Unwanted kids suffer terribly
I have been a health care professional for 50 years and have seen many things change over the years .
One of the things I have seen come to fruition was a woman’s right to a safe abortion.
I have also seen what happens when an unwanted pregnancy turns into an unwanted child. More and more we read of the terrible abuses children suffer. Unwanted and unloved, neglected and helpless, they often become wards of an already overburdened child protection agency.
I know the emphasis is being placed on the unborn, but are we giving any thought to the results of the many children that will ultimately suffer?
Gaye Bruni
Northeast side
Our longest war took place here
Is Afghanistan really “America’s Longest War?” That’s what the news media has been saying. But that stigma really belongs to the Apache Wars (1849-1886) fought here in Southern Arizona and New Mexico. We’ve forgotten that war, forgotten the 1871 Camp Grant Massacre where Tucson vigilantes slaughtered 144 Apaches, all but eight of them women and children. Is the Apache Wars a mandatory part of school curriculum in Arizona? Would the Legislature ban it as critical race theory?
John Stark
Southeast side
Texas turns back the clock
It seems that the Republican Party has decided that women need to return to being chattel and subject to the rules that men lay down. It may be that some, but not all members of the both political parties have a personal or religious objection to abortion.
The majority of voters in the U.S. favor Roe v. Wade and the freedom that it gives women to control their own bodies. Abortion is not something new and has been practiced for hundreds of years.
The major advance we have seen is the use of modern medical practices which assure the safety of the woman. The GOP in Texas, Arizona, and other states have decided that a small group of legislators has the right to tell the majority how to think and act.
If you are a woman you should be outraged that your freedoms are being usurped for no reason other than politics. Everyone in Arizona should see the parallel with the Taliban in Afghanistan and the legislators in Phoenix.
George Ball
Midtown
Add value to the world
If you give more than you receive, you will always have enough.
Ron Hensley
Northeast side
Death worship here and abroad
Twenty years have come to pass,
Afghanistan, our great morass,
returns once more to civil war
as politicians here keep score.
The outcome though, was clear to most
before we bombed their holy ghost
and chased the Taliban to caves
where radical ideas are saved.
Reason is ignored by those
whose history is bound in prose
that glorifies their gods of death
and recognizes only faith.
They serve their bloody god’s demands
to kill the infidels on hand
or women in their families
who dare to question homilies.
We must remember this of man,
he craves the power of the clan
to construe their faith of fear,
and this is true, both there and here.
Rick Scifres
Green Valley
Time to rally around Biden
The president is being pummeled by both left- and right-wing media. The public is losing confidence just when the president needs our support on issues that will define the United States for the next century.
Sure, I’d like to see Afghan women get equal rights — but first let’s get equal rights for American women. Sure, I’d like to get the last American out of Afghanistan, but I suspect most of those people could have gotten out six months ago.
Sure, I’d like to keep 15,000 military personnel in Afghanistan, but that is not essential to U.S. interests — not when we have drones that can carry a warhead. In fact, I could never understand the obsession with Afghanistan. The 9/11 terrorists came from Saudi Arabia, developed the plan in Germany, and got flight training in the U.S.
People, get behind the president. His success is our success.
Robert Mann
Northwest side
Ducey’s misdeeds cannot continue
I am thoroughly appalled and disgusted by Gov. Ducey’s spurious decision to misuse millions of dollars of federal COVID-19 relief funds to pay for private school vouchers in order for the children of anti-maskers to avoid wearing masks in the classroom. Laughably, he claims this is all about giving people choices!
These public funds were intended to assist businesses and individuals who are struggling economically. They were not provided for Ducey to help misguided, misinformed people avoid taking reasonable protective measures against the spread of COVID-19! Arizona Republicans have abrogated their responsibility to protect the public against the pandemic, and this ridiculous voucher giveaway is yet another putrid example of their malfeasance!
Gov. Ducey should do the state a favor, resign immediately and go back to pushing ice cream!
Waid Reynolds
Green Valley
Full stadiums in a pandemic
Re: the Sept. 9 guest opinion article by Louie Christensen on “filling Arizona Stadium”
I have to give him an A for his enthusiastic support for UA. Unfortunately, his suggestion of filling all 57,400 (or any) stadium seats with fans to “give UA an edge” is part of the 20-to-45 age group mindset that COVID isn’t real, or won’t affect them, or they just don’t want to be cooped up and want to have fun. Thus that age group has always had the highest incidence of COVID — by far.
The very same issue of the Star contained articles about the continuing threat of COVID and that the number of cases per day in the U.S. is now at levels “not seen since January” and “large gatherings and relaxed social distancing” is fueling COVID right now — not to mention insufficient vaccination rates!
So, if the UA needs more people to be exposed to, contracting and dying of COVID in order to have an “edge” something is very wrong.
Gail M. Barnhill
East side
COVID isn’t the only virus
Two years ago I was bit by a mosquito here in Tucson and contracted the West Nile virus.
After a stint in the hospital and rehab I was sent home. Unfortunately the virus had attacked my nervous system which for the past two years has been in self-destruct mode. There is no vaccine for West Nile and there is no post-infection treatment to treat the nervous system.
I know that you are thinking that you have been bit thousands of times, so no big deal. Well, I had been bitten thousands of times, it only took one more bite.
This has been said many times but take care, use insect repellant, cover up as much as possible if outside in the morning or evening. Don’t get bit.
Kevin Goodman
East side
