Ukraine joining NATO
In 1962, Cuba was a communist country aligned with the Soviet Union. The Soviets wanted to put missiles in Cuba, 90 miles from the USA. We almost had World War III, as this was unacceptable to the USA. The Soviets withdrew the missiles and Cuba remained a communist country. Currently, the Russians are objecting to Ukraine joining NATO because NATO may want to put missile bases in Ukraine, right on the Russian border. I believe Ukraine has the right to join NATO to insure it will be defended against aggression from the Russians. I also believe that the Russians have a pretty good argument against NATO missiles in the Ukraine. Wouldn’t it make sense to allow Ukraine to join NATO with the understanding that the defense of Ukraine by NATO will not include missile bases on the Russian border? If the Russians won’t accept this proposal, then we are sure they mean to take land by military force and NATO could take appropriate action.
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Richard Bechtold
West side
Tucson climate consultant
Re: the March 6 article “City’s $400K climate plan is causing a stir.”
I have just read your frontpage article — let me get this straight — Tucson needs an outside firm to create a plan that already exists in numerous forms in numerous cities and states? No one else has already invented this wheel and would be willing to share it or split the cost for one?
And finally, we have The University of Arizona’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) smack dab in the middle of the city with a whole department focused on the environment, yet Tucson’s powers-that-be decide to hire a firm from the UK? Wow! But then, it’s only tax money, nothing to worry about.
Jeffery Miller
Northwest side
Plan should be locally sourced
Re: the March 6 article “City’s $400K climate plan is causing a stir.”
I wonder why the city of Tucson, with an excellent university in town and two more in state, has not considered consulting with them for locally sourced concept plans.
They would be much more attuned to local issues and constraints than a firm many miles and climate factors away.
Too often there is no concept of the unique environment that is Arizona, now, and in the future.
It could be a project of amazing ingenuity as well as giving city, students and faculty in several fields an amazing collaborative experience.
Even with generous funding it would be much less expensive and locally sourced, as we are so often encouraged to do in our daily lives.
Pan Lambert
Tubac
Buy back guns for Ukraine
According to The Wire, one of the earliest examples of a Buyback program occurred in Baltimore. “In 1974, Baltimore police paid residents US $50 per firearm, collecting roughly 13,500 over a two-month period.” “In a year, Australia purchased about 650,000 firearms from private residents, estimated to represent about 20% of the country’s privately owned guns.” This would be a win-win scenario, as American cities would be reducing the number of guns in their towns and counties while sending them to Ukraine to fight Putin’s army instead of melting them down.
On another note, since Putin’s army is using cluster munitions and vacuum bombs on Ukrainians, which are banned under the Geneva Convention, then why can’t Ukraine in turn now use flamethrowers and napalm on Putin’s 40-mile convoy heading toward Kyiv. The U.S. and its allies were very innovative during World War II. Help Ukraine.
Max LaPlante
Southeast side
Fair election
I believe older Republicans would gladly stand in line on election day, the Grand Old Party would prefer to queue up on election day and show valid identification. In that way we are assured a fair and honest vote . There is a legal way to submit mail-in ballots, it requires valid signature as well. Thanks for being concerned about the Republicans but I believe an honest election is preferable.
Mark Kendall
Marana
Lies of Russia
Recently, Russian forces have begun to target civilian infrastructure, targeting schools and hospitals in an attempt to cower the Ukrainian people into submission. The Russians, naturally, deny this, but soon it will be impossible to hide their atrocities. At that point, it is likely that Russia will do what other governments have done in similar situations and claim that Ukrainian “insurgents” store their armaments in the schools, or fire at their tanks and jets from hospital windows.
Americans should make sure that we do not fall for these lies from Russia, or from any other country.
John Prugh
Foothills
A little sacrifice
The Ukrainian people are enduring cold, hunger, destruction of their homes and cities, and death as they fight for democracy. We in Arizona and the U.S. can endure an increase in gas prices due to an embargo on Russian oil. I realize for some the price increase will be a true hardship, but compared to what the people of Ukraine are facing it seems minor. Democracy is worth it.
Donald Ries
Southeast side
Worthy of the bravery
“I need ammunition, not a ride” was President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s response to the US offer of extradition. Not as elegant as Churchill’s “... we shall fight then on the beaches and on the landing grounds ... we shall never surrender” but a similar brave and defiant response.
His refusal to leave, knowing that he and his family’s lives were at substantial risk also brought to mind the words of the Queen Mother Elizabeth, during the Blitz. She had been advised to send their children to Canada, she said, “The children won’t go without me and I won’t go without the King and the King won’t leave.” When Buckingham was bombed she said, “Now I can look the people of the East End in the eye.”
I only hope that our policies and our European allies will be worthy of the bravery of Ukraine’s president and its people as we did in World War II.
Phil Lyons
Foothills
Bedfellows Putin and Trump
Bedfellows Trump-Putin continue to wreak political, ecological, racial and economic havoc. With matching playbooks in their pockets — attack, deny, deflect, play the victim … repeat, repeat, repeat — these two-of-a-kind ciphers disperse falsehood upon falsehood, violence upon violence. I think they know their supporters are nonastute, and both play their base pitch-perfect.
Such vile gangsters will always sully any office they get their hands on. The presidency to both is “like a giant’s robe/ Upon a dwarfish thief” (from Shakespeare’s MacBeth).
How will moderate and liberal citizens on both sides of the ocean disarm these tyrants bent on tyranny (and their accomplices)? We live in sobering times. Russia’s murderous war upon Ukraine is just one arena where I am thankful for the Biden/Harris administration. They and their team at State and Defense and Treasury are at least steering us through this inexcusable crisis with sanity.
Ron Rude
West side
Funding public education
Re: the March 7 letter “Slow death of public education.”
The letter writer is correct that funding for the public education system is being impacted by vouchers but he does not address the reasons. I think parents are fed up with public institutions moving more toward indoctrination than education. They don’t want their tax money going to someone who will attempt to disparage their family values and beliefs, hence the migration toward private education.
Wayne Rossi
Northwest side
