Tucson Speaks Out: Nov. 13 letters of the day

Science of supporting teachers

Hey, has anyone studied the scientific outcome of what happens when you support teachers, give them freedom and ownership to creatively run their classrooms, provide support for students with challenges, and also include accountability for student success?

Because I think if you study that, a rigorous scientific approach would say that what the legislature is doing is designed to destroy public education, not improve it. Our teachers and children deserve better.

Golda Velez

North side

Letter to the Editor Re: Western “Karenism” is a Global Plague by Rachel Marsden

Re: the Nov. 4 article "Western 'Karenism' is a global plague."

I was gobsmacked by the writer’s rambling, misinformed opinions bashing Western democracies as “Karen elites” globally.

Outlandishly, she remarks Zelenskyy is being “indulged” by the West with “his never-ending wishlist of pricey deadly toys.”

Toys?

It’s no child’s play when 10,000 civilians are dead and Ukraine is fighting tooth-and-nail against Putin’s brutality. She chastises the West, accusing it of complacency and pursuing profits for the “military industrial complex” instead of peace. She offers no solutions on how peace would be achieved with this murderous dictatorship.

Additionally, she assumes (lacking any scientific evidence) that COVID vaccinations didn’t reduce illness and transmission, but that’s dead wrong (no pun intended). As a Brown University study found, “319,000 COVID-19 deaths could have been averted if all adults had gotten vaccinated.”

I understand the Star promoting “diversity of thought” to its readers, and I welcome that, but syndicated opinions should be based on facts and coherent ideas, not hearsay and fabrication.

Linda Dugan

Midtown

Tucson streets

Re: the Nov. 6 letter "Tucson's streets."

I read with interest this letter. It occurs to me that the cost of each mile of bike lane is well into the $100’s of thousands of dollars if not close to $1 million. Pima County should offer to maintain those bike lanes with the proceeds from a bicycle registration fee. The fee could also be used to educate riders about the danger of riding within 5 feet of the marked bike lane. This would save lives as well as allowing bike riders the opportunity to take responsibility for the “free” bike lanes they benefit from. Makes sense to me.

Tom DuPlain

Oro Valley

Trial of Trump in NY is the fraud

I do not agree with things that former President Trump did on Jan. 6 or in his retaining of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, but this civil case against him in New York City is a fraud. It is pure political persecution of the man and his family. New York Attorney Gen. Letitia James hates Trump and campaigned on getting him. She has brought a fraud case against against Trump that is unprecedented. There are no victims. Judge Arthur Engoron in the case is an elected Democrat, who ruled before the trial even started that Trump had committed fraud. There is no jury in the case. Trump is right about the looking at the value of "his brand" as a celebrity. Values of real estate owned by such people are often worth more than ordinary comparable values. This civil case is purely political as is the other New York case charging Trump with over 30 state felonies related to payments allegedly made to Stormy Daniels that occurred over seven years ago!

Ardel Francis

Northwest side

Show me the proof

Under sworn testimony, Trump declared: 'I'm worth billions of dollars more than the financial statements.'

If that's true (unlikely), I would like to see his proof of that. I will then take those statements and hand them over to the IRS, thereby making me eligible for a reward for reporting his income tax evasion.

Rick Cohn

West side

Latest poll

I just saw a new poll that states Trump is ahead of Biden in Arizona. Next November, 2024, I am sure Biden will be ahead of Trump because there are more sane, responsible “Zones” who believe that Trump cares more for himself than our country, is a criminal, a habitual liar, and a threat to our democracy. I sure hope I am right.

Corene Johnson

Foothills

PBS Friday analysis

It's time for David Brooks to step aside from his Friday night commentator role so PBS can openly address Gaza civilian deaths without the bias of his son's service in the Israeli army.

Ron Swanson

Green Valley

Interesting view

The party that supports abortion (Genocide against the unborn) also supports the genocide against Israel by Hamas and Hezbollah.

Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran supported, both groups believe in the elimination of Jews and America.

A cease fire would allow these terrorists to regroup and do the same thing again.

People who support these positions support genocide.

Questions, questions, questions.

Democrats don’t recognize irony.

Hatred, vitriol and name calling against people who disagree with your point of view is not debate about opposing points of view.

Questions with no answers!

Richard Barnes

East side

Humane tunnel warfare

Tunnels have always been a military nightmare. The present situation in Gaza where captives are kept calls for a more humane approach than the poisonous gases used in WWI and flamethrowers used in WWII. Why not use a sedative that would temporarily incapacitate combatants and not injure captives? It could be deployed in numerous ways with low risk to the users. Heck, it even laughing gas is an option.

Michael Blaney

East side

Today in history

One hundred years ago today (Nov. 8), Adolf Hitler led roughly 2,000 of his supporters in the now famous “Beer Hall Putsch”. The coup attempt failed. Hitler was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison. Released after one year, he went on to be elected Chancellor. I think we all know how that worked out for the German people.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Donald Trump led a failed coup. He would have been there in person if it hadn’t been for the Secret Service. There can be no doubt he was in charge based on the testimony of the Republicans who worked in the White House. He was impeached and would have been convicted if seven more Republican Senators had exhibited some backbone.

And, like Hitler, he will be back. It’s an open question as to whether the American people will follow the example set by Germans.

Steven Brown

Midtown

Romero landslide!

That’s the kind of headline that should have graced the front page of a Tucson newspaper on Wednesday. Same size as the Gaza headline. The war there is going on over a month; it’s not NEWS. What's most important to Tucsonans is a major Democratic LANDSLIDE, so say it, loud and clear. Use that large typeface that introduced the Biden subpoena. The point is, please do your positioning and headlining of articles to reflect the interests of Tucsonans. Oh Jill Jordan Spitz, we miss you so!

James Torrey

West side

I believe Hamas

The poet Maya Angelou said, "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.'' Hitler showed the world who he was in 1925, calling Jews "international poisoners" in Mein Kampf, suggesting that "Hebrew corrupters of the nation [be] subjected to poison gas …." Because the world didn't believe him, Nazis were able to exterminate 6 million Jews by 1945. In its 1988 charter, Hamas declared that Israel "will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it." And: "The day of judgement will not come about until Muslims fight Jews and kill them …." And: "… so-called peaceful solutions … are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement … a waste of time, an exercise in futility.'' Hamas showed us who they are. I believed them, yet even after Oct. 7, much of the world doesn't. Why?

Elinor Brecher

Foothills