Roe overturned
My husband and I have never felt the need to share our opinion on any political topic until now. This ruling will have far-reaching consequences and is only the tip of the conservative political agenda iceberg. Lookout LGBTQ minorities! According to the Pew poll taken this March, 61% of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal and 37% think it should be illegal. That being said, how can a minority of opinions set public policy on women’s bodies? This is taking away a woman’s right to have freedom over her body, and it will not stop at abortions! Republican strategists have politicized this issue fueled by religious zealots. We are horrified by this decision.
Joe and Alicia Giacalone
West side
Arizona gun laws
By Arizona state law (ARS 13-3102) a person violates the law by knowingly possessing a deadly weapon on school grounds. However, this does not apply to a firearm that is not loaded and is carried in a vehicle. If the adult exits the vehicle, he/she must leave the weapon inside, out of sight and the vehicle locked. Thus, an 18-year-old adult can bring an AR-15 assault rifle onto school grounds in a vehicle with a fully loaded magazine that is not inserted into the lower receiver of the rifle and has not violated the law. Once he knowingly inserts the magazine into the AR-15 and gets out of the vehicle, he has violated the law, which is a misdemeanor and not a felony. It will take him about two seconds to insert the magazine and charge the weapon (action of putting a bullet in the chamber) before he can begin shooting. Thank your legislators for making it easier for school shooters here in Arizona.
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Richard Harper
Northeast side
Disuniting the states
Given that the political divide in this country will only grow wider, and I fear a form of civil war looms, I propose we cut our losses and break into two countries. Let’s call one “Trumpland” and the other “Obamaland.” Trumpland is characterized by lower taxes, an established Christian religion, easy gun access, strict border control, for-profit services (schools, prisons, security) and no climate change mitigation. Conversely, Obamaland is characterized by higher taxes, no established religion, strict gun control, lenient border access, government-run public service (schools, prisons, security) and climate change mitigation. The two countries can establish a shared non-political military like the countries of Great Britain. States will vote via referendum which country they’d prefer. Citizens of each state will be given sufficient time to migrate (or not). People will sort themselves according to their political and cultural values.
I wish it didn’t have to come to this, but I fear these two countries already exist and are done talking.
Norman Golden
West side
Where to escape?
Re: the June 14 letter “Guns, guns, guns.”
This letter ends with a most important question that everyone should ponder — “What is wrong with this country?” Great question. Incredible division, hate, racism, nastiness, horrendous gun violence, glorification of guns and more than a few politicians who are not too upset about the massacre of little kids and other innocents merely going about their daily lives. The greatest country on Earth? One way I escape our madness is by watching NHK World — Japan TV, which gives interesting glimpses into life in Japan, its people and culture. What I see is a civilized country filled with respectful, peace loving, nature loving, non-violent people. Gun deaths in that country average 10 or less per year. Number of gun owners? Around 0.1% of the population. A civilized country — imagine that.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
Gun control
There is currently a vocal and insistent call for stricter gun control laws, including some who wish to banish all guns. However, it is interesting to note that there are strong laws against driving under the influence, yet over 40,000 people a year are killed by drunk drivers. In addition, it is illegal to use unregulated drugs, but over 100,000 mostly young people have killed themselves in the last year with overdoses. The fact is that laws only are viable if people elect to abide by them, either as good citizens or from fear of the consequences.
Loyal M. Johnson Jr.
Oro Valley
Warp speed for oil, gas
During the COVID pandemic, Trump announced Operation Warp Speed to develop vaccines. The operation combined government and private industry working together to rapidly develop vaccines. In only 10 months, Pfizer and Moderna had their COVID vaccines developed and approved by the FDA. A great success by Trump.
Under Biden, gasoline prices have doubled from about $2.25 a gallon on Election Day in 2020 to $5 a gallon now. This has severely financially hurt ordinary people at the pump and caused increases in transportation prices, thus increasing costs of goods at stores.
So where is Biden’s Operation Warp Speed to increase domestic production of oil and gas? It is nowhere to be found. He just announced use of the Defense Production Act to make more solar panels. How brilliant! In July, Biden is traveling to Saudi Arabia, which he called a “pariah” country, and will likely beg them once again for increased oil production. Thanks to Joe, we are again dependent on dictator countries for our oil and gas supply.
Michael Wayne
Midtown
Dump TB testing
An open letter to residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Arizona is just one of a few states that require residents and staff of ALFs and nursing homes to be tested for tuberculosis annually. The test is not covered by health insurance or Medicare. It is time-consuming, requires record keeping, and the facilities do not feel it is worthwhile when you consider that in 2021 there were less than 200 cases reported statewide.
Call or write your state senator and your state legislator and ask them to “Dump mandatory tuberculosis testing in assisted living facilities and nursing homes in Arizona.”
Dave Glicksman
Northeast side
Idling at red lights
Mercedes Benz has it. Honda has it. Kia has it. They all have the technology to shut the engine off when stopped at a red light and turn on again when the gas pedal is pushed. Why can’t our local and national governments start making this feature mandatory in all new vehicles? Can you imagine the millions of gallons of gas saved each day in our country and others? It’s a start to smart consumption.
Phil Cohen
SaddleBrooke
Fraud claim with no proof
Re: the June 15 article “Trump’s election night choice doomed Arizona.”
Tim Steller’s article is good. He writes that Trump made his decision to claim fraud without any proof on election night. Indeed, he’d been making that claim for months before the election. Either he wins, or it’s fraud. From then until today, he never offered the slightest evidence of any such claim — in court or anywhere else.
However, he used the claim of fraud to raise a quarter of a billion dollars saying it would be used for legal expenses. It is now shown that it was not. Much of it ended up directly in Trump’s pockets. He defrauded his own supporters.
Always follow the money.
John Yoakum
Midtown
Required EV charging
Re: the June 12 article “Proposed EV rules called too aggressive.”
I saw in the Star that our City Council is preparing to require electric vehicle (EV) charging stations be either pre-wired or installed on new business parking areas. Of course, the cost of this is passed on to customers. So now I must help pay for the charging station for the expensive, government subsidized, EVs for rich people. I must have moved while one was on vacation. This is the type of action supporting the rich I would expect of a one-party Republican City Council, not our one-party Democratic, people’s, City Council. The rich people could actually either ride the dreaded “public transportation” or charge the limo before they go out.
David Germain
East side
Gun control
The real problem is not guns, gun owners, access to guns, mental health, the Second Amendment, or thoughts and prayers. It’s money. In order to change the laws we must change the lawmakers. This requires money. To be frank, it means buying more congressmen than the NRA can buy.
David Baker
West side
‘Detached from reality’
Former U. S. Attorney William Barr suggested Trump’s election result beliefs are “detached from reality.”
Trump’s beliefs aren’t “detached from reality.” His “reality” is getting what he wants anyway he can. He knows he lost the election. As long as Republicans send his PAC money and support the nonsense he lost, he’ll contest the results. So far, that’s worked to the tune of $250 million.
Jim Dreis
East side
Shattered bones, exploding organs
Re: the June 12 article “’Children,’ ‘guns’ don’t belong in same sentence.”
I am sickened that this is what happens to those gunned down by AR-15s. Unlike being shot with a handgun, which we may or may not survive depending on the shooter’s accuracy, AR-15s are lethal. Period. The shrapnel from these high-velocity weapons send shock waves throughout the body. Bones shatter. Organs explode. DNA testing is required to identify the dead. AR-15s turn grocery store and school shootings into what they really are, a massacre.
There’s no place in a civilized society for wartime military weapons designed to kill so ruthlessly. Grocery stores and schools are not war zones. Ordinary citizens living their lives and innocent children studying their lessons are not enemies.
It’s chilling to think we or someone we love could be caught in the crossfire of the next deadly massacre.
Assault rifles do not belong in the hands of civilians. Legislators who refuse to protect us from them must be replaced by those who will.
Dr. JB Marshall
Oro Valley
Is democracy safe?
You read the newspaper daily, always opening it up to the editorials first to compare your views with others. You know the current events — Russia advancing in Ukraine, the Fed raises the rate .75, the Dow is down, etc. Watching the primaries for trends helps you to predict the outcome of the November elections. A concerned citizen, you’re now watching the hearings. You have every intention of voting in your state’s primaries and then, the November elections.
So far, Republicans are feeling good with their results. For the Democrats, it appears “steady as we go.” Now, if you want to really know the outcome of the elections, ask your neighbor or ask a stranger, someone waiting in line next to you, “What do you think about the hearings?” They’ll likely answer, “I don’t know anything about them.” That’s reality. And that is the best predictor of our elections, which is really scary for those of us who want to continue to live under a democracy.
Cathey Langione
Marana
Prioritize carbon pricing
Re: the June 19 article “Big CAP cuts may begin by next year.”
The mega-drought continues in Arizona and this article shows CAP is approaching drastic cuts. Tucsonans are likely to have large cuts to the 144,000 acre-feet annual allocation. The hotter and drier climate reduces the winter snow pack, and the rivers and lakes receive less runoff as a result.
Climate change is a result of burning fossil fuels. Fully pricing carbon and providing citizens a dividend is a market-driven solution that will slow the warming trend. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the best answer to the issue of the water supply problem. It is possible to become carbon neutral by 2050 with this bipartisan solution. Sens. Sinema and Kelly and our representatives must make carbon pricing a priority in the budget reconciliation.
William Jones
East side
Primary candidates
Recent letters to the editor have been very encouraging. Many letters have expressed displeasure with the actions of the Arizona state Legislature, which has been controlled by the GOP (by the slimmest of margins: Senate 16-14 and House 31-29). Some of the letters have encouraged Independents and moderate Republicans to support Democrat candidates in an effort to oust some of the more far-right incumbents and hopefully wrest control of one or both state houses from the GOP. I say to moderate Republicans that if your fellow party members call you a RINO, you should consider that a badge of honor.
Several letters are calling for the ADS paper to list the candidates running for the coming primary election (Aug. 2). This information can be found at the Arizona Secretary of State website. Click on “2022 Primary Election Candidates” on the upper right of the home page. To find your voter district, go to the Arizona Clean Election website.
Randy Garmon
North side
