A danger in not
hearing the vitriol
Re: the Feb. 20 letter “Never-Trump anger only drives his support.”
Mr. Rooker’s letter missed the mark about the hate, anger, vitriol he has observed in them, making it “impossible to calmly discuss politics.”
Never mind that hate, anger, vitriol are what Donald Trump fans hear nightly on Fox (Pirro, Hannity, Ingraham and Carlson). I am one of those “angry” people. What I am disturbed about is the erosion of the rule of law in this country, of politics so divided that senators take nonpartisan oaths before an impeachment trial yet have no intention to hear evidence, then vote the straight party line, condemning the one senator who votes on “conscience and evidence.”
I am angry about mockery of our free press, governance (with vitriol) by tweets, speeches with half-truths and outright lies (fact checked regularly) spoken by a morally bereft president, climate-change denial and reversal of government protections to our peril, spending billions on a wall that does nothing to solve issues and ignoring a majority of Americans’ pleas for sensible gun legislation. I’ll start listening when you open your eyes.
People are also reading…
Barbara Reuter
Southeast side
Sinema missed the point
of abortion survivor act
Shame on Sen. Kyrsten Sinema for voting against the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivor Protection Act.” I know she is an ardent advocate for abortion. This bill, however, had nothing to do with limiting or even regulating abortion. It simply required doctors to give an infant that survived an abortion the same medical care they would give to any other child of the same gestational age.
The argument is that this situation never occurs. There are many survivors who beg to differ. The argument is that such infants are already protected by law. The truth is they are not, as compassionate health-care workers who have been forced to stand by as newborns are neglected until they die can attest. Where is our humanity?
Helen Moulton
Foothills
Background checks without registration
Re: the Feb. 27 article “Senate still holding up vote on gun background checks.”
Mary Reed writes about the need for background checks. She was shot along with Gabby Giffords in 2011. What she leaves out of the article is the shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, passed a background check at Sportsman’s Warehouse. A background check didn’t stop him probably because government agencies don’t put all the valid information into the system.
Also with universal background checks, how are they enforced without registration of all firearms? Registration is never mentioned with universal background checks by the “reasonable gun control legislation” advocates. Figure out background checks without registration and gun owners might be more receptive.
Mark Smedley
Foothills
Liberals call out presidential lies
Re: the Feb. 24 letter “US must guard itself against socialism.”
This writer asks of honest people of rational minds, whom she labels “liberals,” what is wrong with you people?
I’ve got your answer. We can’t abide frauds, liars, charlatans and con men. That is who occupies this White House and administration. So your catalog of falsehoods and similar bogus claims by the Trump adoration cohort only compounds the disgust.
Economies and markets operate on multiple macro inputs, largely independent of presidents, even Mr. Trump. Medical costs are up, not down. USMCA doesn’t keep money anywhere. The utterly corrupt, felonious acts of Trump and his henchmen are no less criminal or corrupt because you’ve invented an imaginary category of “process crimes.”
And of course, the never-ending canard that illegal immigrants are given free housing, free college, can vote and receive Social Security. When the truth is that immigrants pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits and use fewer benefits than native-born counterparts.
You can stop being amazed when people call you out on this rubbish. There is nothing at all wrong with those people.
Gary Susko
Midtown
Basketball musts: Mute Walton, sync up Jeffries
We are two people who cringe at Bill Walton’s basketball analysis of University of Arizona basketball games. We’ve turned the volume down and off. We’ve also tried to listen to the radio broadcasts simultaneously but the 4-5 second difference is also irritating.
We’d like to propose that the Wildcat radio broadcast put a 4-5 second delay in their transmission so that we, who get so irritated at Bill Walton, can turn on the responsible voice of the Wildcats’ Brian Jeffries. The radio broadcasters would make many of us very happy in Wildcat Nation and might have a multiplier of their advertising to viewers as well as listeners as we blissfully enjoy a game without Blabbering Bill belittling Dave Pasch.
Maybe we need to start a GoFundMe for the software design of this proposal?
Dennis and Victoria Boyles
Northwest side
Coronavirus isn’t a political event
On December 7, 1941 Americans of all parities rallied behind President Franklin Delano Roosevelt against a foreign invader. On Sept. 11, 2001, we stood with President George W. Bush to combat another outside enemy.
In February 2020, coronavirus is nowhere yet near the level of previous external threats and the adversary is smaller, indeed microscopic, but Americans again must stand up and support our sitting president.
This health and economic crisis should not be presidential campaign political fodder. Together we can see our way through this crisis.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
Too fancy, says guy who uses ‘sesquipedalian’
Re: the Feb. 27 letter “Fancy-pants headlines.”
Today I learned a new word from a fellow letter writer: sesquipedalian. For those not inclined to look it up (I had to), it means using long words, or long winded. I would like to thank the writer for introducing me to it, and I would also like the thank your erudite headline writers at the Arizona Daily Star for trusting in the sophistication of the readers, or at least their ability to use a dictionary. Most of us are not philistines, and we’ll never improve if we are never challenged.
Nickolas Clark
Southeast side
So, how are the markets?
Just wondering how the stock market looks to those Trumpster’s who have been sticking by him because of their 401(k)s and stocks. The Donald says the market looks good to him. Really? My teacher’s pension is tied to the market but that would never be reason enough for him to get my vote!
Jean Tittle
Green Valley
Disloyal? I don’t think so!
A recent writer to this paper was “appalled” that President Donald Trump would fire subordinates who were “disloyal” to him, or, in other words, while working for the president, tried to sabotage his agenda. I guess this person forgot about how many generals Barack Obama fired because they would not support his pacifist, apologist agenda.
A president has the right to expect that those working for him will support his agenda. If they cannot support it, the honorable thing to do is resign, and resist from outside. However, many Obama holdovers feel that it is their right to resist from within. This is dangerous, since the American people choose the president, not the bureaucratic “deep state.” Since President Trump was not a lifelong politician, he inherited a vast number of bureaucrats who oppose him. These people should either resign, or recognize that the American people support this president!
Raymond Trombino
Green Valley
Imagining a world without “the wall”
I hope I live to see the day when “the wall” is torn down, and the land that has been violated can return to its natural state. The Americans that have allowed this travesty to occur, those that follow the hate rhetoric of Trumpism, are apparently blind to the natural beauty of the dessert. The hate for all living things that Trump, their leader, exemplifies, enables and encourages the raping of our Western lands.
Charles Kotz
Northeast side
Limiting carbon pollution in China and India
Re: the Feb. 27 letter “Missing equations in climate discussion.”
A reader pointed out that most carbon pollution comes from China, with India close behind. He closed with the question: “Why aren’t the advocates for action addressing” this? But proposed legislation in the House does address this.
House Resolution 763 (see citizensclimatelobby.org, HR 763) places a fee on the carbon content of fossil fuels, remits the proceeds from that fee to the American public and imposes the same fee on the carbon content of goods imported into the U.S. Because the United States is a huge market, foreign export manufacturers using dirty fuels and facing that fossil fuel penalty would require their government to enact the same legislation to promote the health of their citizens. All people want clean air and clean water.
HR 763 has 80 co-sponsors. It’s time for Representatives O’Halleran, Kirkpatrick, and Grijalva to join their ranks. Please write and demand that they join their colleagues as co-sponsors.
Mike Carran
Northeast side
A Republican for Mayor Pete
I can say with certainty that this is the most pivotal election of my life. I have been an active, registered Republican for over 40 years, served this state as a Republican Legislator and lobbied on behalf of the Securities Industry in Washington D.C.
But, our leadership has either ignored the problems that are most urgent to “we the people,” or they have actively made things worse.
We need a new kind of leader that rallies Americans to work together to solve our most pressing and urgent challenges.
The fix clearly will not come from Washington. Good politics is rooted in helping people, not advancing an ideological agenda. Or bullying and name calling.
We need a leader that isn’t angry, vengeful or poised to start a revolutionary civil war.
We need someone genuine, rational and experienced. Someone with a calm temperament, highly intelligent and more than anything honest.
I’m grateful good people are still willing to enter politics. Peter Buttigieg has earned my vote. PeteforAmerica.com.
Former State Rep. Robbie Shaw
North side
Syringe found on the streets
Well it has finally happened.
I walk on Snyder Road on the far North East side of Tucson many days per week for good aerobic exercise. As I walk, I pick up trash. Empty beer cans, beer bottles, liquor bottles, plastic everything and now a first for me.
I picked up, very carefully using protection for myself, a used syringe. Not more than one mile from Sabino High School.
Shades of what the citizens of San Francisco and Los Angeles put up with on a daily basis. Is this what the citizens of Tucson want to see their city and surrounding area turn into?
Stop the drug culture in Tucson by stopping the illegal drug trade in our town. Protect the citizens of Tucson from becoming like those cities in California.
Think about our children and grandchildren growing up in that kind of environment.
Terry Hlivko
Northeast side
Keep the Corona virus in perspective, no time to panic
Pima County Health officials have reported that the threat of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, is low. In fact, they reported 26,000 cases of the flu this season in Arizona, 2,000 in Pima County. Annually, 30,000 to 60,000 people nationwide die from the flu. Thus far in America, there has been about 60 reported cases of COVID-19. That is out of a population of 300 million.
The mortality rate for COVID-19 is about 2%, much lower than previous similar virus-type outbreaks like SARs and MERs. Corona spreads faster, with flu like symptoms. The worldwide number of cases is just over 80,000, with 2,000 deaths, mainly in China. The virus may be receding there but climbing in other countries.
President Trump acted early on all this by implementing quarantines of passengers returning from certain locations in China. He also set up quarantine locations on military bases. Now Democrats and their news media allies are trying to start a panic blaming Trump for the virus. How pathetic!
Alice Moreno
North side
The Presidential election
I used to get upset with Trump, his policies, and his Mexican paid for wall. I am 73 and maybe have 20 years left. Sooo I have decided to just do what I can and see what happens because I can only change a minute portion of it. I have decided I am OK with Trump winning. I will be witness to the first time a President has been impeached twice. That should be quite a ride. On the other hand, if Trump looses things would be better off for everyone but Trump. What will remain for decades and decades is his wall. It will be interesting how that is viewed in 20 years. I hope I make it.
James Galvin
Sahuarita
