Abortion bans and the shocking results
Re: the Jan. 25 Tucson.com article “Nearly 65,000 pregnancies from rape have occurred in states with abortion bans, study estimates.”
A recent article in the Daily Star described the catastrophic results of overturning Roe v. Wade 18 months ago and the political push to deny women their individual reproductive rights. In 14 states that adopted abortion bans, a shocking 500,000 women were raped, resulting in over 65,000 unintended pregnancies.
Sadly, these women did not have a choice when being sexually violated, nor becoming pregnant. But they certainly deserve, as all women do, a choice in how they manage their own reproductive health and well-being. They deserve the personal privacy of council with their physician. They deserve to be respected and cared for.
The issue of abortion rights is an emotionally charged one. And while the debate goes on, women continue to face challenges associated with abuse, injustice, and desperation when faced with an unintended pregnancy. Her right to choose how she manages the results of her rape should NOT be one of those challenges.
Carla Andrews-O’Hara
Northeast side
Trump’s hypocrisy
The former president, in his role as hand puppet to dictators, recently said he would let one of his idols, Vladimir Putin, attack any country which was lagging on payments to help support NATO.
This is the same grifter who has been involved in many, many, theft of service lawsuits over the years not to count the bankruptcies, outright theft of donations and anything illegal to line his pockets.
The fact that anyone at all believes his lies puts his MAGA followers out in the open. He is one of the most blazing hypocrites of our age as are those who blindly lap up his rot.
Tim Canny
Oracle
Asylum and citizenship
The failed Senate legislation allowed for hiring of 800 new Federal Asylum officers at the border able to approve asylum applicants’ petition after an interview and grant them employment authorization. The applicant could then apply for Permanent Resident “green card” status, then after five years, could apply for citizenship. The Senate legislation allowed up to 5,000 to enter illegally a day to potentially apply for asylum, and an additional 1,400 daily at the Ports of Entry. That amounts to over 2 million annually. The threshold for proving “credible fear of prosecution” in their home country in applying for asylum was lessened from significant possibility to reasonable possibility of persecution. How many cases do you think would be approved by the Biden administration seeking to expand the Democrat voter base and forever cement their political power over the country? Democrat Senator Murphy, who negotiated the bill, recently commented that “undocumented Americans were the people his party cares about most.” Wow really, not the homeless, not veterans, not you and me!
Boris Slovek
Green Valley
Values revealed
It has become more and more apparent — Republicans want dirty air and polluted water (as they stand against regulations); no ‘diversity’, ‘inequity’ and ‘exclusion’ … as they stand firmly against DEI. Seems they’d just like to take us back to the land of the Klan.
Emily Morrison
Midtown
Changing party
I remember when President Ronald Reagan said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” thereby contributing to the liberation of a number of countries in Central Europe. I can imagine him saying, “Mr. Putin, get out of Ukraine.” Instead, Donald Trump tells us he would invite Putin to go as far as he wants. As I used to say to my neighbor, “Sam, this is not your father’s Republican Party.”
Betty Feinberg
Southeast side
Permanently end horse racing at Rillito Park
Well-deserved praise goes to the Pima County Administrator, and the Board of Supervisors for their decision to suspend horse racing at Rillito Park.
The Rillito Park Foundation’s failure to provide complete audits for the past three years is just another example of their entrenched habit of playing hide-and-seek with the truth.
The public, and particularly taxpayers, are growing increasingly disgusted with the cronyism, and financial and political shenanigans being displayed by our elected officials, and those in positions of power.
Hundreds of thousands of foals are born each year in the horseracing industries’ massive breeding programs; most of them end up in slaughterhouses.
Gambling, alcohol sales, subsidies from govt/taxpayers, and the worn-out term “tradition,” have all enabled horseracing to continue in its immoral use of horses.
It’s time to put the final nail in the coffin of this dying industry, and use our public land and money for the betterment of our entire community.
Deb Thompson
East side
Read between the lines
Re: the Feb. 13 ad on page A5
A full-page ad — Thank you bipartisan Senators, appears to thank a list of 61 bipartisan Senators for supporting Medicare Advantage. The ad is sponsored by Better Medicare Alliance, an Insurance Industry supported False Front Group.
This group fought the efforts to control insulin costs and Medicare bargaining with drug companies. The list includes 40 Republican Senators, all of whom voted against legislation authorizing Medicare bargaining drug costs, along with 19 liberal Democrats who voted for bargaining authorization, one Independent Sinema (AZ) voting against and the other — Angus King (ME) introducing legislation in support of bargaining. Read the list of Senators and decide who is truly bipartisan and also remember who really supports Medicare and affordable healthcare for everyone.
Charles Sanner, retired physician
Foothills
Voter priorities
I see that voters have several priorities for the next election — the economy, abortion, migration, taxes, etc. But what about global warming? I am reminded of the saying: “We want to keep everything in tip top shape … on our sinking ship.”
George and Gertrud
Johnson
North side
Poll: Most think Biden got special treatment
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll showed 53% of respondents believed President Biden received special treatment from Special Counsel Hur’s decision not to prosecute him. Hur found that Biden had willfully possessed and disclosed classified documents. Hur stated that a jury would likely not convict Biden as he was “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” What Hur should have done is charged Biden and let a jury decide his fate. And his ghost book writer Mark Zwonitzer should have been charged with Obstruction of Justice for destroying recorded conversations with Biden in which he revealed classified information. Hur used another contrived justification not to charge him. I believe Hur looked for an excuse not to charge Biden. As opposed to Special Counsel Smith who has looked at every federal statute in the book to charge Trump. At least Trump had the authority as President to declassify documents, whereas Biden as a Senator and VP did not. That should have been a mitigating reason not to charge Trump.
Alberto Torres
North side
Biden said it best
“Dumb, Shameful, Dangerous, un-American!” … and that’s stated rather nicely!
Giving Russia a green light to attack anyone, let alone a NATO member … from someone who wants to be President of our country?! This man’s narcissistic and ugly behavior knows absolutely no bounds. Great qualifications for a self-serving, wannabe dictator, but not for the leader of our country!
There is one thing about Trump … he keeps catching our attention as he sinks lower and lower with the next disgusting noise he makes! But do we think ourselves a people deserving of such behavior?
Please … one more time for you not terrorized thinking about who this man is and will remain … this is not who we are or what we want or what we need … no matter how much one wants to leave the world and let someone else do his or her thinking, we will be decimated by this man!
This man does not care who we are … just how he can use us to get what he wants!
Frank Parsons
Northeast side
Changing parties
Re: the Feb. 13 letter “Switch parties.”
I am writing to correct some information conveyed in this letter. I verified with the Pima County Recorder’s office that a special rule is in place for Presidential Preference voting. Unlike other primaries in Arizona, you must be registered as either a Republican or a Democrat to receive a presidential preference ballot of the party you are affiliated with. In other words, voters registered as Independent cannot vote for any candidates on either the Republican or the Democratic ballot.
If you want to make a change to your party affiliation, it must be completed no later than 29 days before the presidential preference voting day. I believe the presidential preference “primary” is held March 19, and your change must be completed before Feb. 21.
Nancy Rochman
Midtown
Fines for left-lane drivers
Re: the Feb. 14 article “Left lane lingering could cost drivers $250.”
This new law should include all four-lane or wider roads, not just Interstates, including Ajo Highway in SW Tucson!
Glen Fotre
Southwest side
Old Cal
Re: the Feb. 13 article “Biden’s latest gaffes show the unmaking of a president.”
Cal Thomas tells us Biden is too old. Thomas is Biden’s age, but we’re supposed to listen to Cal — Hypocrite.
Biden has accomplished a lot, and none of it was harmed by his age. The GOP wants to avoid, like hell, talking of any actual issues … so they harp on age. It’s the equivalent of yelling, “Squirrel!” to a dog.
Thomas refers to, “your lying eyes.” Yeah the same group that saw Jan. 6 as a tourist visit. Such clear vision. Many legal scholars have called out Robert Hur’s inappropriate words in his report. Clearly he was smearing Biden for the party.
Thomas attacks H. Clinton as “extremely careless” in her documents case, but whines that Donald’s massive steal, and two efforts to conceal it are unfair.
Videos of Trump 10 years ago compared to now, are telling. Both his folks died with dementia, and his vocabulary is down to 300 words. I’m not worried about Biden.
Christi Driggs
Northwest side
What are high crimes and misdemeanors?
Spineless.
You voted to “impeach” Alejandro Mayorkas for alleged “high crimes and misdemeanors.” You voted because you were told to by your party leadership. Towing the party line, nothing more, nothing less. Independent critical thinking? Missing. Standing up for what’s right? Missing. Covering your political hind-side? Yes.
Your vote is a sad commentary on how far down the rabbit hole the GOP has fallen. It’s become beholden to far-right fanatics, including Trump, exerting their will on a majority who are more rational, but all afraid, including you.
Spineless, Juan. Just another political hack, business as usual, while you hide behind your platitudes to your constituents about how great a job you think you’re doing for us.
Think again about what you really voted for. Certainly not for us, border security, or anything else that matters. But at least Donald and his crazy friends in the House of Representatives won’t be calling Juan Ciscomani threatening to incur their political wrath.
Ultimately, it’s all about you.
Paul Emmert
Marana
Immigration crisis or Ciscomani photo op
How many ways can Republicans, including Representative Juan Ciscomani, waste taxpayer money with useless resolutions and photo ops? The day after the Senate refused to vote on the bipartisan, negotiated border bill, Mr. Ciscomani was back at the border with fellow Republican House members for a new photo op. Republicans think they can wait a year to fix the border, because they think division is good politics.
On Tuesday (Nov. 13), Mr. Ciscomani voted for a second time to impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas for undefined high crimes and misdemeanors that look more like policy differences. This useless resolution is DOA in the Senate, much like the Senate’s bipartisan border bill will never be heard in the House.
In 2024, we have a chance to exchange Mr. Ciscomani for an independent thinker and a person who will work across the aisle. Mr. Ciscomani has shown, he just follows the Republican crowd.
Patricia Hale
Northwest side
Quoting the Bible out of context
Re: the Feb. 14 letter “Christianity a cult.”
A letter writer attributed to Jesus a mandate to kill, quoting Luke 19:27. What he didn’t say was that Jesus was telling a parable, which begins in Luke 19:12, about a nobleman who went to a faraway country to become a king. It’s that king’s vicious demand against his enemies that is recorded in verse 27, and it’s not the main point of the parable. Jesus wasn’t expressing approval of this king, nor is this passage the justification for Christians who, throughout history, have used violence.
When I teach Scripture, I always tell my students not to quote the Bible out of context. That can distort the meaning.
Sister Karen Berry, OSF
Midtown
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