Tucson Speaks Out: December 25

How much crazier will it (& he) get?

There are many problems having a president who does not filter his language and is often combative. Yet we have grown accustomed to his demeaning outbursts, the rambling, stream-of-consciousness speeches, and the all caps, middle-of-the-night tweets. 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.

We now head into a new year with a Commander-in-Chief in obvious decline, a Supreme Court happy to give him more power, and advisors enabling his every petulant, even illegal whim. Meanwhile, two unelected White House officials are destroying what he can of our federal government (Russell Vought) and deporting our law-abiding neighbors (Stephen Miller). While I struggle to imagine how our country can endure three more years of the unchecked chaos and corruption of this administration, I hope we — the people — now value leaders who are wise, tolerant, and reassuringly sane.

Leslie Kanberg

Downtown

Looking forward to the future

I look forward to a future when the Kennedy Center will again be just the Kennedy Center.

Karen Ratte

West side

Winterhaven deserves city support

It’s public art. It’s a grand private-public partnership. It’s accessible, affordable entertainment. It’s a good cause.

And yet the City of Tucson plans to cut support for Winterhaven’s annual Christmas extravaganza. Tucson’s leaders should reconsider.

About 200,000 residents and visitors come to Winterhaven each year. People of every income level, of every age, all soaking up much-needed Christmas spirit.

The residents of Winterhaven are wonderful hosts. Willing to inconvenience themselves for weeks. Willing to pay the price of lights and décor that surpass even the decorations in Hallmark TV movies.

Entry is free, but donations are urged to support the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. And neighborhood residents tout their own causes as well, from animal shelters to environmental programs.

We all recognize the pressures on budgets, but rather than see Winterhaven as a money-suck, city leaders ought to use it as an example of how a free, inclusive, community event can succeed on so many levels.

Julie Doll

Southeast side

Trump's Christmas speech whoppers

• “I was elected in a landslide.” Nope, only 1.5 million votes.

• “The price of Thanksgiving turkey was down 33% compared to Biden's last year.” False. Stores don’t take Wampum.

• “Our country was being invaded by army of 25 million people.” Not even close.

• “When I took office, inflation was the worst in 48 years, and some would say in the history of our country.” Flagrantly false.

• “I’ve ... settled eight wars in 10 months.” Even MAGA knows that’s a whopper.

• “The price of eggs is down 82% since March, and everything else is falling rapidly.” We wish.

• “Gasoline is now under $2.50 a gallon in much of the country. In some states, it ... just hit $1.99 a gallon.” Nada.

• “I negotiated directly with the drug companies…to slash prices on drugs…as much as 400%, 500%, and even 600%.” Why not claim 1000%?

• “Already, I’ve secured a record-breaking $18 trillion of investment into the US.” Prove it!

Trump’s lies are costly.

Jerry Wilkerson

SaddleBrooke

Israel and Gaza

Someone who can look at what Israel is doing in Gaza and not see it as genocide is someone who doesn't want to admit the truth. Trying to somehow use the Korean war as a similar event is a leap unlike many others. Israel was attacked and have more than doled out their vengeance. They limit food and supplies meant for those in need by many aid organizations. They also have more settlements in the West Bank, where there should be no Israeli settlements. I understand it's got to be hard to be Jewish at this time in the world, but closing your eyes to the atrocities Israel is heaping on the Gazans is just lying to yourself and I disagree with that. Put Netanyahu in jail where he belongs and let the people of Gaza try to reclaim some dignity, because Israel isn't giving any land back.

John Bingham

Northwest side

Trump's address to the nation

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Normal presidents use national addresses to talk about issues of critical importance. They’re meant to inform, unify or bring as sense of calm in uncertain times. Trump’s was not. Instead, we heard a shouting, unhinged rant delivered at warp speed.

It was essentially a grievance-filled campaign speech. There was a recitation of all he’s done, replete with lies. One absurd example: 500% price reduction. Mathematically impossible without a rebate.

There was a diatribe of complaints upbraiding us because we weren’t sufficiently grateful to our dear leader for his prodigious accomplishments.

He often blamed Biden and the Democrats for problems, even idiotically stating that the Democrats want to raise healthcare premiums. Perhaps he’s too distracted, in between naps, with designing a $400M gilded ballroom to notice that it’s actually the Republicans.

This is who he is – utterly incompetent, full of rage and mendacity and increasingly incoherent.

Dan Gipple

Southeast side

Where is the outrage?

The President of the United States has renamed a memorial building in our Nation’s Capital to honor himself. This egomaniacal act has been relegated to the back pages of the major news outlets as if it were a normal occurrence. Perhaps if he erected a neon Trump sign atop the Washington Monument, or a bust of himself on Lincoln’s shoulder, would the people rise up in their disgust. But no, it seems the President has no limit to his crass degradation of our Nation’s institutions, landmarks, and history — and the media and the people seem to accept this as normal. I know that This Too Shall Pass, but I for one will do whatever I can to hurry it along. I am outraged.

Sam Foster

Green Valley

Look at the integrity of the person

Back in 2015 when Donald Trump blatantly asserted he could fire a gun down 5th Avenue in New York and no one would stop him, my reaction was, "Who would ever vote for this guy?" Unfortunately, we found out.

Trump will never have my vote because I look at the man, the integrity of the person, not political hype and empty promises. DJT is a convicted felon, a lying, greedy, power-obsessed megalomaniac who cares only about himself and amassing a greater fortune.

Yes, we needed to secure our borders and get control of the migrant situation, but not by gestapo tactics of wrenching children from mothers and seizing people off the streets without a chance to call loved ones.

I am horrified at what we are becoming and hope our cowardly congress will wake up and act on behalf of us citizens instead of DJT. The next time you vote, look at the integrity of the person, not just at the hype and promises.

Eleanor Arnold

Northeast side

Martin and Charlie

In 1968 Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Ever since then the secular media have insisted on the honorific "Dr. King." I find his academic honors, tarnished by a plagiarized doctorate, totally inconsequential compared to his societal achievements that were fueled by deep Christian faith. I marched with him.

In 2025 Charlie Kirk was assassinated. A devout Christian first and foremost, he preached personal responsibility — ‘fix yourself before fixing society’ — and unlike MLK found his political voice in the Republican Party. Yet in the Daily Star’s 1000 word Associated Press report on the opening of Turning Point USA's AmericaFest in Phoenix, the first since Kirk's death, the word "Christian" appeared just once, qualified as "white Christian."

These two private citizens, holding no public office, transformed America's trajectory through faith-inspired action and paid the ultimate price. It is regrettable that legacy media persistently marginalizes the religiosity central to their legacies.

Jeffrey McConnell

West side

Rep. Kupper and speed limits

Rep. Kupper wants to set speed limits 80 mph! Even on a "rural" road, too fast. As he said they are already driving that fast, and 10-15 miles over the limit. So why up the limit? Eighty plus 10, 15, that's 90 to 95, maybe some would do 100 mph. He mentions Montana has had success with this. Montana has a state population of 1,137,000, not even a third of Phoenix population. Arizona has seven and a half million people and too many of them drive. Arizona also doesn't seem to test drivers after getting their first license. Rules change over the years, may be published but does everyone see them.

Even if accidents are fewer at high speeds, which isn't a proven fact, would Rep Kupper want to be the first at the scene to see how badly bodies can be mangled?

Sure, everyone is busy and always in a hurry, but comes a time when safety should be considered.

Enjoy the drive.

Janice Bottorff

Midtown

Freedom of religion

At the recent Turning Point conference Vice President Vance said that U.S. "Christianity is America's creed, the shared moral language from the Revolution to the Civil War and beyond." Apparently, he attended a different school than I did. At my school I was taught that one of the tenets of the Constitution is that America has freedom of religion. So I am wondering whether the Republicans will nominate Vance for their Presidential candidate for the 2028 election, and what will happen if he is elected. Does Vance intend to deport all non-Christian individuals from the U.S.?

Alan Roehl

Green Valley