Tucson Speaks Out: August 5

The ship of fools

The Mideast is blowing an ill-wind our way. This is an explosive tempest that may engulf the world, fanned by the brain storm of Trump and his merry band of followers. The whole enterprise Project 2025, bolstered by a handpicked den of thieves, has finally come to the place called whoops! Trump has laid an egg he can’t unscramble.

Moving about in Trump’s world has always been like wading through dirty dishwater. There is always an icky residue.

While our President flails from one callous decision to another, he has set his own trap. Iran will suck our military dry. With all the missiles and defensive weapons depleted, our ships are sitting ducks.

The whole enterprise will cause our allies in the region to exit America’s ship of fools as long as the captain remains.

Ron Lancaster

North side

Never thoughts on getting old

I never used to have feet that screamed.

I never used to have bones that sing.

Bones sing a “clicky” kind of tune.

And feet can shout from night to noon.

I never had a word go missing in my brain.

Hiding, I should say.

Because I know it is there still; and it knows that I know.

Hence this game of hide and seek.

I never thought I’d look the way that I do.

I thought I knew that fellow in the mirror.

He used to look a lot like me.

Then something happened, when my back was turned.

In the mirror now, there is some old man.

How he got there is a mystery.

These never things please me not.

They are bad ideas in search of a plot.

But who do I see about it?

I thought to scream and shout it.

But then I thought, not.

That old guy in the mirror never listens anyway.

He just keeps getting older, day by day.

Larry DeWitt

Northeast side

Fact checking LTEs

Re: “What did you say” from 8/2 LTE

I’m not arguing with the sentiment expressed in the letter as much as the “facts” in the letter. The 9/11 attack was carried out by hijackers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE (all current US allies),and Lebanon (a strategic partner), from a base in Afghanistan. The bombed military barracks were in Lebanon, not Libya. And yes, 60% enriched uranium cans be used to make a dirty bomb, but it is weakly radioactive and a very efficient use of the uranium.

I think the letter writer, and especially the Letters’ editors, need to do a better job of fact checking before publishing letters that are factually incorrect.

Marc Goldfeder

Foothills

Circle the wagons

Michigan will hold their primary.

In the Senate race, on the Republican side of the ballot, Mike Rogers will run unopposed after seven opponents withdrew. Much like southern Arizona, the party has made the choice for the electorate, nullifying any real need for an expensive primary.

On the Democratic side, five candidates withdrew. That leaves Democratic Party Michiganders with El-Sayed and Stevens. According to polling, Firebrand El-Sayed leads by double digits, but may lose to the unopposed Republican later by a similar amount. The Michigan Democratic Party seems determined to shoot themselves in the foot as the world wonders who we have become.

The primary system is simply undemocratic. Primary elections are low turnout, pre-selected, fundraising affairs. With Ranked Choice balloting, primaries are unnecessary. Ranked Choice Voting enhances minority input while it insures a majority outcome. As it is, worthy factional input may sink us in November when we should be stronger because of it. When will Democrats learn that a better ballot builds a better democracy?

Jim Sinex

Midtown

Is FGM legal in Arizona?

The article “Ruling: Religions control reporting” is very disturbing. As the story reports, the Arizona Supreme Court, in the case brought by Lynne Cardigan, allows, “The religious institutions — and not a court —   ... get to decide who beyond actual members of the “clergy” are exempt from reporting requirements.” The court decided that the 1st Amendment says that religions are, “free from state interference”.

If female genital mutilation (FGM) is claimed as a religious rite of passage, then the practice is legal in Arizona. FGM is seen internationally as a violation of human rights, but not in Arizona. Once again, Arizona fights against the rights of women to control their own body.

While I would hope that SCOTUS would overturn this ruling, I’m afraid the six conservative justices, including Amy Coney Barrett, will concur. Just as SCOTUS was wrong on the right to bear arms by misreading the Constitution, I’m guessing the SCOTUS majority will misread the Constitution again.

Matt Somers

Midtown

Advocacy for term limits

Kay Granger, a congresswoman from Texas, stopped voting on July 24. It was later confirmed that she was living in a senior living facility suffering from dementia. Tom Kean Jr., a representative from New Jersey, missed more than 140 votes from early March to June 30. It was then revealed he was being treated for severe depression. Mitch McConnell was found unconscious at his Washington home on June 14, 2026. Since then, he has missed more than 38 Senate votes and there is no timetable for his return. I understand those who oppose term limits, but clearly, there are some politicians who want to hold onto power regardless of the cost to their constituents.

Charles Schultz

Northeast side

How Bad is the Star's Editing

Today's print edition is a perfect example of how poorly and haphazardly the Star is edited. One LTE describes Josh Hawley as a Senator from Ohio, when he is in fact from Missouri. This error should have been highlighted by a parenthetical note with the correct state. Another LTE includes the phrase "... Democrats want to end boarders, prisons, police ... The writer, I believe, meant borders. An editor should have highlighted this using the Latin term sic, used in brackets after a copied or quoted word that appears odd or erroneous to show that the word is quoted exactly as it stands in the original.

John Harrison

Marana

Mass deportation

Deporting Ahmed Soliman in some orderly way might be justifiable. Even so, how that deportation takes place must also be justified, by being accorded due process. Sadly, thousands of other Arizonans are also being denied due process. Some are detained on charges of "removability" but without convincing reason for why they cannot be released on bond while the government prepares the case against them. Others are being given orders of removal while applications for relief are still pending.

TRAC (for Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse) is a nongovernmental organization that has been collecting data from government agencies since 1989. Not surprisingly, it is reporting near 100-fold increase in lawsuits filed against the federal government since 2025. Most are habeas corpus cases (asking for justification of their detention), and others involve seemingly deliberate delay in acting on applications for changes of immigration status.

Mass deportation, it seems, is not really feasible without massive disregard for due process.

Sally Jackson

Foothills