Words, Constitution, evolve over time
It seems today that five of our U.S. Supreme Court justices think they can channel what the authors of the U.S. Constitution and Amendments “meant” and will vote to uphold what they deem to be the meaning.
I, for one, do not believe in mediums who claim to speak to the dead; however, I do believe that times change and the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution must be done through the lens of current technology. There is no way that the founders could have anticipated cars and airplanes and rockets and computers and smart phones. So I posit that strict interpretation of the words cannot be accomplished because the meanings of words change over time.
Take, for example “sex” and “guns.” Those who wish to define “sex” as what is on one’s birth certificate should also define “guns” as single-shot muskets.
People are also reading…
Cindy Soffrin
Northeast side
Warren’s firing story reflects the truth
Re: the Oct. 9 article “Warren standing by account of once being fired over pregnancy.”
Yes, women could be fired for being pregnant in the 1970s as Elizabeth Warren states. Teaching in Michigan’s Wayne-Westland school district in 1971, I was required to get permission to continue teaching after my pregnancy started showing. I was sent to be interviewed by a man, the head of personnel for the district.
He asked me, “Don’t you know what causes pregnancies?” Stunned, I replied I did. He then asked “Why weren’t you using birth control?” I told him I did. I got pregnant using an IUD that had less than a 2% chance of a pregnancy. At that, he leaned back in his chair and said, “Boy, your husband must be busting his buttons.”
Yes, not only could we be fired when a pregnancy started showing, we could be humiliated by an arrogant man in order to keep our jobs.
Jan Larkey
SaddleBrooke
McSally needs a refresher
Re: the Oct. 9 article “McSally sidesteps questions about Trump’s Ukraine call.”
Senator Martha McSally refuses to comment about the Ukraine scandal of the popular vote loser in the White House until more facts are known. Were it not for the absolute obstruction of justice by Trump, an abundance of such facts would already be known.
While there is policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted, the reason for that is the Constitution provides an alternative for removing a corrupt president — impeachment. But McSally’s “Dear Leader” has even argued in court that he cannot even be investigated or made subject to any judicial processes.
Thus, Trump maintains he is entirely beyond reach of the judicial branch, and cannot be impeached by the legislative branch, without his permission.
Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution says the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.” That includes its process. So, there is your clue, Sen. McSally. Now all you need is a backbone, or a recollection of your oath of office.
Grant Winston
Marana
It’s nearly judgment time, Senator
It is past time for Martha McSally to publicly break with Donald Trump and to prepare to vote for conviction on one or more articles of impeachment headed to the U.S. Senate. Her silence makes her complicit in the continuing cavalcade of Trump wrongdoing. The tipping point is here.
Donald Ijams
Midtown
Deranged language, unfit mind
Donald J. Trump, Twitter, October 7, 2019: “If Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey.”
Incredible as it may seem, these are the actual words of the President of the United States. Read them again. “In my great and unmatched wisdom.” This is beyond narcissism and ignorance. “I will totally destroy.” Beyond hatefulness and vulgarity. These are the words of a madman.
Most Americans agree we should keep guns out the hands of mentally ill people who threaten harm to others. Yet somehow we have delivered the most powerful military on the planet into the hands of a man who is dangerously unhinged.
We are in grave danger. For all our sakes, Donald Trump must be removed from power by any legal means necessary.
David W. Lazaroff
Midtown
Country over party
In 1963, we were elevated by Dr. Martin Luther King’s majestic “I Have a Dream” speech. In 2019 we’re brought low by Donald Trump’s “I have a scheme.” In the last few years, the country went from being a source of hope and inspiration in the world to a betrayer of our allies, the poor and the needy.
Congressional Republicans, it’s time you focused on the damage being done to the country and not on your job security.
Bruno Rescigna
Northeast side
Power of the Daily Star
Abraham Lincoln believed that “with public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.” Anyone who reads the Letters to the Editor in the Arizona Daily Star can certainly see evidence of the “power of the press.”
Chuck Nedrow
Northwest side
Isn’t there any other recourse?
Leaving our abandoned Kurd allies to face the three powerful armies of Turkey, Syria and Russia. Kurd families, women and children trapped between gas and barrel bombing, Russian air strikes and the Turkish army with absolutely no place to go. It’s their homes, schools and hospitals being attacked, genocide of a people. And the Band Plays on.
Are “Letters to the Editor” and waiting for 2020 all we can do? Silence from our (appointed) Arizona Senator Martha McSally, a staunch and fearful Trump supporter. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is a blank slate. Are they aware or care people are being murdered?
Maybe this is America’s “absolutely no place to go moment”; if so, it pales to that of the Kurds.
Is it just another of Trump’s distractions, or could it be his deal with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in connection with his business interests within Turkey beyond the Trump Tower Istanbul? Really, what can we do?
Walter Rhudy
Northeast side
Message for the haters
This letter is to the kooks and bigots that are crawling out from under their slimy rocks (if you hate a group, you are a bigot). All 7 billion-plus humans on Earth and in space belong to the same species: Homo sapiens.
All humans are of equal worth to God. There is no such thing as “One True Religion.” Nobody has a monopoly on the truth.
Did it ever occur to you that your ideas could be mistaken? Why do you use and/or advocate violence? Violence doesn’t solve anything; it just makes things worse.
One group does not have to dominate other groups. All groups should work together in harmony as equal partners.
Flora Frederick
Midtown
