Opposites
Opposites really do attract. Trump vs. Maga supporter. I’m a draft dodger. I was indicted 91 times; I never was. I went bankrupt six times. I golf, I don’t. I was married three times. I don’t go to church, I do. I went to college; I did not.
Steve Johnson
South Tucson
This enhanced color composition of Pluto’s fully lit northern hemisphere was created using four images and other data collected by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft in 2015. An Arizona lawmaker seeks the have Pluto named as the state’s official planet.
AZ Representative for Pluto
Wow! Pluto has now become Arizona’s official planet. With all the enormous humanitarian, water, and budgetary issues facing Arizona, our state government was able to carve out time to legally identify Pluto as our planet. Since a significant portion of our Republican legislatures do not live in the districts that they represent, who will now jump to be the representative for Pluto? With a portion of our legislators recently returning from a voter-paid sojourn to Israel (did they resolve anything?), is a trip to Pluto under consideration? I bet a lot of us would be delighted to light the rocket to send them.
Jay Gandolfi
Northeast side
Israel and Gaza
Apparently, Israel’s recent attack on humanitarian aid workers in Gaza has achieved its desired effect. The day after the IAF killed seven World Central Kitchen workers, I received an email from ANERA, another humanitarian organization providing aid in Gaza, informing me of ANERA’s decision to pause its work in Gaza. It is difficult to believe that the airstrike was an accident: the IAF struck three separate vehicles at distinctly different times and locations despite the fact that at least one vehicle was clearly labeled as a WCK vehicle on its roof and windshield and despite the fact that the WCK had coordinated its movements with the Israeli military beforehand. Nonetheless, the United States continues to provide Israel with more and more military arms, including artillery rounds and 2,000-pound bombs. I wonder how much longer the citizens of our so-called “Christian” nation will continue to tolerate our government’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza. Actions do speak louder than words.
John Prugh
Foothills
Funding for homeless Vets
How about shifting some of the billions being redirected for the undocumented being funneled to homeless, addicted vets and local homeless and fentanyl addicted?
Maybe some of the unverified Ukraine aid.
Maybe we can have some of the homeless train with the Ukrainian pilots who fly over their heads at the Golf Links Camp B?
How about some of the aid for Gaza being parachuted in to our homeless?
Did any of our homeless vote to wipe Jews off the face of the planet or rape or kill Jews or take their children hostage?
Questions.
Richard Barnes
East side
Trump’s VP pick
I read an article by a writer that knows a lot more about politics than I do and he concluded that Marjorie Taylor Greene would be Trump’s pick since Mike Pence won’t have anything to do with him.
I have a different theory. MTG and Kari Lake are both slavishly loyal and willing to do anything for their cult leader. The main difference is Trump is all about appearances and Lake is a lot easier to look at and listen to.
Are there odds in Vegas?
Robert McNeil
Midtown
Foreign policy is important to Tucson
Re: the March 30 article “Keep Antisemitism out of Tucson.”
The opinion piece authors are correct — hate and antisemitism have no place in America or Tucson. We invite the authors to sign the pledge to Stop the Hate — a Tucson campaign to end hate speech which can lead to hate crimes. We need to spread the truth about what has been happening in City Council meetings these past months. A majority of Americans are for a lasting ceasefire, and this is what we at council meetings support, not the destruction of the state of Israel. Foreign policy IS important to Tucson — local companies build bombs and military hardware which our government uses to support this conflict. Zionism is a political ideology, not a religion. Pro-ceasefire speakers at city council are anti-Zionist not anti-Jewish — many ARE Jewish. Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. What legacy do you want, mayor and council, supporting a lasting ceasefire or supporting genocide?
Sarah Roberts
West side
Women first
In Senator Britt’s Republican response to President Biden’s State of the Union Address, she characterized half the population as “moms.” Being a mom is one of the most difficult jobs ever, but before we were “moms,” we were “women” in public discourse.
As women, we’ve faced some huge challenges — sometimes soul-crushing ones. Lack of opportunities into professions that paid a living wage, pay disparity in many jobs, fear of unwanted pregnancies or infertility, concerns about contraception and reproductive health, and many of us were handling these things while still being “moms.” That’s strength.
Celebrate and raise up women. Britt diminished the female experience down to “kitchen table talk.” I am in my kitchen, but I’m everywhere else. So are my men — my family members and friends who care about the women in their lives. Make your vote this year a vote for women. Vote for Democrats who support them.
Margaret Scott
Midtown
Does truth matter?
Easter is a “moveable feast,” occurring on a different date every year. In 2009, March 31 was set as the yearly date for Trans Visibility, and it has been that date ever since (even through the years of the Trump presidency). This year, it happened that Easter landed on March 31 and now former president Donald Trump is accusing President Biden of dishonoring Christianity by “establishing” Trans Visibility on Easter. No matter our political party, no matter our religious affiliation, no matter our opinions, truth matters. Or does it?
Carolyn Ancell
Oro Valley
The greater good
Re: the April 1 letter “Greater good.”
I find it terribly sad that the letter writer is so cynical about the meaning of those words. The greater good actually has nothing to do with socialism. Simply put, the greater good is the act of considering others when making decisions. Great leaders in history (e.g. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa) have contributed to the betterment of humankind or the greater good. Everyday citizens contribute to the greater good when they become soldiers, doctors, teachers, researchers, humanitarian aid workers, and so forth. Wise people develop strategies that target the greater good, not just themselves or their particular organizations. As a society, we rely on those who contribute to the greater good to be the role models for our young people. Since when did thinking of others become equivalent to socialism?
Judith Nelson
Foothills
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