Freedom of speech, immunity — for whom?
Most recognize that with their 1st Amendment right goes an incredibly important sense of responsibility. The ones that don’t, like Fox News, at least occasionally pay a price.
Trump works to ceaselessly exploit this right. With his incessant lying and direct attacks against individuals and the judicial system, he systematically violates it. Certainty while he tries to stay out of jail, with his access to seemingly unlimited funding from wealthy individuals and now the GOP, he comes close to beating it to death.
Trump now declares he, indeed, also has immunity. Only he, unlike previous Presidents (or anyone else!), can incite an insurrection, shoot someone, steal state secrets, commit fraud, or bully state officials to “find votes”... and suffer no consequence.
Now the “non-political” Supreme Court has decided to pass on Trump’s immunity claim. Like with eliminating women’s rights, or with rationalizing “unlimited-funding” from special-interest groups, the Court has another opportunity to significantly damage our democratic process.
Such an endorsement would be at least equally catastrophic!
Frank Parsons
Northeast side
Kari Lake
The AZ abortion election
Kari Lake is the anti-abortion candidate in this year’s Arizona abortion election. Lake has an extensive record of extremist anti-abortion rhetoric that has landed her a national republican abortion star. Her political fight to ban abortions is unambiguous. It will haunt her campaign for the U.S. Senate. Her stubborn position will drive more and more women voters and voters exhausted by her radical position to the polls this November. She is clearly out of step with the majority of voters in Arizona. There is simply no ambiguity left for Lake to spin politically. Kari is what she is.
Jerry Wilkerson SaddleBrooke
The climate change hoax
First, I am not denying that there is not climate change. What I am writing about is the hoax that reducing our CO2 emissions through drastic social and economic change will do anything to stop it. If current CO2 levels in the atmosphere will remain for centuries, then how does reducing CO2 emissions now save the planet? Logic would dictate that if the world went to zero emissions tomorrow, it would have no effect on our current climate. I frankly think Climate Change is used by governments to reduce personal freedoms and impose more control over our lives. Instead of government CO2 emissions mandates causing economic and social disruptions, we should have freedom of choice. If people want to buy EVs, ignoring the CO2 emissions and harm to the environment created during their manufacture, then fine. But do not force us to do so. Let’s have market-based choices. And let’s not use the government to provide bribes to auto manufacturers to produce EVs over other types of vehicles.
Shaki Johnson East side
Israeli war
The Palestinian people have been persecuted and treated as second-class citizens since Israel’s creation in 1948. After the war in 1967 when Israel took control of Gaza and the West Bank the oppression intensified. It should come as no surprise to Israel and the world that the Palestinian people turned to the lies and false promises of the terrorist group Hamas. Suffering people looking for hope are known to make unwise bad choices.
What I cannot understand is how the Jewish Israeli people, who themselves have suffered so much throughout history and experienced genocide can inflict this persecution, suffering and attempted genocide on another group of people, the Palestinians. Where is the compassion and where has it been for the last 50 years? I think the Israeli leader Netanyahu and the conservative far-right Israelis and Americans have forgotten the Holocaust. They should heed their own saying “Remember the Holocaust”.
Therese Flores Southwest side
Liberal media fabrication?
An all too frequent defender of another idiotic or abhorrent Trump statement simply joins the chorus of those who, including elected officials, who feel they must clarify something else Trump has said.
While it actually matters not what Trump actually meant, the fact that Poison Control Centers all over the country were inundated with calls regarding ingesting bleach, or that those in attendance when Trump made his comments were cringing, is a far more accurate indication of how the comment was perceived.
Even Trump didn’t deny his actual intent. He simply claimed he was being “sarcastic”.
In a country where warning labels must be included on hairdryers instructing against use in showers, and folks must be cautioned not to use medicines designed for livestock, those with prominent or influential platforms must take full responsibility for their statements.
Glen Vann
West side
Clean energy is the key
Re: the May 21 article “Biden is a better choice on environment.”
Mike Carran’s op-ed about the Biden administration’s investments in infrastructure and clean energy technology reminded me of another time of economic promise.
Most readers remember Alan Greenspan’s giddiness in the late 1990s when the stock market kept rising and our economy included a great job market and expansive global trade. A number of factors produced that boom including investments in technology, particularly computers.
The transition we’re experiencing now from fossil fuel to clean, renewable energy is producing a similar economy to that of the 90s. Globally, investments in clean energy, from semi-conductors to solar and wind, increased 75% in the last year. In addition to BIL and IRA, the Biden Administration passed the CHIPS Act, bringing two lithium iron battery factories to Tucson. There’s no going back to black lung disease or the poverty of Appalachia. Investors are searching for net zero carbon emissions, cleaner air, and a stable climate and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin’s steady economic policy will get us there.
Jane Conlin Oro Valley
The Republicans’ Ukraine….
If anyone out there is paying attention, you would notice that Putin’s front into the Karkiv area is being halted and he is suffering tremendous losses. So how much the Republicans tried to help Trump and in turn Putin it is not working. The Ukrainian people are right now the toughest and most capable fighters in the world and if the former president gets his way with assistance from the Freedom Caucus and its minions, the sacrifices the Ukrainian people have had to and are still enduring will be for naught. I call on all Republicans to contact their House member and implore them to help these brave people. I recall from history another group who didn’t want to live under the yoke of oppression and if you look into a mirror you might see a descendant or an American.
Mike Dai Midtown
When the whip cracks
I received 4 emails from Congressman Juan Ciscomani in this past week highlighting his accomplishments. Here they are with my responses.
1. Law Enforcement Safety. He cannot be taken seriously in light of Republicans’ acceptance of violence to police on January 6th.
2. Increased Funding for Head Start. That is until Trump cracks his whip and such “socialist” policies are voted down.
3. Mental Health Awareness Month. Until Trump riles up his mentally compromised supporters to commit acts of violence.
4. Maternal and Child Health Block Grant. No comprehensive maternal health without abortion care when it’s needed. Ciscomani gets a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee which is 100% anti-abortion in all instances as far as I can determine.
When Trump cracks his whip Ciscomani always falls into line with the rest of the Republicans in Congress. Nice try but it’s Kirsten Engel for me!
Melvina Strijdonk
Oro Valley
Palo Verde trees a blazing
Thank you for your poem/prayer about the Palo Verdes and Cardinals. Thy are calling us to worship our God.
Mary Ann Kopke
Northwest side
WNBA is the best
It used to be that you could actually count the number of fans at a WNBA game. Now, players like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, Tina Charles, and others, make it one of the best sports to watch and follow. With the addition of Caitlin Clark, arenas are selling out and revenues are at an all-time high. Yet, the Star does not cover the WNBA. Women’s sports in general are ignored in its sports pages. Come on, join the 21st century!
Sean Bruner
West side
Dysfunctional Congress
Citizens, it is time that we make changes to rectify our dysfunctional elected lawmakers who refuse to compromise and do what is good for all the American people. The way to fix this problem is through term limits. Every elected official should not be able to serve more than two terms of four years or less. That way we can get lawmakers that will do things and make compromises that are good for all the people.
Hal Brown
East side
Profiles in cowardice
The next chapter in Profiles in Cowardice? It’s “Chapter 6: Nikki Haley Bends a Knee.” After racist and sexist remarks about her, and after he insults her husband’s military service, Nikki Haley bends a knee to the MAGA King. Integrity has long been missing in action in the Republican Party. Vote Democrat!
James Nesci
East side
RFK Junior is no Senior
For those of us who came of age during Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential run in 1968, his namesake’s candidacy is sad and baffling. Apparently, we are not alone since most members of the Kennedy clan have publicly endorsed President Biden over RFK Jr.
His father’s campaign was a moral juggernaut, founded in opposition to a controversial war; Junior’s is mired in conspiracy diatribes and anti-vax paranoia. His name is the only reason he is even part of the conversation and while his polling suggests he has no chance of victory, he might very well determine the victor.
Supporters claim that their votes will make a statement, but just what is the statement? Yes, RFK Jr. is chronologically younger than Biden and Trump by several decades, however, he recently revealed that his cranium was attacked by parasitic tapeworms which devoured part of his brain leaving him with “memory loss and mental fogginess.” One wonders if it’s his supporters who need their heads examined.
Jim Lombardo
Oro Valley
A hearty laugh
Re: the May 23 article “Several Tucson streets to get lower speed limits.”
Been under the weather and who would have thought the front page of the paper today, Thursday, would have provided such laughter. I really needed it. So Tucson is going to set lower speed limits. (I still can’t stop laughing.) Sadly, it is not laughable. It’s like a slap in the face to city residents. There is no traffic law enforcement here.
Catherine Grossman
Midtown
Gratitude to TPD officers
I am a playground recess supervisor at St. Michaels school here in Tucson.
Recently, three officers of Tucson Police Dept. came to our school during our lunch recesses and treated all of our students to an excellent presentation and demonstration of police vehicles, equipment and lots of questions and answers about police work.
These officers led by J. Voss of TPD, were friendly, engaging, enthusiastic and fun.
The kids loved it!
Thank you to TPD and those wonderful officers for this excellent community outreach.
They may have inspired some future career law enforcement candidates.
Dan Egan
East side
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