Tucson Speaks Out: May 15

The Trump battleship

The Wall Street Journal published details of the proposed Trump battleship class today, May 12. Unidentified U.S. Navy sources were cited.

It will be nuclear-powered (no need for replenishment of fuel, though other supplies such as food are still required) and weigh 30,000 to 40,000 tons. Nuclear propulsion will be used for faster cruise speeds, plus greater electricity available to fire next-generation laser weapons and rail guns, which don't need gunpowder to fire. The ships will also carry conventional and nuclear warheads on their cruise missiles. No doubt there will be plenty of classified capabilities.

As for a couple of letters to the Star stating that battleships haven't been used since World War II, well, when I was flying combat missions in 1968-69 in Southeast Asia, I flew over and saw the New Jersey battleship firing its 16-inch guns at targets in North Vietnam. Look it up.

Steve Sollenberger

Foothills

A love for Tucson

Fifty years ago today, I began my first day on air as KGUN-TV’s weekend anchor and weekday reporter. It was also my 30th birthday ... the beginning of a career in a new city in a new decade of life!

It was the start of what would become a lifelong love of Tucson ... though that was never my intention! I came here to get good enough in my new profession to get the heck out of this cow town and back to LA. But then I started realizing how special Tucson was ... and is. I also saw that I could actually make a difference in this community through solid journalism, helping Tucson address challenges and opportunities as part of a fact-based reporting team.

And then while on a story, I met the man who 10 months later would become my husband for 44 years until I lost him in 2021. We decided early on that this was where we wanted to raise our two sons. And I’ve never regretted that choice.

The decision to marry Rod, to raise our sons here, to pursue new career opportunities here, even to serve in political office here — those were the best decisions of my life.

And so, on my 80th birthday, I want to thank this community for the opportunities it has offered me and the life it has given me.

Nina J. Trasoff

Tucson

Natural selection

It is rare to read news of evolutionary events on this page, but I thought that the dramatic appearance and rapid extinction of a new species of alligator, all in less than a year, warranted editorial notice.

I speak of A. AlliTrumpadeSantisius, an alligator found only in a small section of the Florida Everglades that appeared on the evolutionary scene in July 2025. Its demise was announced May 12, by Florida and Department of Homeland Security authorities. For the record, the formal taxonomy reads like this: Genus: Alligator Politici. Species: AlliTrumpadeSantisius. Family: Expedientidae. Order: Crockabullia.

The subject of intense interest by DHS authorities as well as Florida state officials, the initial funding of the debut notice of the species cost more than $680 million. The daily expenditure on supporting the survival of the species was more than $1 million.

Numerous human rights organizations described A. AlliTrumpadeSantisius as dangerous, cruel and inhospitable to human well-being.

Good riddance. Natural selection at work.

Chuck Barrett

Midtown

Reid Park Rose Garden a disgrace

Over the nearly 60 years I have been a resident of Tucson, the Reid Park Rose Garden has been a favorite place for me to enjoy some peace and quiet in a setting of both visual and olfactory beauty. Alas, no longer. Through a combination of incompetence and neglect, the rose garden has become a dusty wasteland. Surely a city that can spend millions on roads can find the funds, and employ the expertise, to bring the rose garden back to life.

William Scurrah

Midtown

Pro-life

For most of my 80 years, I have enjoyed and studied the marvelous diversity of animals and plants in the Southwest, Sky Islands and New World Tropics. With interest, I read the recent LTE about pro-life, but the writer just ranted about anyone not completely against abortion as murderers, including Democrats, Republicans and Donald Trump (and surely me). His view is based on the beginning of life at conception in humans. Most of the eggs and sperm created in the human body are reabsorbed or passed in menstruation and some fetuses are lost in miscarriage — is that suicide? Viability at 22 to 24 weeks is a more realistic milestone in human life. All sexual animals and plants are two-celled organisms at fertilization, not fundamentally different than humans but with unique DNA features. I doubt that pro-lifers value all life. There are stunning orchids, saguaros, grasshoppers, beetles, moths, snakes, birds, big cats, primates and a myriad of others to protect, not just humans.

Tom Van Devender

North side

From possible to plausible

In the Star recently, there was a story by Reuters with a headline reading, "Pentagon: War Tab reaches $25 billion." While a story that supports this statement is possible, it is entirely lacking any information or facts that make it plausible or reasonable. There is no evidence whatsoever that anyone could use to test the validity of the story. That is to say, it could very well be a fabrication or a lie. In fact, with any journalistic guidelines, this story should not have been published.

Another story that is possible, but not plausible, is one that says because Iran has fabricated or made some enriched uranium, it is planning to make atomic bombs and drop them on the U.S.

There is not a single bit of evidence that Iran is or has done anything of that nature. They have also not developed any delivery device (rocket, plane or clandestine means).

Why is this stuff happening? Because we are letting ourselves be led by an egomaniacal, cowardly child.

Vincent Allen

Northwest side

The whole world is suffering

Some, usually the self-centered and short-sighted America Firsters, complain about the high gas prices we pay here, apparently ignorant of the energy crisis hitting other parts of the globe with far greater severity. In Europe, for example, where fuel prices have always been much more expensive, the soaring cost of diesel, the primary fuel for transport and agriculture, is catastrophic. Many developing nations are suffering even more as high diesel prices affect supply chains, leading to food insecurity and economic instability. While we complain about gas prices, poor countries are losing their livelihoods. Trump has precipitated this disaster with his Iran "excursion" and enraged and infuriated people all over the world, as if we weren't already fast losing friends and prestige because of this corrupt, incompetent and grifting administration.

William Muto

SaddleBrooke

At war with ourselves

In looking at the war with Iran, we are at war with ourselves; we both exist to survive a corrupt regime — a despotic religious extremist and a despotic political extremist. Both rely on the military to enforce their doctrines regardless of the cost to human life and the legality of their action in regard to international law; and while there is a disparity in the human lives taken, both countries will eventually pay the price for their folly, either in monetary terms or in a change of leadership — either through political actions or violent efforts. The people of both countries look for nothing more than to live out their lives in peace, enjoy life with their loved ones and have the freedom to do as they wish — both of which are currently impossible due to the inept leadership of both leaders. A final similarity between our two nations is that both peoples will have no choice in the matter as the conflict continues, and there will be no victor on either side.

Richard Rebl

East side

PCSD

I do not believe that the Pima County Board of Supervisors can solve the Guthrie case.

Please let the Pima County Sheriff’s Department do their job, which they have been doing professionally for over 140 years.

God bless the Guthrie family and give them peace.

Susie Dupnik

Midtown