USA? And who benefits from the money spent on manufacturing these munitions? Is it not the American companies and their workers who reap the benefits from these “sales”?

So, despite the ultimate use of these weapons, much of the money spent on supporting our allies never leaves the country. Am I wrong?

Thomas Lindell

Foothills

Difficult decisions

We depend on healthcare providers to diagnose our illnesses, provide treatment options, and perform necessary surgeries.

Remove a toe to save a foot, a leg to save a life, breasts or testicles to halt the spread of cancer, and any number of difficult decisions must be made so we can continue to live our lives as we wish. Why should this be any different for pregnant women? Pregnancy has life-altering consequences and women must be allowed to make appropriate decisions concerning them.

Since unexpected, unfortunate, and life-threatening events, such as a spontaneous miscarriage necessitating medical care or a non-viable or dead fetus requiring removal can occur at any time, women must have access to competent and qualified healthcare throughout their entire pregnancy. Banning women from getting the medical care they need during their last six months of pregnancy is unthinkable, immoral, and cruel.

If you agree, go to mobilize.us to find Arizona’s Abortion Access petitions to restore women’s reproductive rights.

Dr. Kay Schriner

Northwest side

Aspirational vs practical 5th Street diet

Re: the Feb. 18 article “In AZ, not driving a car is ‘Marxism’.”

I read with dismay Tim Steller’s article. Reducing 5th Street to one lane in each direction in favor of sidewalks and bike lanes is misplaced aspirational thinking. It will drive more traffic onto the already congested Speedway and Broadway arteries while turning 5th Street into a driving nightmare. Tucson is simply too geographically spread-out. Creating more sidewalks and bike paths in the hope that many more people will start walking and biking to the city’s far-flung destinations may sound great, but is it practical? The great majority of Tucsonans are going to continue to drive to their destinations in the city. Ironically, increasing automobile congestion in favor of little-used sidewalks and bike lanes on an important artery is more likely to increase automobile-caused air pollution and road rage by increasing the time engines are running while frustrated drivers try to get to their destinations on over-congested roads.

Gordon Hamilton

Midtown

Watch a dictator operate

After I watched the news today (Feb. 18) I had to write this note about the MAGA group and Trump. I suggest for them to watch what is going on in a country who is run by a dictator. The people of Russia marched to give respect to Navalny and what did they do to them? Arrested them and put their faces in the snow. So if MAGA and Trump wants our United States of America to be run by a dictator they should move to a country that is run by one and do what they do here, they will find out very quickly what they have in our country.

Elsbeth Frueh

North side

Through the looking glass

We have waited a long time for sanity to return to our country, but the MAGAs have fallen face first through the looking glass, accepting a reality that doesn’t exist.

They ignore Trump’s 91 felony counts, sexual assault convictions and a would-be commander in chief with no respect for the military. And that’s the old news.

Trump suggests Putin attack NATO countries for not paying up and Tucker Carlson goes to Russia to interview the known war criminal. Yet a Washington Post poll shows MAGA Republicans still favor a president who breaks the law if he gets things done. Meanwhile, the rule of law is being degraded daily.

Other countries faced similar absurdities. Italians once believed dictator Mussolini should stay in power because he said he made the trains run on time.

The MAGA bar for a leader is too low. The world is on fire, and they would stoke the coals.

We must vote for Biden. He is our only choice.

Lois Postil

Oro Valley