Tucson Speaks Out: November 25

Senator Kelly

Thank you, Senator Kelly and all the other brave men and women veterans who stood up and told the American soldiers not to carry out illegal orders from the Commander in Chief. Sending our soldiers into US cities after fabricating states of "emergency" is a dictator's move and that We the People see right through the ploy. And also, if fat soldiers are not allowed to serve anymore in our military, then maybe the Commander in Chief himself should set an example first and lose about 200 pounds.

Curtis Urban

Vail

Fool some of the time

I again point out stochastic terrorism to explain what we are living with daily. A statement was made recently by former military members who are now Representatives and Senators, that military personnel should not fulfill illegal orders. Almost immediately, Trump called for the execution of those calling for the military to “disobey orders.” Susceptible individuals (minions) in the field became “triggered" and threatened elected members of Congress and their families with harm. Then Trump denied that he called for violence. The "activated” followers know full well what they were called upon to do for their leader and they tacitly knew if they were caught he would cover their backs and award pardons as he has done in the past. What an operation for retribution on an executive level. Do not accept this recurring operation. We are wise to this treacherous scheme foisted upon our people and democracy itself.

Alan Barreuther

Foothills

A helping hand

We moved to Tucson way back in 1976. It was one of the best decisions we made and one which we have never regretted even for one day. People are welcoming, friendly and kind. One of the many things we love about our community is that it still has a small-town feeling.

Having said that, now is a good time to give back and help others that cannot help themselves. Thanksgiving and Christmas are approaching so let's donate blankets, warm clothing, warm socks, books, toys, etc. If you're able, put a little extra cash in the bucket of the bell ringer outside Fry's.

Despite much distressing and sad news every day, we can put a smile on so many faces, including our own.

Tucson knows "It is better to give than to receive." Our community will step up and show we will always be a compassionate and caring community.

Sally Mayersohn

Northwest side

Trump's unfitness as president

The article, “Trump’s Unfitness Triggers a Duty to Act” by Ms. Sabrina Haake is a list of President Trump’s alleged crimes — both within the United States and the international area; many of the events we witnessed in the local and international news — using the military as his personal police force, deporting people who are valid citizens, contemplating a war with foreign countries using “contrived” evidence and in his latest outrageous post, using the claim of “seditious behavior at the highest level” against individuals who rightly remind every service member that as part of the military, they are subject the Uniform Code of Military Justice and ignorance is no excuse for criminal behavior despite the President being their Commander in Chief. If you will recall, the events at this point were brought about directly from the JAG personnel being removed at his behest. Not only will President Trump and his enablers be held responsible, but the United States of America as well.

Richard Rebl

East side

Square pegs into round holes

Standing ovation for "We Need A Future To Fit Landscape." It's a chilling look at how I'm-the-boss-of-nature attitude got us here, and why it cannot continue. That 70+% of the water use in Arizona is tied to less than 1% of created jobs really does mean something. Just as no one gets through this lifetime alive, everyone and every industry in Arizona will be affected. After the power grabs and the outsized lobbying interests suck out more than their fair share — and they must be challenged every step of the way — then comes the part you don't want to hear. It cannot go on like this, or everyone is toast.

Only fitting that a nature photographer sees the bigger picture. His message should be nailed to the Arizona Legislature doors like Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door. Man does not have dominion over nature. He has stewardship — but not even that if he doesn't have enough to drink.

Rick Rappaport

Oro Valley

Rebuttal to LTE on data centers

Electricity to run and cool Project Blue (PB) would take more solar panels than will fit on the land they want to buy. TEP will be needed. TEP is investor-owned. Profits are based on a percent of new infrastructure costs. So the higher infrastructure costs, the higher the profits, and all those costs are passed onto ratepayers. Infrastructure costs for solar are less than for gas or other fossil fuels, so lower profit is why TEP generates very little solar electricity.

TEP supplying electricity for PB will require even more water to cool its generators than PB would require if it used an evaporative cooling tower (a massive amount). And TEP has wells directly into our aquifer, so it sucks up our water at will, without even paying us.

So, locating data centers in our desert is very bad news for everyone except investors in Project Blue and TEP.

Lee Stanfield

East side

How did MTG make $25 million in Congress?

Why is Margie Taylor Greene quitting the House of Representatives in the middle of the Congressional session?

It’s not because of the pressure personally exerted on her lately by the executive fat wandering around the White House, knocking down walls.

Margie is now one of the wealthiest U.S. lawmakers in Congress. She saw her net worth increase by millions through stock trading while serving as a Congresswoman.

Can you say insider trading? Since joining the House, Green has made over 450 stock trades. Her investments are now estimated to be worth more than $25 million, a substantial rise from before she took office.

Why work? I believe 51-year-old Margie agrees a million times over!

Jerry Wilkerson

SaddleBrooke

Slanted political opinion

Thank goodness there is a Donald J. Trump and a Republican Party; otherwise, the far-left preferred Arizona Daily Star would not have an Opinion Page.

As this probably will not show up on the Opinion Page, thank you, editor, for reading it.

L.W. Johnson

Foothills

Bathroom politics: an easy solution

A solution to the bathroom wars is as easy as “he’’ and “she’’ plus a few rooms with "He or she." In each school or other public building, offer at least those three door signs. Problem solved. People go where they are comfortable. Easy does it.

Ford Burkhart

Midtown

Giving thanks

Recently, I had the privilege of attending a ceremony for 47 people from 14 countries to become U.S. naturalized citizens. Presided over by senior U.S. District Judge James A. Soto, the proceeding was a moving experience. As he named their countries of origin - Senegal, Poland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, Brazil, Brunei, Cuba, Vietnam, Congo, Peru, etc. — the new citizens stood. He asked if anyone wanted to tell their story because he was truly interested. But it was Judge Soto’s message to them that was most inspiring. He thanked them for the challenges they overcame and the hardships they endured to get to this momentous day. He encouraged them to watch Ken Burns' documentary on the American Revolution, reminding them that we are a country of immigrants. Then he urged them to keep their languages, cultures and religions alive because they are now part of the American fabric. I am proud and honored to give thanks to Judge Soto and my new fellow Americans.

Joan Meggitt

Midtown

Recent election results

One of the excuses Republicans used to try to rationalize and explain away the thrashing they received earlier this month was that it was simply "blue states voting blue."

While Democrats won the governor races in Virginia and New Jersey far more easily than was expected, there were elections in Georgia and Mississippi that clearly disproved that narrative. But perhaps the most telling yet under-the-radar sign of the total rejection of Republicans were school board elections in Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania, where voters clearly sent a message.

The Houston area school board flip was particularly noteworthy, as Republican efforts to ban textbooks on climate change, diversity, and vaccines, as well as the effort to pretend that transgender bathrooms were somehow a big problem, resulted in Democrats picking up three seats and control of the school board.

Glen Vann

West side

Congress must impeach and remove now

America is in a constitutional emergency. We now have an adjudicated insurrectionist occupying the presidency — something expressly forbidden under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars anyone who has taken an oath and then engaged in insurrection from holding office. This disqualification is automatic, as confirmed in the Couy Griffin case.

Because Congress has failed to act, I have filed with the Clerk of Congress both a Resolution for Immediate Impeachment and a declaration of Interim Presidency, a constitutional safeguard until Congress fulfills its duty. This is not symbolic. It is a lawful response to an unlawful presidency.

I am calling on every American to demand that Congress immediately impeach and remove the entire criminal regime for insurrection, obstruction, and high crimes. On my Substack, I provide ready-to-send letters you can copy and paste directly to your representatives.

We can end this nightmare — but only if the public acts now and forces Congress to uphold the Constitution.

Trista di Genova

Southwest side

Drug? boats

Here’s a puzzling sentence in a recent LTE: “The conundrum is whether we should stand idly by as the drugs flow easily into our country or should we take actions that make that action very, very risky.”

To me, that’s a dilemma. “While a dilemma requires a choice, a conundrum focuses more on the difficulty of finding an answer at all.” The writer has no difficulty answering the question of blowing boats out of the water near Venezuela. He is convinced that U.S. military vessels know that these boats are carrying drugs and are headed toward the United States. He has no qualms about sinking them without any effort to stop them, board them, search them, confiscate illicit cargo and arrest the crews. This last procedure was the norm by which our nation attempted to deal with drug smugglers until recently. How has our dealing with potential smugglers been changed? It has been changed by the whim of those currently in power in our country.

Frank Bergen

Northwest side

Mamdani's party

‘DSA’ is short for Democratic Socialists of America. Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani are two of its famous supporters. However, Mamdani is the first to have won a major position of power: mayor of New York City. It’s easy to Google ‘DSA’ and read their platform. It could have been written by a second-grader. It is a childish, utopian, and now dangerous list of goals. Here’s a sampling:

Free medical care for all — no deductibles, copays, or premiums.

Free college for all — including room and board.

Free universal childcare and pre-K.

Amnesty for all immigrants; and voting rights for non-citizens.

This sample list is fantasy — there is simply not enough money. But socialists are experts at spending other people’s money. And when that money runs out, the FREE stuff disappears, and the socialists do whatever it takes to stay in power. Cuba and Venezuela have shown us. That’s when real freedom is threatened.

Tom Gordon

Northeast side