Snoop Dogg greets fans on the Gin and Juice house porch ahead of the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop at Casino Del Sol stadium, Dec. 27, 2025.
NCAA hypocrisy
As a loyal Wildcat alum and fan for over 60 years, I’m sad to see what football and basketball has become. The revenue sports across the NCAA spectrum have become cash cows for everyone from the networks, advertisers, down to the “student athletes,” a term that in today’s world is laughable. Disposable degrees, even if actually achieved, players transferring indiscriminately to the highest bidder, I’m afraid that to paraphrase Karl Marx, college football and basketball has become the opiate of the masses. The University of Arizona has become an institution of higher earning. The U of A is not alone in this monetary death spiral, of course. Where does it end? This entire model is unsustainable, and feeding the beast has compromised the integrity of all involved. Vince Lombardi famously said, “winning isn’t everything, it is the only thing,” and apparently all involved are willing to sell their souls to do it.
Dave Roberts
Prescott Valley
That unlucky hour
Right from that unlucky hour when Donald Trump was elected President, America has been on a slide from a cult of personality to the makings of a criminal caste system, where the bad go free, and the good go hide. Now, we have thugs and slick conmen posing as government officials, stealing from our nation’s larder to stuff their pockets, sneering all the while.
To be a person with a darker tone to their skin is more frightening these days because of people with darker hearts. Children can be swept up by masked men with hard intent, their school books in hand and play in mind, but their hopes dashed. Mothers weep the tears of the helpless, while the fathers are locked in cages. Complaints for justice flow in from the aggrieved.
It does no good. This is Trump’s America.
Ron Lancaster
North side
Ignore what you see
The following was included in a Dec. 25 LTE: “But let's not forget that Mr. Trump's sleep issues, uncontrolled anger, slurred and incoherent speech, as well as his unsteady gait, are all symptoms of dementia.” This writer was asleep or totally secluded during the Biden Administration years. That President exhibited all of the above issues but to a far greater magnitude while liberal Democrats uncannily ignored the obvious facts. If Biden was your parent, the car keys would be hidden and a Life Alert device ordered. He could not hold a press conference without note cards and pre-arranged questions. He shook hands with invisible people and wandered aimlessly. His shuffling gate was obvious. His press conferences and cabinet meetings were far and few between and the topics were limited. To compare Biden to Trump is like comparing a sloth to the Energizer Bunny. You may not like Trump’s policies but you know exactly what they are instead of policies carried out by unelected puppeteers who were directing Biden.
Loyal M. Johnson Jr.
Oro Valley
2025 a good year
I believe that 2025 was a good year marked by massive technological breakthroughs.
2025 was a banner year for medicine and science. The FDA approved the first in-home cervical cancer test, and researchers made massive strides in drug-resistant epilepsy.
The developers of Ozempic and Wegovy were honored for their impact on global health.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce dominated headlines with their engagement.
The Los Angeles Dodgers repeated as World Series champions and Chelsea won the first-ever expanded FIFA Club World Cup.
The year was defined by "protectionism," with high tariffs.
A fragile ceasefire was reached in the Israel-Hamas war.
Pope Leo XIV: Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the first-ever American Pope.
The U.S. officially minted its last penny in November.
This was the year AI moved from a "tool" to a "utility," with the release of GPT-5 and Gemini 3.
And best of all my 13th great grandchild arrived in December, beautiful and healthy.
2025 was a good year.
Tom McGorray
Northwest side
The right thing for the right reasons
David McCumber’s story on Jane Kay’s TCE scoop is an inspirational example of doing the right thing for the right reasons. County, City and government authorities were slow to recognize the “right reasons” but for Jane Kay’s reporting. Similar examples of critical journalism include Tony Davis’ reporting on the proposed ordinance to limit heavy truck traffic on dirt roads, and Tim Steller’s column on ending tax breaks for data centers. Both stories highlight examples of our elected officials failing to do the right thing for the right reasons. Instead they are motivated by the fear of lawsuits, or loss of political donations — not their constituents' best interests. Meanwhile the right reasons — public health protections and fiscal responsibility — remain unanswered.
Sheldon Clark
Vail
What a surprise
Massive fraud discovered at Somali-run daycare centers in Minnesota. This is the Trump New Year's bombing of Muslims in America to match his Christmas bombing in Nigeria — undoubtedly the first in a campaign to
discredit the entire Muslim community in America including the new mayor in NYC, and Muslims in Congress as well.
Isn't religion in government wonderful for bigots? Trump can go after all minority religions now. Christian Nationalism needs solidarity in religion here. Get the FBI after these infidels! Now we see the echoes of over two thousand years of crusades assaulting Jerusalem, the most bloodstained city on the planet, the Dark Ages of religious suppression, the centuries of killing over the reformation of Christianity.
Now we can see what our Founding Fathers wanted to avoid.
John Schmidt
Southwest side
Minnesota Somali welfare scandal
How come no mention of the $9 billion and counting Minnesota Somali welfare scandal in the Star? I see this all over national news on TV and elsewhere, but nothing in the Star.
Democratic governor and Democratic congresswoman involved.
I guess since Trump isn't involved it doesn't meet Star's high standards for coverage.
Anthony Gebhardt
Foothills
A response to critics
The notion that all beliefs deserve equal respect is simply nonsense. Once beliefs become motives for actions, they are fair game for scrutiny and, if indicated, condemnation. Historically, religion has been given a pass in this regard by establishing a firm foothold very early on and successfully promoting itself beyond the stigmatization of being superstition.
Whether scripture is taken literally or not has little to do with religious dogma. The reality of religion’s oppressive impact on human enlightenment is a matter of record. The Church cannot escape its long history of repudiating rationalism in the interest of power. From the Crusades of old to the Christian Nationalism of today, human rights, especially women’s, have been chronically violated in the name of religion.
That some men of science have embraced religion is an especially feeble argument in defense of the claim that religion and science are ideologically compatible and certainly in no way renders the scientific method any less rigorous or religion any more rational.
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
Tucson gun violence
Today’s opinion piece on reducing gun violence was very well thought out and included some very good recommendations. One thing, however was missing. The stick. Every person charged with using a gun or rifle while committing an illegal act, such as theft, robbery, assault, murder, etc., should be charged with a federal crime. Committing any of these illegal acts should be punishable by a 5- to 20-year federal sentence depending on the severity of the crime. This is punishment for using a gun or rifle when committing one of these crimes. It is also a deterrent to not use a gun or rifle when committing one of these crimes. The stick.
Cal Rooker
Oro Valley
Betrayed
Metro Tucson recently received a stab in the back from Scott, Heinz and Christy. They sold Tucsonans out to Big Tech companies. Project Blue will deplete our aquifer beyond ever recovering in the future. Those supers do not care that dirty fossil fuels used for Project Blue will add to pollution and add to global warming. Heinz in particular should be alarmed by this since he is a physician. He apparently does not care. These supers are not concerned about the well being of Tucsonans and need to be recalled.
John Cleary
Northwest side
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