Mask mandate is not needed
Why do we need a national mask mandate, we already have one. Where in Tucson can you go without a mask? You need one to enter a grocery store, a restaurant, a gym and anyplace else that has been able to avoid closing. A National Mask Mandate looks like an attempt to reroute all the responsibility of the poor handling of the pandemic from the government agencies, who completely dropped the ball, and passing it on to the American citizens.
COVID-19 has run out of control because the current administration did next to nothing for months in early 2020, not because some Americans are not wearing masks in their cars or are visiting with their family and friends. The US has lost 250,000 people to the virus because 1 in 2 Americans are medically compromised. If we don’t address that issue, there will surely be a COVID-20.
Kevin Marschke
Oro Valley
Thank you,
police officers
I was on my walk this morning, and chance found me passing through the La Mariposa Resort where I sometimes pass Officer Eric Hite’s memorial park. This morning sitting in the shade of that park was a Tucson Police squad car with an officer sitting quietly inside eating his breakfast. The officer was catching a short break and I imagine remembering the sacrifice of Officer Hite and his family. Maybe he was reflecting on the dangers police officers face, something serious that could happen to a cop on a quiet Sunday morning.
As I approached the car, the American flag lay still in the background, weathered and worn. The window rolled down and I got a welcoming smile, a face showing the wear of time and the stress of the job. We spoke briefly; just a little chit chat with a 14-year veteran who still loved the job. We are lucky to have the officers we do here in Tucson, serving our community and protecting us.
Richard Harper
Northeast side
Unwarranted
electoral provocation
As faith leaders of Pima County Interfaith Council, we strongly denounce Wednesday evening’s attempt to interfere with the ballot counting in Phoenix and call upon all candidates and public officials to do likewise. Election officials must be allowed to do their job and ensure every vote is counted. Partisanship must not contaminate the tabulation process. At this moment when the national spotlight is on our state, Arizona should be an example of how to conduct ourselves civilly and with decency.
While we wholeheartedly support First Amendment rights to peacefully gather and to exercise free speech, threatening and intimidating election workers is not protected speech. Wednesday’s display in no way represents the views of most Arizonans and their efforts to undermine an orderly and professionally run election are an insult to all who are waiting to trust the results. We must be patient and allow elections officials to do their job.
This letter is being sent on behalf of myself and other clergy in the Tucson area: Rev. Jim Wiltbank; Fr Henry Hoffman; Rev. Michael P. Lonergan; Rev. Stephen Springer, Pastor; Rev. Leah Sandwell-Weiss, Deacon
Leah Sandwell-Weiss
Foothills
Competent ballot processing
Many of us were really worried about Election Day; civil unrest, foreign (or domestic) hacking, failed voting booths and all the rest. But much to our relief and satisfaction, everything went smoothly. Let’s give thanks to the multitudes of capable, dedicated government leaders and workers all over the country responsible for this accomplishment, notably including our own Pima County election department. You delivered, and we are grateful!
Jack and Evert
Oro Valley
Nonpartisan
coverage appreciated
I wanted to commend Tucson.com for its relatively nonpartisan coverage of local and national events. As a moderate Republican and a relatively recent new resident of Tucson, I have been pleasantly surprised to see that not all of the news is reported from a far-left point of view. Which is nice, considering that I had previously been warned that Tucson was just a tad left of Portland, Oregon. Now, if you could only report more on ASU athletics, I (and thousands like me) would be eternally grateful.
John Davis
Midtown
Police officers are respected
Police officers are respected, important, and we depend on them. They make $67,000 a year (median) plus retirement and insurance. Their jobs require wearing many hats and risk harm to life.
The American flag is one symbol that covers us all. Adding a thin blue line across the middle makes “our flag” represent a specific group. US Code title 8 section 4 “Respect the Flag” makes any such altercations illegal. Seeing Trump plagiarize the flag with his face in the middle is anti-American as well.
Please find another symbol besides the one thing that’s supposed to unite us as Americans. Remember the most important words of “The Pledge of Allegiance” are I Pledge Allegiance to Liberty and Justice for All.
Larry Robinson
Northwest side
Trump supporters not wearing masks either
Re: the Nov. 6 article “Counties hit hardest by virus overwhelmingly voted Trump.”
The piece in today’s paper is interesting in an odd way.
Correlation is not causation. Here is a possibility: Counties with overwhelming support for President Trump are likely also to have an overwhelmingly large number of people who do not wear masks or otherwise protect themselves from COVID-19. A strong association between counties hit hardest by the virus and an overwhelming vote for Trump would then be completely expected, would it not?
Perhaps the headline should read, “Counties hit hardest by virus could have been predicted to vote overwhelmingly for Trump.”
Or perhaps the association is so obvious it is not news at all.
Kalyanraman Bharathan
Midtown
