Ukraine mess hardly a ‘nothingburger’
Congresswoman Debbie Lesko’s NPR radio interview on Thursday, Sept. 26, in which she takes a “nothingburger” view of the Trump-Ukraine fiasco, is disturbing. She turns a blind eye to reckless behavior of our nation’s leader. Why is party affiliation so sacrosanct as to jeopardize our future and national security?
President Trump claims the Democrats are out to destroy the Republican Party by inquiring into the substance of the whistleblower’s allegations. This “us versus them” mentality is a plague on our democracy that has been going on far too long. Mr. Trump exhibits little presidential acumen while skirting around criticism by blaming the other party. We cannot allow representatives of any political persuasion to run roughshod with impunity over our Constitution and democracy. At some point we should direct our frustration at those that make a mockery of public trust, not at each other.
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Arne Maki
Green Valley
Imperial presidency must be torn down
It’s official, the Republicans are modern day monarchist redcoats bowing to their majesty, Donald Trump, who they aid and abet to trample upon our laws and Constitution. Republican officials are blatantly violating their oath: to “support and defend the Constitution.” It is a Republican monarchy threatening our republic.
Of great import is the Declaration of Independence from the British monarchy that necessarily preceded the publishing of the Constitution. Our Founders: “A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
Again, a further Declaration complaint so relevant in this hour: “He has forbidden his Governors (read: Moscow Mitch McConell) to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.”
Immediately impeach despot Trump. All Republican politician monarchists must be removed from office by whatever means available and legal.
Glenn Johnson
Midtown
McSally should consider her oaths
Sen. Martha McSally and I have some commonalities. We volunteered, took an oath to defend the Constitution and served during periods of conflict. We fought enemies who tried to kill pilots in her squadron and grunts in my Vietnam infantry platoon.
But we have profound differences. Donald Trump has shown that he is a serious, potentially existential, threat to our democracy. The Ukraine revelations are simply the latest example.
McSally decided to put loyalty to an individual above her oath to defend the Constitution against enemies, foreign and domestic. She fully supports a narcissistic liar who routinely trashes our foundational institutions and, were he not president, would probably be indicted for serious crimes. He’s said, “I have the right to do whatever I want” and, with his silent, cowering Republican enablers, he’s done just that.
It’s sad to see someone who so honored her military oath now break her congressional oaths by choosing party over country and continued loyalty to someone so strikingly undeserving.
Dan Gipple
East side
Nixon crisis
offers lessons
Yogi Berra said, “Its like déjà vu all over again.” The country once again is facing a president who believes he is above the law. But living through the Nixon years, this time it’s much more serious because of the divisiveness in Washington. Its time we study past history.
From Sen. Howard Baker, R-Tenn., in 1973: “What did the president know, and when did he know it?”
From President Nixon: “people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook. I’ve earned everything I’ve got.”
From John Dean: “We have a cancer close to the presidency that’s growing”
From Winston Churchill: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Perhaps we should use the president’s own words against him: “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to get the full transcripts of the whistleblower complaint from the secure server.”
Clyde R. Steele
Oro Valley
Adults traumatizing kids for political agenda
Young people are profoundly scared about climate change, and we need to look no further than the recent emotional comments by a 16-year-old Swedish girl.
When I was a child in the 1950/’60s, we had classroom drills to get under our desks to protect ourselves from the looming USSR nuclear attack. I was also profoundly scared. Apparently this preparation, albeit ludicrous, would make me feel safe. What my young impressionable mind heard was that there was no need to study hard because I would be dead in 10 years.
Nuclear holocaust has been usurped by climate apocalypse and, once again, children are being told that the end is near.
Using fear to promote any political agenda with a child is wrong, especially in the classroom. Let children be children. The right message is no message.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side