Standing for flag should go without question
Recently a NBA player was standing with hand over heart for our national anthem. He had to explain his reasoning for doing so to the media. I ask why?
If others choose to do the kneeling thing, so be it. Someone who wishes to stand should not be considered some kind of racist because of his/her action. In this case, his brother served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and felt it proper to do so.
Folks, we better wake up and start thinking what is reasonable and just before it is too late. And I firmly do believe it is getting to that “too late” period. The so called protesters in Portland, Oregon, have been burning cars and buildings for weeks and don’t have to answer for their damage and looting and someone standing for our anthem does?
Something is wrong with this scenario.
Edward Mancini
Green Valley
Environmental policy revision missed mark
Re: the July 31 letter “Environmental review process rightly updated.”
Mr. Lueck’s comments on CEQ’s recent revision of the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act state that CEQ’s rules had become considerably more onerous through the years. But, with the exception of one amendment responsive to industry advocacy in 1986, CEQ’s regulations are the same regulations praised by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce when they were issued in 1978. What has changed is federal agencies’ capacity to implement those regulations competently.
Sadly, rather than addressing that issue, the revisions make changes that will undermine people’s confidence in the process. For example, allowing an applicant like Rosemont Copper to write their own environmental impact statement, avoid the process completely, avoid undertaking scientific research and avoid analyzing significant environmental, economic and social effects.
These are the reasons why major objections have been expressed by many people and organizations, including Pima County. Yes, the 1978 regulations could be improved but this revision did not get it right.
Dinah Bear
East side
Gov. Ducey saves embers, gets praised
Gov. Doug Ducey goes to the White House for a session in the big yellow chair with Dr. Deborah Birx and First Tenant. He forgets to wear his mask during this session, yet he receives much praise for a job well done to save Arizona from the pandemic. Save the embers!
Facts are the governor left most of the decisions to the local officials, when he was not standing in the way of important decisions. Now the medical doctors are asking for the state medical director to resign due to a poor job saving people of Arizona. Sounds more like spreading ashes on the truth than praise. Could it be the president was looking for electoral votes and political cover for his political puppet, Martha McSally?
The White House meeting was not about saving “embers” but dousing the truth during a bad pandemic in Arizona and the nation. In the language of the fire service, this meeting was about saving political assets.
Kenn Block
Mount Lemmon
Footballer player should be thankful
A University of Arizona football player identified problems needing fixing and explained why he is not given proper credit for his football prowess. “We are getting paid $0, risking our health for peoples’ entertainment. People who have not and never will step foot on a football field.”
To answer the $0 pay I respond that he receives, monthly, free books, room, board, tuition and essentials. An amount that certainly is in the thousands of dollars and which would be welcomed freely by any other student. Yes, I watched the “entertainment” and believe what I have seen has not been that entertaining but embarrassing. The young man is definitely misinformed when he believes not one fan has ever played football. I believe you would find many who have played the sport, some at a higher level than he and probably quite a few played it better. Please quit the whining and enjoy your perks, while you can.
Phil Reinecker
East side
Police excesses
go too far with children
Recently, a Black family with small children was stopped on suspicion of a stolen car. Children as young as 5 or 6 were handcuffed and made to lie face down on the ground. Usually, a check of the car registration should have proved proper ownership of the car. Treating young children like that is enough to give them nightmares and damage them psychologically for the rest of their lives. A child of 6 years was not going to run away. This is something any human should understand.
Police departments should do a better job of treating all humans, let alone children, with the understanding of future damage in their lives. They are our future.
Anant Pathak
Foothills
Star rejoices
in border wall’s fall
It was highly predicable, soon after the big monsoon rain of about a week ago, the Arizona Daily Star rushed down to the border wall being built along the San Pedro River, or received photos from anti-wall activists, showing washed out dirt roads and cement foundations covered in mud. But the CBP and the construction contractor had already anticipated all that, thus the reason for not having erected the steel slats yet.
They knew monsoon rains were coming. The Star even previously reported on this, so it should not have been a new story. But of course the border wall is the Star’s nemesis, along with President Trump. They have reported on some “sloppy” construction of the wall, but that was of a privately funded wall in Texas.
How “sloppy” is the construction of the over 50 miles already built in Arizona? You cannot build miles and miles of steel wall without some slats or foundation issues, but I think those are the exceptions.
Frederick Summers
East side
Ducey right
in closing gyms
On seeing that Gov. Doug Ducey is trying to deny gyms to reopen, let’s hope he wins this fight. The ruling does threaten the lives of all. I would love to be able to go back to the gym. However, being a member at a gym in Tucson, members were not following protocol.
Sprays and towels were being supplied, less than half would spray down equipment before/after using. People were not staying the proper distance apart. Very few members had on masks. I even overheard a few as they stated that they only wear the mask at the front desk and then take it off inside.
There were also groups working out together. Scary. People grabbing weights and plates and not wiping off. Unless the judge or the governor had been at a fitness center, it is an eye-opener. We are fortunate to be in Arizona with this weather. Take it outside until our pandemic is under control. Judge, please grant Ducey and our state the stay.
Kirsten Johanson
Marana
To protect and serve — the president
As a white person, I have known that there are some bad actors in law enforcement, although on the few occasions that I have had interactions with them, they were always professional and courteous. This belief has now been shaken. The Minneapolis episode brought to light how much power the police unions have to protect and serve the police from oversight.
A man who has been convicted of running an illegal university; a man who was convicted of running a bogus charity; someone who wrote in his book how to cheat those he dealt with; the one who bragged about grabbing women by their vaginas; that man said he would protect and serve the police.
Now we find that the National Association of Police and the Arizona Police Association are endorsing this convict to be reelected president of the United States. This scares me. I sure would like to see a response from the law enforcement community.
Ray Omdahl
Green Valley
Justice Roberts doesn’t please Pence
Vice President Mike Pence registered his disapproval of Supreme Court Justice John Roberts in a recent speech. While in theory Roberts is a Republican, he has decided to offer opinions that reflect his interpretation of the Constitution per the mandate of that document rather than those of any sitting president, in this case Trump. Imagine that.
I always thought that the Supreme Court was a separate functional arm of the governance as the Founding Fathers intended. And hence the members of that court should interpret issues with an eye toward the Constitution and not an eye toward Trump or whomever. It seems that isn’t how Pence sees it.
Should the Supreme Court be beholden to the president that appoints the members? Pence seems to think so. While I can’t agree with all the positions Roberts has taken, I acknowledge his willingness to think independently and express his interpretation.
Scott Lukomski
Northeast side
Join the UN’s efforts for change
Re: the Aug. 6 article “US must commit to prohibition on nuclear weapons.”
Few people get to see the anti-nuke movement presented like your op-ed on the atomic bomb. These days of nuclear escalation defy all reason as so many nations struggle and crumble or survive on the edge in the face of outrageous debt and poverty. It defies the children of the world crying out for the adults to put breaks on screwing up the atmosphere and making the world uninhabitable.
This 75th anniversary is more than the end of WWII. It is an opportunity to join the UN’s efforts to end this threat. We can join, each group of us, the UN’s effort to ban these bombs and force our own nation to stop this insanity.
We can convince our nation of the many more worthy ways to spend our money, an insane amount. Go to www.icanw.org and see the hope and the challenge. This year, we can turn our world around; thus celebrate this 75th anniversary. Read the UN’s proposal. It’s time to end this.
Marta Lynne
West side
