Tucson Speaks Out: September 3

Our troops deserve more support

The deplorable conditions on the USS Lincoln and other ships are stunning but not surprising. This includes food shortages, inoperable toilets, moldy showers and contaminated water.

Trump, the 5-deferment draft dodger, has a long record of disdain for the military. The Fox weekend host, cosplaying as a Defense Secretary, is more concerned with his image and number of pushups than providing the troops with even the basic support they deserve.

They were sent to yet another unnecessary war with no planning, no clear, consistent objective and now, no end in sight. Parallels to the Vietnam War, which my generation fought, are disturbing.

While my Army platoon spent long periods in the jungle, we were well supplied. They were C-rations, but we never went hungry, and we had the equipment and support we needed.

These dangerous incompetents can’t even do that for today’s military.

Dan Gipple

Southeast side

Public safety and community

Our president’s plans are not public safety plans. We are unprepared in this country, in this state, for major disruptions. Be they man-made or nature-made. Have we updated and secured our country’s infrastructure, water, power grid, the growing and transit of food and materials? Do we have cooperation, variation and planned redundancy built across our country’s systems? Do we even understand the implications of new technology on securing our country from manipulation? Fostering human cooperation within our own localities, our states, our country seems to me to be an urgently needed survival step. Our ability to cooperate first with each other may be the very trait that best protects us from the uncertainties and threats of worldwide hegemony. It’s going to be up to each one of us to rise above the propaganda and the chronic disorientation that is driving us apart, and to think and plan as interconnected communities that care.

Marie Smith

East side

Star Sports page lacking

Pro football begins in 10 days or so. We have seen very limited coverage of our Arizona Cardinals, roster construction, 53-man roster projections, box scores from preseason games, etc. The Cardinals are OUR team too! We go overboard on Wildcat historical coverage. Cover the teams, rosters and stats that are playing, not so much what happened 90 years ago. Other subscribers and I love Tucson and our Wildcats, but we also have deep interests in pro football, hockey, basketball and baseball, as well as volleyball. Please add three or four pages to the sports section and cover it all, especially ALL Arizona teams at all levels. Thank you!

Cliff Wagner

Foothills

Kudos to Star LTE writers

The Aug. 30 Opinion section of the AZ Daily Star had several superlative LTEs, and kudos to all those authors. Two stood out to me as special. "National Shame" by Keith Dveirin briefly outlined how our petulant crybaby of a president decided to change Lake Ontario to Lake America (at least in his own mind). Keith revised the moniker for schoolchildren to remember the Great Lakes from HOMES to SHAME, so this "genius" president could remember them. Clever! I'll still use HOMES.

Advisory Board member Gerald Farrington's article was profoundly articulate and on target. A MUST READ! We must reverse America's decline under this administration by choosing better leaders who place our state and national interest above their own and their party. It starts this November, and does not conclude in 2028, but must continue every day thereafter. Above all, select leaders with a vibrant moral code who embody humanity and fairness unseen in the current administration.

Gary Simons

Oro Valley

Don't get mad — get paid!

I was dismayed to read Leslie and David Amadeo's LTE regarding HSL Properties' refusal to refund their security deposit. I wish more people knew that they have an avenue for recourse when corporations or individuals wrongly withhold monies owed: Pima County Small Claims Court. It's simple and inexpensive to file a claim; no need to hire a lawyer (and in fact, lawyers are not allowed in Small Claims Court). Mr. and Ms. Amadeo can serve HSL via certified mail. Odds are HSL will pay as soon as they are served (and now they can demand reimbursement for the filing fee and certified mail cost). I have filed actions in Small Claims Court twice, and both times collected the funds owed to me. I hope the Amadeos will avail themselves of this service .

Allison Bradford

Marana

Transphobia

I find myself becoming increasingly incensed by the small but steady drum beat of transphobic LTEs. Mr. Freedom’s bigoted, sexist campaign to join the WNBA is ridiculous and insulting to all women. But he’s just background noise compared to this weekend’s LTE stating that the United Nations tracks transgender women’s sports medals. Absurd! The letter also states that the Olympic Committee has banned transgender women (no mention of trans men) from competition. The Committee has developed sophisticated criteria for assessing whether a competitor has genes that will express with male hormones, but with exceptions for intersex and androgyn insensitive persons. Might it be safe to surmise that not many people know any trans people? It’s a big medical deal to be trans. Nobody would subject themselves to these challenges to win a medal. Apparently, not many of you have met a 13-year-old cis boy, either. They are just not going to go shower with the girls. Absurd!

Cynthia Duncan

Midtown

The post office

There can be little dispute that Donald Trump is making a significant dent in the 21st Century. He is editing our country into his own dystopian ideal, and the light we have been to the world is getting dimmer.

Trump is tightening his grip. His countless executive orders, proclamations and nighttime harangues, along with his unnerving scowl, has part of the nation quiver at his bark, and the other part fodder for his bite.

He has his Department of Injustice under control, the tattered rags of the Republican Party in compliance, and our allies and enemies alike wary of his untethered nature. So, our President can flout public concerns no matter what comes in his wake. Protests are muffled.

But if he and his wily Attorney General, in cahoots with the Postal Service, are foiled in their attempts to steal the election, we can turn the light bright once again.

Ron Lancaster

North side