Saving humankind
Re: the May 1 article “Congo families shield endangered gorillas.”
I read this article about our primate cousins and my blood ran cold. After decades of hunting, poaching and habitat destruction, these beautiful mountains gorillas in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have become critically endangered: only 3,800-6,800 remain. So the communities surrounding the Grauer gorillas are joining together and working towards making their habitat safe and sustainable.
We humans have been destroying our own habitat for decades. In addition, wars and threats of a nuclear holocaust continue to rage, even after we narrowly escaped global extermination by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who, the imperative question asks, will surround our planet and work towards saving humankind from itself?
People are also reading…
My answer is to keep my eyes on the sky, praying to God and beseeching benevolent beings in UFOs to help us. It’s pretty clear to both that we have no intention of helping ourselves by saving our planet.
Karen Papagapitos
Northwest side
Trump doesn’t care
I think Donald Trump does not care about:
You. Your family. Your job. Your health care. Your mortgage or rent. Your children’s education. Your religious beliefs. The air you breathe. The water you drink. Your retirement. Racism or bigotry. Free speech. Freedom of the press.
I think Donald Trump does not understand or care about:
U.S. history. The U.S. Constitution. The law. Election integrity. Immigration — legal or illegal. World history. Climate change. International relations. U.S. treaties and alliances. Public service. Sacrifice. Truth.
I think Donald Trump DOES care about:
Donald J. Trump. Period. Full stop.
Mike Cohen
Oro Valley
Biden and the border
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently testified in Congress that for fiscal year 2021, there were 389,000 ‘gotaways’ who slipped by U.S. Border Patrol agents at the border and entered the country illegally. I think one reason is because the Border Patrol has been preoccupied in dealing with unaccompanied children and families, who have mostly been allowed into the country. To put these ‘gotaways’ numbers in perspective, there were 405,000 encounters at the border in fiscal year 2020. How many of these ‘gotaways’ had criminal histories here? Add to these numbers, the 1.7 million encounters at the border last year and over 1 million already this year. ‘Gotaways’ numbers are likely to be even higher this year. In March 2021, President Biden said the increasing numbers occurring then at the border were just ‘seasonal?’ To me, this situation is surreal and ludicrous. I believe Biden has no regard for Border Patrol agents or enforcement of our immigration laws.
Alfred Chomski
Midtown
Attack on abortion/human rights
The upcoming decision by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s Supreme Court is immoral and unconscionable. He and his cronies are raging about the leak of the draft report instead of being concerned about the implications of their Court’s decision. In my mind, the leaker is a national hero who should be held up as an example of courage and moral rectitude. We need to understand that this Court will continue its assault on our basic rights. What’s next from this extreme far-right Court? Contraception and interracial marriage banned, the right to vote further eviscerated, gay marriage overturned. We need to be very vigilant and support our politicians who value a woman’s right to choose and other human rights. Additionally, since we live in a state with a trigger law to make abortion totally illegal, we have to find a way to support any woman, child or teenager who needs to get to the western states that allow this basic right. The Court’s decision is sickening, but not unexpected.
James Robinett
Southwest side
Abortion prevention
With respect to Roe v. Wade, if anti-abortionists wish to end abortion, they need to look at the male that is next to them. While women carry the child to birth, it is both male and female that create a birth and a family. If ardent anti-abortionists wish to end abortion, consider enacting a law that males receive a contraceptive implant on their 18th birthday — as when registering for the draft — until they are ready to start a family and then remove the implant. Those who refuse might undergo a vasectomy where reversing this operation is more difficult. I believe this is the most rational way to end the trauma of abortion and share the responsibilities of child birth — not leaving the relationship and placing responsibility on the woman to care and raise the child while financially supporting herself and her child. Note: I think with those who suffer rape, incest or with the life of the mother at stake, abortion must be granted to save the life of the mother.
Richard Rebl
East side
The cost of war
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, spearheaded by a psychotic dictator, provides a classic example of the cruelty and utter futility of war. Thousands of innocent citizens have been mercilessly slaughtered. As is so often the case, this war was instigated by a cruel tyrant who rules his nation’s people with an iron fist.
War carries in its wake astronomical humanitarian costs; every dollar gobbled up by war and military preparedness displaces precious resources that could be applied to feeding the hungry, providing medical care for the needy and other merciful endeavors.
As citizens of this planet, what steps can we take to put a stop to this insanity? I personally believe the resolution begins with each of us humbly choosing to follow the lead of a beneficent higher power, seeking his or her guidance from the depths of our hearts.
John Newport
Northwest side
Roe v. Wade in jeopardy
The SCOTUS might overturn Roe v. Wade, allowing states to ban abortions. At 90, I remember when desperate pregnant women subjected themselves to back-alley abortions or used a wire hanger to perform one on themselves. The results were often horrific and fatal in thousands of instances every year. With Roe v. Wade in place, women who choose to abort an unwanted pregnancy can do safely.
The alternative to aborting is to carry a pregnancy to term, raise the child for 18 years at a tremendous financial burden or to place the child for adoption or in the foster care system, which is overburdened and broken.
SCOTUS might overturn Roe v. Wade, even though nationwide polls show that the majority of Americans are in favor of retaining it. My question to those who would end Roe v. Wade is: How many of those children will you adopt and raise?
Dave Glicksman
Northwest side
What about the child?
A “pro-life” friend justified his stance for forced pregnancy, asking “What about the child?”
What about the child …the 13-year-old victim of rape or incest? Or the child placed in foster care by a mother unable to pay for daycare needed to work? Or the child without health insurance so her family can afford food?
Instead of tax-free guns and more business tax breaks, the Legislature could provide maternal health benefits like free dental/medical care and extend these to the child after birth.
Instead of a flat tax, offer tax credits to businesses providing onsite daycare, seed money to establish more child care centers — and universal pre-school in Arizona.
These are benefits that a state truly interested in children would provide. But as we know, the GOP isn’t interested in the child, only the fetus. Once born, it’s on its own.
Beth Isabelle
Northeast side
War on rights
The Constitution is a magnificent document. It outlines the limits and powers of an orderly government. Inherent in these building blocks of our republic is the premise that a person’s rights shall not be abridged unless the government has a bona fide reason for doing so.
I think Trumpers want to ban abortion, but there is no good reason for depriving women of the right to control their own reproductive health. In fact, there’s good reason to help poor women avoid unwanted pregnancies. More unwanted children means more crime and more people on welfare.
Trumpers have a warped idea of what makes us great. Pray that they do not succeed in the war for the soul of America.
Robert Mann
Northwest side
Growth implications on water
Re: the May 18 article “The case for water conservation.”
Morgan Abraham argued the case for water conservation in his recent guest article. We now understand that flows in the Colorado River have diminished and will likely continue at record lows. But conservation will only take us so far. We need to take a serious look at the water demand implications of growth. Currently all proposed developments in Arizona’s Groundwater Management Areas have to demonstrate an assured water supply for 100 years. But with the current drought and the effects of climate change, who believes we can confidently predict the next 100 years?
I suggest that a moratorium be imposed on all water-intensive proposed developments until we are better able to balance supply and demand. This would include developments with surface water features like lakes. It would also include all new mining operations. High-water intensity crops like pecans and alfalfa should also be reviewed.
Our water crisis is real and serious.
Dale Keyes
Downtown
Third-World country?
Re: the May 21 letter “USA, Third-World country?”
Please, explain yourself. The letter writer claimed that we are now a Third-World county. If you have ever been to a Third-World County, you would know that what you are claiming is wrong. The USA under Barack Obama and now President Biden is far from a Third-World country. Take yourself out of that Fox News bubble that you live in and see what life in the USA is really like.
Lyle Marcks
Midtown
Restoring reason
Re: the May 21 letter “USA, Third-World country?”
I have to agree with what this letter writer said about our country becoming a Third-World country. I don’t believe President Biden fully understands what his administration has done to this country. I believe the president is no longer capable of leading, but is being led by others that are taking advantage of the power of the presidency to promote their own agendas. I’m not sure it can be fixed even if the president is removed from office. When you understand the line of succession should the president be removed, then you will understand the term “jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.” Lets us hope we can restore reason and common sense in this administration before the damage goes too far.
John Rossi
Northwest side
Pictures worth a thousand words
The images in the May 19 Sports pages taken by photographer Rebecca Sasnett are awesome. She captured so much in those two images. The competitiveness of Nogales High School baseball player Robert Gallego with his spectacular catch and then the ultimate emotions of Buckeye Verrado’s Garrett Hick’s thrill of victory and Gallego’s ultimate pain of defeat.
What a talent.
A. Lawrence Glynn
East side
Abortion rights
A woman’s right to choose belongs to her and her alone. Yet today we find ourselves in the midst of a national debate on this issue being spearheaded by state, national, judicial and religious leaders most of whom are older white men. These leaders ignore input from the majority of American voters who support a woman’s right to choose what is best for her and her future, in addition they ignore the other participant, the man. Why is the man not held accountable for their participation in the pregnancy? If a woman is mandated (by law) to carry the pregnancy to term then the man must be held accountable as well. Does this accountability come in the form of a required vasectomy (so it doesn’t happen again) or does it go to financial responsibilities for the child and mother? Our leaders seem to think it’s solely the responsibility of the woman. The immaculate conception is a myth — it takes two! Man up, so to speak.
Tom Stafford
Northwest side
