On Tuesday, Venezuelan nationals Yoleidy and Juan anxiously waited inside of their southwest Tucson home for a visit from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Five agents from ICE’s investigative unit, HSI, had showed up unexpectedly the day before, saying they’d return the next day to ensure the couple’s children weren’t being trafficked. Yoleidy said her sons couldn’t sleep, and stopped playing their typical games, for fear of being separated from their family and retuned to Venezuela. “We don’t know why this is happening,” she said at her home on Tuesday.
Trauma for immigrants is real
A few days ago a story from you arrived in my inbox with the headline “Trying to ease ‘trauma’ for immigrants, children as enforcement ramps up.” My issue is with the functionally incorrect attempt at quotation marks around the word “Trauma.” It is not the embarrassing grammatical fail so much as the editorialization inherent in those sub quotes around that word. By subquoting the word “trauma” in a headline you created bias and signaled opinion about what is and is not traumatic. The gratuitous and incorrect punctuation you invoked implies that being arrested and possibly separated from your family by ICE after leaving your country and everyone you know is not really traumatic, as though these children and families embarked on some kind of misguided international walk-about just for fun. Their experiences are deeply traumatic, and that is a fact.
Liz Mcdonald
Downtown
Frankenstein lives!
So, Republicans — you’ve created a modern-day Frankenstein. Congratulations! You can’t control your monster, so you kowtow and support his every word and whim to the great detriment of our country and indeed, the world. If you don’t, he turns on you one by one. Recall little Anthony in the Twilight Zone episode “It’s a good life”? The evil 6-year-old had special powers, and anyone in the town who didn’t do his bidding or agree with him met a terrible fate. Some banished to the cornfield never to return, some turned into bizarre creatures, or even an inanimate object. Town residents lived in terror and fear of offending Anthony, their minds occupied every second with pleasing and appeasing the little terror. Of course, many surrounding Trump have been totally brainwashed, but for those with a glimmer of a conscience, it must be a terrible way to live.
Deb Klumpp
Oro Valley
Reverse Robin Hoods
During his campaign, Trump ran on issues like stopping inflation, halting immigration, and draining the swamp. So, beyond his rhetoric, we should examine how his priorities actually play out. Priorities are most clearly reflected in the budget. All of our congressional Republicans followed their dictator Trump and passed his “reverse Robin Hood” budget, including our cowardly congressman, Ciscomani. The budget clearly shows that regardless of the department or program, the priority of our government now is to rob from the poor and give to the rich.
When you voted for Trump, was this what you really wanted?
Arizona Republicans have led the way as examples of reverse Robin Hoods. They have taken money away from our public schools that serve the rich, middle class, and poor, and given vouchers to the wealthiest. Again, robbing from most of us to give to the rich who by the way fund their campaigns.
Michael Nickerson
SaddleBrooke
When will Republicans care?
Republicans I know worry about their “pocketbooks, the price of eggs,” period. I appreciate that honesty. But the fear of taxing these already healthy finances seems more important than expressing shame and horror over what the king of the art of insults brought to our country on Feb. 28. President Zelensky, an invited guest to the People’s House, whose country has been fighting a three-year war begun by Russia, was yelled at, interrupted, and berated for 49 minutes. “Let me tell you Putin went through a hell of a lot with me,” Trump said. “His statement resembles the ‘self-criticism’ Communist operatives were required to engage in when they displeased the regime.” (Authoritarian Scholar Ruth Ben-Ghiat). Scholar Timothy Snyder pointed out “There was nothing that was said in that encounter which hadn’t been said by Russians before.” So here we are. This regime and the spineless Republican-led Congress has aligned itself with Russia, and there is no evidence that its loyal voters care one bit.
Tina Whitley
Northeast side
A letter to Zelensky
Dear Mr. Zelensky,
Sadly, our country is currently under the domination of a severely emotionally damaged and ruthless president, along with others who are glued to his destructive follies. I respectfully suggest you quit America and partner with NATO and a coalition of the willing in defending your country. The not-so-United States is in deep distress and furthering your relationship with us will only lead you to further subjugation. I want only the best for you and the Ukrainian people now and in the future. My best wishes.
Robert Kafes
Midtown
Why would anyone object?
Why would anyone object to identifying fraud and waste associated with federal spending, regardless of who was doing the audit? Apparently, this includes most of the Democrats in Tucson. I can think of only two reasons for objections: 1. The objector or their cronies are benefiting from that spending, or 2. The uncompromising ideology of their beliefs has eliminated rational evaluation and any measure of common sense. And unfortunately, it is our money that is being squandered.
Regarding personal finances, if one found themselves in $40,000 of credit card debt but was unwilling to accept bankruptcy, the only path would be to cut spending. No eating out, no Starbucks, a spartan diet with no extras. Move to a very used car, sell all big-boy toys, consider a less expensive residence. No new clothes, no new phones or TVs, no Amazon. No vacations, cut one’s own hair. Whatever it takes to slow spending. That is exactly where our country is. These actions will cause discomfort but are absolutely necessary.
Loyal M Johnson Jr
Oro Valley
Nobel Peace Prize
Apparently, Trump thinks that he will deserve to travel to Norway and be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize if he (and Putin) force Ukraine to surrender. After their ghastly treatment by the Nazis in World War II, Norwegians have a clear understanding of international aggression. They will not reward such betrayal with any sort of prize.
Mitch Bunting
East side
Ignorance
Really just how ignorant is this moron running the government? In his rambling, fact-challenged speech the other night, he tried to impress the audience with examples of waste in government. His rant on Social Security, claiming payouts to people 159, 209, even 359 years old is unbelievable. I would guess he never actually looked at the Social Security records but made up the numbers. Then he decided to try to smear transgender people, real people, using his hypocritical Christian bluster to remove them from the human race. He went so far as to say scientists got money to make transgender mice but should have said transgenic mice then used to study cancer. Lastly, he decided to besmirch the country of Lesotho, a wonderful nation in southern Africa. How could one expect a leader to know about countries of the world, when he doesn’t even know the states of USA?
Carl Olson
West side
Kudos to police
This week, driving down Speedway near Country Club, a man ran out into the eastbound traffic just as two police officers approached from their cars parked across the median. He attempted to get in the car stopped next to me in the middle lane, then crawled underneath that car. As he kept screaming, “I don’t want to die!” the officer managed to calm him down as she struggled to get him in handcuffs. The other officer stood over them with a taser but luckily did not have to use it. They managed to drag him out from under the car and get him to stand up. I applaud the effort and courage of these two officers and wonder how this man will be helped. I encourage Tucson voters to vote yes on Prop 414 which is endorsed by the police and firefighters who risk their lives for us. I wonder who would choose to vote no?
Susan Granger
Midtown
Amazing transformation
The world is witnessing an amazing evolutionary transformation. Indeed, it may become revolutionary. A new species, the Magatodium, is evolving rapidly among Homo sapiens. This organism has no heart, no spine, an undeveloped brain capable of only basic functions, and no intestinal fortitude. Yet, stunningly, it can spew hatred, inflict pain, stamp out social norms and mores, and may become the most destructive pathogen to afflict this nation.
This malignant variant appears to have begun with the Tea Party movement c.2010 and has spread like wildfire recently, with more virulent iterations traced to Jan. 20, 2025.
The disorder is vulnerable to common sense, decency, ethics, courage, and a determined citizenry. However, the longer it is allowed to proliferate, the more deadly it becomes. We must inoculate ourselves against it immediately.
Sandra Heater
Foothills
Has Ciscomani gone full MAGA?
Juan Ciscomani’s deafening silence as the Trump/Musk/Putin regime works to destroy the capacity of the United States government is a shocking dereliction of duty. From undermining the VA, USDA, NOAA, FAA, and other essential sources of aid, information and coordination, to withholding Congressionally authorized aid to Ukraine, to betraying our allies of 80 years, to attacking Medicare and Social Security, Trump and his henchmen are violating Constitutional separation of powers and weakening the United States enormously. Just a few courageous Republicans could help put a stop to Trump’s authoritarian aspirations. But Ciscomani either lacks that courage or is a willing collaborator. He has twice taken an oath of office to defend the U.S.Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And yet he sat and applauded a would-be dictator’s documented lies at the State of the Union session of Congress this week. It’s getting very late for him to take the necessary steps to honor his oath.
Jeff Anderson
Foothills
What Trump is doing economically
The tariffs and other actions by Donald Trump seem to follow a particular pattern.
It seems the president is trying to devalue the dollar versus its recent history. The last few years the dollar has been strong, which means that imports are more expensive. By driving down the value of the dollar, I believe that Trump is trying to make American-made products cheaper for foreign buyers.
If you look at asset values since the beginning of the year, you’ll find American stocks have lost value. As of this writing, GM is down nearly 8%. Ford is down a point. Caterpillar is down 6%. Most American stock mutual funds are down or even. And bond mutuals have a slight point or so gain.
Meanwhile, international funds are up. FTIHX is up over 8%. ODVIX is up 5%. RWIGX is up over 4%.
By putting the US into a recession, it looks like Trump is trying to also lower interest rates.
Extending his 2017 tax cuts, though, will cause stagflation.
Matt Somers
Midtown
Yes We Can and we must
There is a fine line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation. “Both Sides” make a habit of exploiting the suffering of others. For example, references are often made about Rodney King’s, aching admonition, “Can we all get along?” Some people forget the rest of the quote. He also said, “Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids?” President Obama did his level best to convince Americans that, “Yes, We Can.” The center-right tends to forget that. They are too busy blaming the messengers for their woes to admit that their own personal liberties/privileges and not so “free markets” are dependent on the well-being of others. Anyone who thinks that dismantling our education, healthcare, and justice Systems won’t impact them, is sadly mistaken. I want to thank local commentator Robert Gomez for his fine piece entitled “Medicaid Damage Will Extend Far Beyond Poor Households.” It is past time for us all to “speak truth to power” while we still can.
Sherry Ivester
Midtown
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