As ye sow, so shall ye reap
For those who feel that babies should be brought to life even when the mother is compelled to do otherwise, should consider something. Babies grow up and they may become Ted Bundy, Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin. They may not feel they bear responsibility for the deaths that these “babies” bring forth, but God may feel otherwise. For the sake of a few they sacrifice the many? How many tortures should Satan serve upon those who cost 11 million lives because they reserved the right to determine who lives and who dies? God should decide the mother’s fate, not those who would be God. Careful what you sow, God may make you reap.
Dan Pendergrass
West side
Who destroyed AZ public education
Re: the May 24 article “Arizona near bottom for student spending.”
People are also reading…
On May 23, 2022, I was reading the book, “School House Burning: Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy,” by Derek Black. On Page 237, he writes, “In 2018, the Koch brother network’s three-day annual summit identified education as their main priority and named Arizona as ground zero in the effort to privatize education.”
On May 24, 2022, a Star headline said it all: “Arizona near bottom for student spending.” Mission accomplished for the Koch brother network. Followers of the ultra-conservative Kansas billionaires have successfully invested in Arizona state politics to the dire detriment of Arizona students and teachers.
The most important question we as voters must ask any candidate for state office in fall 2022: Do you support restoring monies to our public schools? Forget the D or the R, vote for the person who recognizes that quality public education in Arizona must not be destroyed by outside influences. We must take our future back.
Ruth Beeker
Midtown
Mass shootings, gun safety
To the Editor:
Gun sales are up, profits are soaring. Just like OxyContin, where marketing was a huge success, customers were hooked, billions were made, thousands have died. I think the NRA, gun manufacturers and many politicians, by the same token, have created, slowly and cleverly, a fearful constituency that believes if we don’t MAGA up, Make All Guns Available, the government will take our freedom. There is nothing great in watching innocent children and adults be slaughtered, their lives and freedom shattered and refusing to do anything helpful about it. Responsible citizens, including gun owners and religious leaders, need to speak up. When will enough be enough?
Gary R. Kautto
Downtown
Enough is enough
For the past three days I have been trying to control my rage as I have watched and listened to the devastating news of another mass shooting.
The public-health crisis resulting in mass shootings across the country has been created by the Republican cult worship of the NRA and the gun lobby. Apparently, Republican legislators and voters find it easy to justify and rationalize the death of innocents as an acceptable cost to maintaining the myth of their loss of Second Amendment rights.
I think we are better than this. I think it is time for those of us who value our democracy to change the trajectory of our country. If you agree, please vote for candidates who will end this manufactured public-health crisis by passing sensible gun safety and mental health laws.
Susan Bickel, Chair of
LD18 Democrats
Foothills
Guns and abortion
Many gun-obsessed Republicans convey this or a similar version of it: “We should not ban assault weapons because there will always be assault weapon-related murder.” By the same logic, we should not ban abortion because there will always be abortions. And while you contemplate that, please also enlighten the rest of us by defining the phrase “well-regulated militia.”
Ralph Fregosi, Ph.D.
Northeast side
Student loan debt
The Biden administration has extended the pause on student loan payments to Aug. 31, 2022. This respite has lasted for two years. It has kept student debtors in an indeterminate state as they wonder when payments will be required. Democratic progressives want to forgive most or even all student debt. This will make students who paid off their debt or had no debt at all feel duped, and how about all the people who never went to college? The households with the most debt are holders of professional degrees and doctorates. Only a very small fraction of the lowest fifth in income in the U.S. have student loan debt. Biden should resume collecting the student loan debt from all but the most needy. Americans hate giveaways to the undeserving such as college grads and those with graduate degrees who usually have stable finances and the ability to pay off their loans.
Douglas R. Holm
East side
Who is responsible?
Notice what No. 45 did to you, your children’s and grandchildren’s health and safety. But you can carry an AK-47 to Walgreens openly. It doesn’t matter if you support him or his stooges or not; a bullet from a seemingly ordinary 18-year-old child could end any support instantly. Sen. Mitch McConnell will offer you his thoughts and prayers.
Baby formula: Six months before the E. coli outbreak occurred in 2018, No. 45 scaled back FDA regulations and inspectors. His USMCA agreement increased tariffs and restricted imports from Canada and Mexico. Then, on Jan. 15, 2021, in an attack on American health, No. 45 fired three top FDA attorneys.
Gun control: No. 45 and cohorts blamed Biden for an alleged quote he made regarding guns; “Take the guns first. Go through due process second, I like taking the guns early.” The NRA would never endorse anyone who would say something like that. No. 45 actually made the quote following the Parkland shootings — NOT Biden.
Sheldon Metz
Northeast side
Who died because of the delay?
I do not understand why the police in Uvalde, Texas, waited more than an hour to confront the shooter. What about the children still alive and locked in the rooms, bleeding from gunshot wounds? What about the ones in the rooms who may not have been shot yet but were at risk? What about children who could have been getting harmed in silent ways?
Lindsay Monroe
Sahuarita
Thoughts and prayers
Years ago, as I was undergoing chemotherapy, I would speak weekly with a retired pastor’s wife, also undergoing chemo. We’d check in with each other on how we were holding up. People would say, “you are in our prayers.” One Sunday, my friend said, “I wonder what they are praying about?”
As politicians offer thoughts and prayers after each mass shooting, I wonder what they are praying about. Prayer isn’t a request we make but is a request we make of ourselves of how we can help. Politicians are in a position to prevent future mass shootings. They could pass red flag laws. They could raise the age to buy guns to 21. They could require universal background checks. They could ban the sale of assault weapons. They could be the answer to so many prayers, if they wanted.
While they debate these measures, there will be more mass shootings. Thoughts and prayers will be offered. Will elected leaders decide to be the answer to these prayers?
Steve Caster
Oro Valley
Reflections of 75 years
Recently, a 50ish man (a neighbor), jogging on Sunrise Road was hit and killed by a driver who was reportedly impaired. The driver drove on.
Then less than a week ago, 19 children were slaughtered in Uvalde, Texas. Two teachers were also murdered in cold blood.
I think that this country has become a very wild, violent and dangerous place. It’s like an unruly child who goes about breaking and destroying everything in his or her path while the parents ignore all of the behavior.
I pray for sanity and order!
Janice Campos
Foothills
Thoughts and prayers
With apologies to John Prine.
Oh your thoughts and prayers won’t get you into heaven any more,
They’re already overcrowded from your dirty little wars.
And Jesus don’t like killing no matter what the reason for,
And your thoughts and prayers won’t get you into heaven any more.
Jeff Aronson
Northeast side
License for everything else
I find it confusing that gun owners don’t need a license to own a gun, because people are required to get a license to catch a fish. Trying to find an answer I reread the Second Amendment of the Constitution, and now I get it! We have a well-trained Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, so we don’t have to worry about an uprising of fish.
Esther Blumenfeld
Foothills
