Charge Trump with treason
A former so-called president called Vladimir Putin a genius for invading Ukraine! The want-to-be dictator said Putin is protecting his country! I think No. 45 must face charges of treason! As a 60% disabled Vietnam veteran, I am ashamed for this former worst president the country ever had. My brothers on that memorial wall, Korean, World War II veterans, WWI veterans are rolling over in their graves! The classified boxes found at his residence, did he give intelligence information to his buddy Putin? I want to see justice now!
David E. Leon
Vail
These ‘patriots’ kiss up to Putin
How do the so-called “patriots” who stormed the Capitol to overthrow the government and are claiming to be defending the Constitution justify supporting Donald Trump and his toadies like Tucker Carlson, et al., who have expressed praise and support of America’s and the rest of the free world’s avowed enemy, Vladimir Putin. The Dems should take every opportunity through the media to remind real Americans that Trump and his minions are traitors by their slavish adulation and obsequiousness to Vladimir Putin, who played and manipulated Trump while he was president. And these “patriots” in their camo and combat gear anxious to fight for democracy, how many have rushed to go defend Ukraine? Or are they afraid to defy Trump and his buddy Putin?
Jeff Aronson,
captain, USMC 1967-1970
Northeast side
Odd criticisms of court nominee
I listen with increasing incredulity to the attacks on President Joe Biden’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson. Tucker Carlson, without blushing, is demanding to see her score from the Law School Admission Test, something he forgot to do with Gorsuch, Barrett or Kavanaugh. Hmm … wonder why? (By the way, the LSAT measures your chances for success in law school, not what you do while in law school). Other GOP stalwarts are claiming she is an affirmative-action choice, one that hardly measures up to all the white judges around the country. This despite the fact that she graduated from Harvard Law School cum laude and was editor of the Harvard Law Review. Others claim that this is an attempt to tilt the court to the left, ignoring the fact that tilting the court had its champion in our former president. Although I am sure it will be messy, I believe she will be confirmed as the first Black woman to have a seat on the Supreme Court.
Rick Smith
Foothills
Sadly, history repeats itself
Sadly, there always seems to be a never ending line of dictators. Just as Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, Vladimir Putin is now invading the Ukraine. This time there is no Neville Chamberlin to ignore the fact. The world is reacting to this tyranny with sanctions that have made a great economic impact on the invaders. The human impact around the world is still to be defined. The Russian invasion is on the pretext of protecting its borders and preventing Ukraine from joining NATO. With this invasion Russia is proving why it is so important that there is a NATO. Russia, which geographically is the largest country in the word, under this dictator just seeks to expand its domain. History will only tell what the world consequences will be.
Fred DiNoto
Northwest side
Government by, for the people
Re: the March 3 letter “Voting rights are in danger”
In response to the letter about restoring government by the people in Arizona, the Arizona Constitution provides citizens with the tools to refer laws passed by the Legislature to a vote of the people (referendum) or to propose their own laws (initiative). Both require collecting hundreds of thousands of petition signatures. But the Legislature has adopted rules for signature-gathering that are unnecessarily onerous, and the news media does not provide public information about the topics of these petitions or when and where citizens can sign them. Unless a petition effort is bankrolled by some deep-pocket sponsor, referenda and initiatives have little chance of success to make it to the ballot, making our constitutional right of the people to govern a fiction.
Merrill Eisenberg
Midtown
Get educated about socialism
Re: the March 4 letter “Socialism is on the march”
The only reasonable response to the letter writers’ rather unhinged letter is a classic quote from a classic film, “The Princess Bride”: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
Jeanne Sharp
East side
United Nations can do much more
In regard to Ukraine, the United Nations should be doing what it was originally set up to do. Stop an aggressor. The U.N. Security Council voted for an emergency special session of the General Assembly, with Russia voting “no” and China, India and the UAE abstaining. The General Assembly then passed a resolution signed by 141 of its 193 members reprimanding Russia for its aggression against Ukraine. Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Eritrea and Syria voted against it. China and India both abstained. I think Russia should be removed from the Security Council and should never be allowed to be one of the revolving presidents of the Security Council. Next, the U.N. should call for and lead a naval blockade of the Dardanelles Strait to keep Russia from supplying any materials, etc. to the coast of Ukraine on the Black Sea. The entire world should cease all trade with Russia and impose a full financial shutdown with Russia. Any countries violating this should also be sanctioned.
Donald Arritola
SaddleBrooke
Press freedom being threatened
Re: the March 13 article “Journalism under attack.”
It is sad that the president of Mexico is not trying to help his country be more democratic and safe, but seems to be appeasing the drug cartels. This is another reason why Mexicans are risking their lives to come to the U.S.
Freedom of the press is our constitutional right and is what separates true democratic countries from authoritarian ones. Russia has removed or prevented all public media from reporting the real news of Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine. Unfortunately, this attitude to attack/stop the freedom of the press was seen during Donald Trump’s administration and continues by his supporters. I think Arizona Republican leaders and their candidates for governor refuse to seek the truth and instead pursue lies without evidence. Our fundamental constitutional right of freedom of the press is being threatened and if continued, this country risks forsaking democracy for authoritarianism.
Jean Barkley
East side
A Peace Prize for Zelenskyy
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy deserves the nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize even while he fights tooth and nail for peace in Ukraine. Nominate him as soon and as publicly as possible, for it may influence the force dynamic of the war, hardening public support for Ukraine and weakening Vladimir Putin the aggressor. It may shorten the mindless invasion and save Ukrainian (and Russian) lives, homes and cultural assets. The Nobel Committee has awarded the Peace Prize for lesser reasons. Here, Zelenskyy fights for peace with his life.
Don Clarke
Green Valley
Shame on America for standing by
America has held itself out as the greatest country the world has ever seen; the champion of democracy, the supporter of democracy. America has claimed to fight for freedoms. America claims to have committed its resources toward these declared ends.
Is that the America of today? Is that the America that allows, nay, encourages by its inaction, the bully despot? Is this the America that refuses to support such a badly outgunned country?
Is the America today also outgunned by that bully? More afraid to face the bully than the country under attack by the bully. America has refused to call the atrocities inflicted “war crimes.” Why? Fearful that the bully will direct its weapons against us, the greatest country on earth? America has amassed the greatest military might the world has ever seen and is yet fearful of a less endowed bully. America is showing itself to be far less than the mighty democracy it touts itself to be. America is the coward. Will the shame ever go away?
Jeffrey Zelmanow
SaddleBrooke
Guns everywhere but Legislature
The Republicans in our Legislature want to see guns in bars, schools and just about any other place in Arizona. With one exception: The Arizona Legislature. While legislators routinely carry guns in the legislative chambers, Arizona citizens must pass through metal detectors and are not allowed to enter with guns.
What is the Legislature afraid of? Won’t they feel safer if everyone in the chamber is armed? No, they are afraid of the people they represent.
Bruce Hilpert
North side
