It’s possible to be both liberal, conservative
When I am asked if I am a conservative or a liberal, I have to frown. To govern a nation, there are issues to be conservative about and issues to be liberal about. It is never just one approach or another.
I believe in the need for a strong military to defend our nation. I also believe that diplomacy must precede military action.
I do believe in free enterprise and free trade. Americans have the right to an honest profit through hard work, innovation and fair business practices. I believe that it is wrong to make a profit in certain areas of a nation’s needs. Education of our citizens, health care/medicine, and social services are not the places to make a profit.
These needs should be met by nonprofit business entities. I am neither all conservative nor all liberal on all issues facing our nation. I take a stance based on national interests, compassion and common sense.
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Richard Bechtold
West side
Thanks, Star, for making news available on audio
As a senior citizen, who recently was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, I want to thank the Star for providing me with the tools to still access the daily news. People with AMD experience loss of vision and/or distortion of vision and often lose the capability and enjoyment of reading and watching TV.
I want people with visual problems to know there are services and technologies which can expand their visual world once again. The Star provides an email version of the daily newspaper which one can read by enlarging the print size or even having the article read to them. Phenomenal! Awesome!
Also, the public library offers free audiobooks, which you can listen to on your computer or your smartphone. I urge you not to close your eyes and your mind to what is out there to enhance your enjoyment of life.
Diane Uhl
Oro Valley
Trump, Netanyahu
are cut from same cloth
Donald Trump may be the most bigoted president we have ever seen in this country. We see this quality in his treatment of migrants at our southern border, but it first became evident when he opposed immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries.
He shares this bigotry with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu believes Israeli settlers have a right to confiscate the homes and crops of Palestinians in the West Bank.
These two leaders support each other, but each of them had more humane predecessors. We can look forward to their replacement with more benevolent leaders.
Richard Coan
West side
Our leaders are lacking basic common sense
Henry David Thoreau described common sense as genius dressed in work clothes.
If common sense was the prerequisite used to elect members of Congress and the president, this country would operate a lot more efficiently.
A person with common sense would not be in a position to be investigated for every potential infraction or illegal act, and people in Congress would not have to spend valuable time on committee investigations rather than offering bills to solve the country’s problems.
A president with common sense working with a Congress with common sense would not pass a budget with a deficit, and department managers with common sense would not require more money to operate than necessary. Deficits and the national debt would not exist.
Regardless of party affiliation, we need candidates with common sense and the ability to focus on the needs of the country instead of subpoenas and needless hearings.
Charles Nedrow
Northwest side
Downtown Tucson may be losing its heritage
If we keep seeing nothing but tall glass skyscrapers being built downtown, we will lose our Western heritage. The Old Pueblo is too important to end up looking like Phoenix.
Frank Dahl
East side
Looking for a candidate who stands for integrity
In the upcoming presidential campaign, we have very serious, even planet-threatening, issues facing the United States both at home and internationally. However, we are being distracted from analyzing these honestly. Instead, we are being subjected to divisive attacks based on racial and ethnic slurs, outrageous use of false information and plain rudeness.
We need to honestly face the role racism plays in the our politics and the power structure. Most concerned voters believe sincerely in their differing opinions.
However, without civil and honest discourse, we cannot expect to make progress on any of these essential issues.
I hope we can have a presidential candidate who will stand for integrity and civility and preserving our hard-won constitutional democracy.
Anne Leonard
Oro Valley
Trump reopens old wounds, turns a profit
Over 150 years ago, this nation’s bloodiest war ended slavery. Almost 75 years ago, we defeated the Nazis in a world war. Fifty years ago, the decades-old Civil Rights movement was finally changing systemic and legally sanctioned racism and bigotry and focused the nation’s attention on the injustices and horrors of segregation.
But here we are in the 21st century with a president whose blatant bigotry and racism earned him the enthusiastic support of neo-Nazis and the KKK. He even claims these groups include “nice people.”
He has reopened all the wounds for his personal and political gain (the two cannot be separated in his case). He has figured out a way to turn back time. Will this ever end? If it doesn’t, then the notion of “American exceptionalism” is gone.
Vance Holliday
Foothills
Tucson needs to do better for its youngsters
Re: the July 24 article “Survey: Tucson ranks last among top 54 US cities in luring millennials.”
Speaking as a millennial who moved this year to a larger city, I had no choice but to leave Tucson. From the ages of 18 to 30, I worked at three of the largest employers (Raytheon, UA, Pima County) in the community and my salaries at these institutions couldn’t help me keep up with the rising cost of rent.
Small business opportunities that don’t include “authentic” food or craft beer in their plans are rarely supported by the locals. And what about the lack of foresight on the part of the folks who year after year vote down measures that would boost the economy and bring jobs to the area? Or even a highway that could connect the ends of town to each other?
I’m also discouraged by the town’s lack of resources and, frankly, care for children (see: teacher’s salaries, increasing services toward transient (snowbird) populations, lack of affordable summer programs).
I will always love Tucson because I was born and raised there, but jeez, y’all need to do better.
Rachel Martinez
Midtown
Mueller hearing
was a disappointment
It was amazing to see the Democrats question Robert Mueller. It was as if they were not prepared to question him. And as for Mueller, he was not prepared either. I believe Democrats let him down by putting him in this kind of situation.
The hearing didn’t work out the way Democrats wanted and I believe this will hurt them in the 2020 election. As a Democrat myself, I’m disappointed in the way these congressional leaders have wasted taxpayers’ money.
It’s enough for me to leave the Democratic Party and become an independent voter.
Henry Ochoa
Southwest side
