Tucson Speaks Out: Sept. 3 letters of the day

Next attack on women? Contraception

On July 21, 2022, just following Roe’s decimation, Kat Cammack stated in a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives: “In no way, shape, or form is access to contraception limited or at risk of being limited. This bill is completely unnecessary.” Several Republicans concurred. This response was regarding a debate about a Democratic bill to protect access.

In June 2024, Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic bill protecting contraception access.

They wish to BAN: mifepristone, intrauterine devices, birth control pills, skin patches, vaginal rings, injections, diaphragms, cervical caps, gels, sponges, condoms (female and male), implants, tubal ligation, “natural forms” and even emergency.

Yet, Republicans NEVER INCLUDE:

Vasectomies, testosterone injections which hormone prevents the release of the pituitary hormones that tell the testes to produce sperm, hormonal combination injections, testosterone plus GnRH Antagonists, The Hormonal Male Pill, Non-Hormonal Contraception (RISUG), Non-hormonal Contraception-IVD, Birth Control Vaccine OR vasectomies.

Republicans’ objective is not to control men, but rather their “little women at home.”

Sheldon Metz

Northeast side

Steve Kerr at the DNC

Words of wisdom as I observed from Steve Kerr a human being and husband, father, son, player and coach of high moral character who was invited to speak at the DNC last week:

1. It takes a team coming together to win

2. Speaking out is a risk but we must!

3. Good leaders must exhibit dignity, truth, humor and love those they are leading.

4. Good leaders should have the knowledge and expertise required of the position and should seek answers and solutions from all team members

5. Leaders should have the same character qualities as of those you respect ... family, friends, teachers.

6. With the choices we have this fall, it is no contest when it comes to Harris vs. Trump: Real leadership vs dividers!

7. ALL 330 million of us should be on Team America, each of us doing our different parts.

Phil “Bulldog” Bentley

Foothills

Arrest Donald Trump

The other day Donald Trump made an advertisement for himself using the Arlington National Cemetery as a backdrop. His crew went in without any permission, and proceeded to film a staged ceremony using himself and actors laying flowers at a memorial. The footage was used in an ad where he blamed Biden for events in Afghanistan. This was in clear violation of laws prohibiting the usage of the National Cemetery for partisan political purposes or for advertising. Rules which he and his crew were aware of. Why wasn’t he arrested, or at least fined? If you or I tried to do what he did, we would find ourselves arrested or fined or both. So why not Trump? This is outrageous.

John McConnaughey

Oro Valley

UA student protests — war in Palestine

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This spring university students across the country and right here in Tucson provided a straight-up analysis of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Out of necessity, they broke some trivial campus policies and laws in order to catch the public’s attention about war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetuated by Israel with the unwavering support of the US. A little digging into the conflict finds that a cabal of counties (and companies) are currently arming, funding, and defending a genocidal conquest into the Palestinian territories.

The prosecution of a 21st century “holocaust” cloaked in the name of “Israeli national defense” or “US national interest” is the way history will remember these deplorable governments, including their citizens, both pro-war and passive, which allowed the spiral of violence to occur in the first place. Perhaps, a Palestinian holocaust (“Nakba”) museum describing Israeli atrocities and international backing of crimes will commemorate the western world’s collective support for inhumanity in the face of reprimand from the ICC.

Jeffrey Simms

East side

Reclaiming our Republican Party

It’s imperative that we reclaim our Republican Party of the past with its traditional values from the MAGA extremists who have taken control and corrupted them both.

For over 200 years our democracy has functioned best when moderates of two parties worked together to pass laws in the best interests of the American people. That does not allow for self-serving extremists on either side, especially those who seek to destroy democracy itself.

Republicans and independents alike must vote the MAGAs out of office by electing the Democrats who seek to replace them. It will take courage and commitment to our American ideals to put country over party, but that is the only path forward to reclaim our Republican Party.

As former Republican Lt. Governor Duncan recently stated, “Voting for Kamala Harris and the Democratic ticket does not make you a Democrat. It makes you a patriot.”

I look forward to the day when we have a true Republican Party again and our democracy is secure once more.

Jacolyn Marshall

Oro Valley

Testimony confirms price gouging

Republicans have mocked Vice President Harris’ claims of price gouging. After all, it’s much easier to blame the Biden administration for inflation — although that doesn’t explain why all Western economies have experienced inflation, usually more than the rate of inflation in America. But recent testimony during the trial to block the Kroger-Albertsons merger, brought by the Biden administration’s Federal Trade Commission, proved corporate price gouging by Kroger. As reported by Newsweek, Kroger’s senior director for pricing Andy Goff admitted under oath that he wrote an internal email stating that milk and egg retail inflation (what Kroger charges) has been significantly higher than cost inflation (what Kroger pays). Isn’t it time to have a president who has fought corporate greed in the courts and won? Isn’t it time for a president and her administration that isn’t beholden to large corporations and doesn’t make excuses for corporate greed?

Donald Klein

North side

Voters must hold Criminal-in-Chief accountable

The Criminal-in-Chief is at it again-willfully violating the law because he believes that he is above it. Using the hallowed ground of Arlington for blatantly political purposes is a clear violation of Federal law. His corrupt character, exposed by the immorality of this act, brands him as someone who can never be allowed to make a mockery of the president’s oath to preserve, protect and defend the constitution and take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

Further, Trump and his team verbally/physically intimidated a military official as they pushed their way past her. Is there a limit to Trump’s shame? Obviously not! But, and this is a big but, the voters can silence this lawless threat to our democracy, once and for all, on November 5th. If not, he is sure to pardon the January 6th insurrectionists and order the DOJ to dismiss the fake elector and classified document cases-forever extinguishing the sacred American principle that no one, especially the president, is above the law.

Sharon Jones

North side

The death of the Republican Party

As a lifelong Republican, it is depressing and extremely disappointing to watch the strategies and tactics of the current Republican Party as led by Donald Trump. While there may be Democratic Party policies that are not in the best interests of the American people, it cannot excuse voting for the most agnostic, belligerent, obnoxious, self-serving criminal to ever show up on the American political stage. As a nation, we have survived for over two centuries by working through our problems and developing compromise approaches. But, in the current arena, no Republican member of Congress is allowed to contradict the mafia-based ideas of the top people in the Party. Looking back at the “Godfather” movie series, it is clear how to control the world around them. Contenders like Nicky Haley must receive an offer that they cannot refuse. If and when Trump loses the upcoming election, there must be a change at the grassroots level for the Republican Party to re-emerge after the next election.

Alfred Oakland

Oro Valley