Letters to the Editor: April 12

I am thrilled at what I’ve been watching happen in Nashville’s state House. I certainly wasn’t thrilled yesterday; I was totally disgusted. But now I realize the sophomoric Republican-led Tennessee Legislature has shot themselves in the foot ...in front of the entire country and world! Had they handled the three Democrats supporting the students begging for gun control differently, even just ignored them, for instance, we wouldn’t know what incredibly intelligent, articulate and wonderful people these two Justins are. Today I have no doubt these two young men have brilliant futures as leaders. Sometimes the worst turns out to be the best.

Ginia Desmond

Downtown

Undermining the family structure

I was watching TV and saw a Progressive Insurance commercial and watched the commercial push the concept of undermining the parents using a “TV” dad. The TV dad told the kids that the mother was wrong and gave the kids a dog after the mother said “No.” So the question is simple, how low are companies willing to go to push their products? They are no longer selling the advantages of their offerings; they are simply telling the consumers that a fictional opinion should carry weight. Parents must bear the weight of their decisions, and they don’t need to have those decisions questioned by children simply because a make-believe, ex-TV character that is recognized tells the kids that the parent is wrong. Want to ensure your kids listen?

Loran Hancock

Northwest side

U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan

Make no mistake; the Biden administration botched the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Martin Mongan

West side

Abortion and fathers

I believe fathers of unborn children should have a voice in the choice of life or death.

Once paternity has been established, a decision needs to be made: Is the mother provided money, health insurance, medical care, housing or is the baby surgically implanted in a willing woman?

Fathers need to step up or both parents need to be surgically, by the courts, unable to get pregnant.

The world is paying a high price for the pleasure of sex.

Michelle LaLone

South side

Epidemic

Again, after reading the Letters to the Editor in the Star, I feel that there is an epidemic of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) sweeping Tucson. These poor affected people wake up each morning, realize that Donald Trump still exists, and begin wringing their hands, pulling out their hair, and writing letters to the Star. Next day: same thing. There’s no cure for TDS, but you can treat the symptoms. Close your windows and doors, pull the shades, turn off CNN, and stop reading the editorial pages in the Star. Someday you’ll realize that the world hasn’t come to an end and your angst was all for nothing.

Russ Melin

Foothills

No free lunch

Instead of sitting down with Mayor Romero and city council to discuss transit freebies, U of A, Pima Community College and Tucson Unified School District educators should sit down with their students and teach them that there is no such thing as a free lunch, free education or free bus ride. Someone (e.g., taxpayers) must pay. Maybe our city leaders need that education as well.

Jack Calaway

Northeast side

Become a SIMBY

Re: the April 9 article “New generation struggles to emerge in Tucson elections.”

Tim Steller reported a new young generation leader sees herself as a MIMBY, Maybe in My Backyard. Could that signal that Tucson may be moving beyond unproductive NIMBY-YIMBY name-calling?

As a long-time neighborhood advocate, I suggest we all agree on SIMBY, Sensible in My Backyard. The ADU compromise on “casita” size was sensible. Infill development and park projects which do not preserve all healthy mature trees are not. Expecting City officials to view land use regulations and code enforcement as necessary conditions protecting neighborhoods that do not have the luxury of homeowner association regulations is sensible. Thinking that eliminating most auto parking will result in everyone being able to walk, bike or bus to Tucson destinations is not.

Tim concluded with one word, “Eventually.” The only eventuality is that the now young generation will get old if they are lucky. For all ages to work together as SIMBYs now could better ensure that neighborhoods will sustain their quality of life into the future.

Ruth Beeker, age 86

Midtown

Water for foreign investors

Re: the April 9 article “Hudbay’s plans for Santa R itas affects all backyards.”

Cathy McGrath’s guest opinion on Hudbay’s plans to mine copper in southern Arizona is right on point. It is another example of the Arizona State Land Department’s nearsighted policy to supply precious Arizona water for the benefit of foreign investors. This is also exemplified by the leasing of land to grow alfalfa for Saudi princes. The leases allow unlimited pumping of groundwater, a procedure that is exacerbated by wasteful irrigation practices such as broadcast spraying and flooding. Hudbay’s water practices are, however, much worse than those of the alfalfa growers because Hudbay’s practices can result in the pollution of water sources that could irrevocably damage these sources. Thus, towns reliant on them may need to be abandoned if the sources become polluted. It seems unreasonable to trade southern Arizona’s water future for the sake of a few jobs. Based on their recent behavior, the citizens of Arizona deserve a full accounting of Arizona State Land Department’s nearsighted business practices.

Gerry Maggiora

Foothills

A major disconnect

Isn’t it ironic that so many of the people who are pushing for a national ban on mifepristone “to protect the rights of the unborn” are also among the people who are resisting even the most common-sense limitations on the purchase of assault rifles, the sole purpose of which is to kill people?

Gerard Ervin

Northeast side

Everything everywhere is unprecedented

Indictment of a former president is unprecedented, but so is our recent national and local politics. The previous president was the most morally, financially, and politically corrupt in our history. He and his administration, two campaigns, and followers normalized hate, lies, conspiracy theories, and death threats in conservative politics. Our elections, teachers, books, and words are under assault. Forty-five embraced and continues to suck up to the world’s most murderous dictators while denigrating anyone in our military, intelligence, and legal and judicial systems who dare disagree with him or simply do their job, including prosecuting possible crime. His and his followers’ denials and lies about the world’s worst pandemic in a century and endless attacks on medical professionals undoubtedly made it far more deadly than it should have been. And they supported a violent assault on our capital. In current U.S. politics, everything everywhere is unprecedented.

Vance Holliday

Foothills