We have danced with these devils before
Re: the Dec. 22 article “Modern filibuster actually corrodes democracy.”
Since the Johnson administration, Republicans have decided to block any policies proposed by Democrats, either by countless amendments to weaken bills or simple filibusters. It was the conservatives that eliminated the Senate’s standing, talking filibuster and replaced it with a simple declaration by a single senator. Sen. Ted Cruz recently held up affirmations of judges and essential dignitaries in this manner over the pipeline between Russia and Germany.
The Star published a very informative op-ed by Chris Allen, which explains this in detail. As a political history buff, I learned a few new things.
For example, I realized how the GOP has attempted to control policy even when out of power, using the filibuster as a checkmate move. I only wish Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin could read (and understand) this article.
But, if you haven’t read it, please do. Filibusters eliminate what Sinema claims she desires, precisely, compromises.
Sheldon Metz
Northeast side
Kudos to James Ford
Re: the Dec. 28 letter “Thank you, James Ford.”
I was delighted to read the letter thanking James Ford for his great service delivering the paper. I too am a very early riser and James Ford also delivers my paper. In fact I think I am the only one in my neighborhood that gets the paper delivered anymore. Whenever we meet at my driveway, he cheerfully greets me and wishes me a good day.
He never misses a day and is always on time! Rare in this day and age. This year when the Star decided to not deliver for a couple of days to enable their carriers to have a day off, I missed reading my paper, but thought of James having a well deserved couple of days off. If the Star had a Carrier of the Year award, It should be given to James! Thank you, James, for your stellar service!
Linda Schaub
Southeast side
Arizona Bowl and Dave Portnoy
I read where Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, said no one is dying of COVID and the CDC said treat it like the common cold. I wish my sister had a cold on March 30, 2021, when she passed away due to COVID complications. I wish my friend who died a week ago only had a cold — maybe he would not have been on a ventilator for two weeks. Maybe his children could have been with him when he died, only his wife was allowed to be there.
Luckily, I was with my sister when she died.
Tell that to the 800,000-plus families who have lost a loved one.
I will never spend a penny on that bowl game as long as Mr. Portnoy is involved.
Mark Bensley
Northeast side
Electronic newspapers
Because I have difficulty reading the print, I have been reading the e-edition of the newspapers for several years now. I love holding a newspaper in my hands, drinking coffee and watching the sunrise, but I love even more just being able to read the news presented in depth rather than in sound bites. I expect all newspapers will be online only in the not too distant future, but we need the real journalists to report rather than talking heads trying to get anything of substance in before the next commercial. While the TV photographers sometimes get great photos, the newspaper photographers have more time to sort them and get some works of art. And then there is Fitz and other cartoonists who try really hard to match his talent. What would we do without that morning laughter? Thank you. Keep doing your excellent work. I appreciate it.
Bette Richards
Northwest side
Historical editions
Thanks for printing the historical opinion page from 100 years ago. It was very enlightening. Please keep this effort going!
Stephen Swanson
East side
Real issue at the border
Re: the Dec. 5 article “Star Investigation: Death in the desert.”
Curt Prendergast did an extensive essay about the border. He reported extensively on migrant deaths that have occurred in the Arizona desert. He made suggestions to help alleviate deaths like placing thousands of rescue beacons in the desert, extending cell phone tower coverage in the desert west of Tucson, processing more asylum seekers at the ports of entry, etc. He basically wrote that the border wall, his nemesis, has funneled migrants into more remote areas. Does he know that in 2021, there was an unprecedented number of migrant deaths in the West Texas desert where there is minimal border wall? No where in Prendergast’s essay does he place any blame for migrant deaths on Biden’s border policies that have encouraged families and unaccompanied children to come, resulting in historic numbers of Border Patrol apprehensions. In his essay, Prendergast takes an approach of accommodation, never saying “Do not come,” and border security is nowhere to be found.
Rosalinda Vasquez
South side
Speciesism
My greatest wish for 2022 is that the concept of speciesism will start to be discussed and examined in the way other “isms,” like racism and sexism, are. Speciesism is the belief that humans are superior to other animal species and therefore have the right to use and exploit other species for human purposes.
In the same way we strive to create a world in which no one is discriminated against based on their race or gender, we need to apply those same principles to species. It’s time to really examine how we treat other animals. Do we have a right to slaughter and eat them? Do we have a right to experiment on them? Do we have a right to cage and imprison them?
As author Alice Walker wrote, “The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than Black people were made for whites or women for men.” An important idea I hope more people will begin to consider.
Kim Flaherty
Downtown
Our democratic voting process is under siege
In the last eight presidential election cycles, the Republicans have captured the popular vote once. Their constituents are diminishing. Angry white men are dying. Anti-science and ill-advised anti-vaxxers are needlessly succumbing to the virus.
Their strategy for putting their thumb on the scale involves the “in plain sight” effort to control the local states’ secretaries of state and election board officials. Thus, allowing for tilting the results of elections in their favor.
Bills include such inequitable ploys as: elimination of voting boxes and mail-in voting, reduction in hours, reckless purging of voting rolls, intimidation of election workers, unnecessary ID requirements and of course gerrymandering.
Trumps “stop the steal” claim is that the 2020 election was rigged.
Is that not what the GOP is doing to hijack our current voting process?
Rex Witherspoon
SaddleBrooke
Thanks to Star newspaper carriers
Happy New Years and many thanks to newspaper carrier Richard Oren. I very much enjoy reading my hard copy print of the newspaper on weekends, and it is always there in the middle of my driveway, early in the morning. The delivery of the newspaper is much appreciated.
While I am on this topic, a special thank you to all the letter carriers (USPS) in Tucson. This is also a tough job, and they need to receive credit and a hardy thank you as well.
David Keating
Northeast side
