No military family
should vote for Trump
My Uncle Jake served in WWI. His younger brother served in WWII. One of his nephews (my brother) served 34 years in the New Mexico National Guard, including one year in Vietnam. One of his grandnephews served in Afghanistan. His oldest son was in the Army. I am a Navy veteran.
Donald Trump would call every member of this military family a “loser or sucker.” He denigrated the service of POWs by saying they were “losers.” He denigrated Gold Star families. He made a decision not to serve his country, so in his opinion he is neither a “loser or sucker.”
How disgusting for the commander in chief to denigrate the service of any member of the military. No active-duty or military veteran, or their families, should support him. He considers them and their military brothers to be “losers” and “suckers.” Is that how they consider themselves and those they served with in foxholes/bunkers, in the air and aboard ships? They should think long and hard before they vote.
Jerry Lujan
SaddleBrooke
Robbins’ pleas
aren’t working
The Pima County Board of Supervisors and Tucson’s mayor and City Council did a great job of issuing regulations — Mask Up! — as soon as possible. That reduced the local spread of the novel coronavirus.
When the University of Arizona invited students to return, it didn’t make sure its students were complying with the UA, Tucson and Pima County guidelines.
President Robert Robbins said he “pleaded” and “begged.” That didn’t work. Now, there’s a COVID-19 hot spot at the UA and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Hope is not a plan. Nor is it a remedy.
President Robbins, your recommendations alone clearly aren’t working. And you still have no enforceable plan to limit the student behavior that is spreading COVID-19 at the university and in our town.
Instead of continuing to talk about what you might have to do, do it now. Don’t wait until more people get sick.
Mari Jensen
Midtown
Republicans
unable to govern
The federal government owns 57% of California’s forests; state and local governments, 3%. Donald Trump’s administration has managed these federal forests for almost four years.
Why doesn’t he take responsibility? Perhaps because city-boy Trump doesn’t realize how preposterous his “solution” of raking the understory of 19 million acres is. Perhaps because the Republicans have systematically underfunded public lands agencies and the necessary labor power isn’t remotely available.
This mindless, irresponsible approach to wildfire management is symptomatic of Trump’s and the Republicans’ approach to government. Ignoring science and shrinking government means not having the necessary tools to solve public problems. The Republicans threw away Obama’s pandemic planning and are still floundering on coronavirus. They deregulated the economy under Bush and brought on 2008 financial crisis. They rip up environmental regulations and accelerate climate change. America cannot afford four more years of this incompetent bungling.
Tim Tilton
Foothills
Federal officers
have an ally in Biden
Re: the Sept. 14. article “Local Opinion: DHS needs a new security mission”
While I agree with the article’s author, it’s important to draw a distinction between the Washington-based DHS officials creating these divisive policies and the local DHS officers given the unappealing duty of implementing them.
My childhood in Gilbert was shaped by a close family member who put his life on the line working for the DHS here in Arizona. The policies created by Trump-appointed DHS officials are heart-wrenching, but I know many DHS employees don’t share those values. In fact, that’s probably why an increasing number of Arizonans, including Arizona Republicans, are choosing to reject Trump’s policies and support Joe Biden this election.
For DHS officers still on the fence, hear me out. You may worry that a Biden administration would shun law and order — or worse, abolish your DHS employer. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Biden supports reform — not elimination — of the DHS and other law-enforcement institutions. Biden will ensure our hardworking DHS officers can do their jobs with empathy.
Emily Green
East side
Sometimes divorce is the best outcome
The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do was admit to myself that my first marriage was a failure and would never work out. I pray that former Donald Trump voters will dig deep, do that hard work and come to the same conclusion. The marriage is a failure and will never work out.
A. Lawrence Brennan Glynn
East side
Kerr should mind his own business
Re: Political Notebook, Sept. 25.
Steve Kerr has lived in California too long. People are moving from that failed state to Arizona by the thousands each year to escape the lawlessness, oppressive taxes, homelessness and other byproducts of socialism made possible by years of Democratic dictatorship.
He should mind his own business, stick to coaching a bunch of overpaid athletes and not attempt to foist his uninformed political views on Arizona and Pima County.
David Eppihimer, chairman of the Pima County Republican Party
East side
Kelly’s agenda
isn’t moderate
Deborah Gaynes writes that she’s a Republican, and Republicans should vote for Mark Kelly for U.S. Senate. I’m an independent and won’t be voting for Kelly.
A vote for Kelly is a vote for Chuck Schumer of New York and his and the Democratic Party’s extreme agenda, such as to abolish the Senate’s filibuster rule and possibly try to pack the Supreme Court.
The filibuster serves an important purpose: giving the minority of either party a voice in decisions.
And surprise, the Democrats just used it in the Senate to kill a coronavirus aid bill proposed by the Republicans! Don’t be fooled. Mark won’t be a moderate senator but will make Arizona look like New York under the direction of Chuck Schumer.
James Tuthill
Oro Valley
Supreme Court disappointment
Martha McSally posted on Facebook her support for Donald Trump’s nomination to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, writing “it’s the President’s right.”
Unless the president is Barack Obama. Once again, McSally is putting party and Trump above country. Once the Supreme Court destroys the Affordable Care Act, there will be no protections for preexisting health conditions.
Like the issue faced with almost 7 million Americans with COVID, this is a problem. It is a double whammy.
All we have heard for six months is that COVID will go away. Now almost 7 million Americans with COVID could lose their health insurance.
McSally! When will you stand up for Arizonans?
Donna Johnson
Midtown
‘Pillow fluffing’
is Trump’s tell
According to the story, you could tell when Pinnochio was lying because his nose would grow. Guess what? Trump has a similar signal. Whenever he lies, he moves his hands back and forth in front of him as if he’s fluffing a pillow. Do you think I’m kidding?
I have carefully watched him and compared his actions and words to the Fact Checks in the paper on Sunday. It works every time. Check it out for yourself. Watch the evening news. Watch the debates. See what happens.
I wish I could play poker against him. I would win every time. Don’t vote for the pillow fluffer. Vote the real facts.
Robert Kruse
Northeast side
Poignant remembrance of the Forgotten War
The Arizona Daily Star recently published a special letter from a veteran of the Korean War. This beautiful remembrance evoked in me deep emotions of pride, respect and also regret. Pride for the sense of duty and honor those men showed in answering the call to serve.
Respect for the bravery and valor they demonstrated under terrible conditions. There is as well, an emptiness and regret for the loss of these men for their families.
As examples of the very best our country can produce, their loss is shared by all of us.
We owe them thanks. These men were not “suckers” or “losers.” It is beyond imagination that even one person would vote to reelect a president who issued those slanders.
Gary Susko
Midtown
A message
to the devout
The abortion issue divides the public and plays a major part in American politics. I will not comment directly on this issue.
However, I do note that some religious people have acknowledged, accepted, or downplayed Donald Trump’s character flaws and have reluctantly supported him because of his determination to remove liberal judges from the Supreme Court. It is now clear that Trump cannot possibly appoint a liberal to the Supreme Court, and this paves the way for overturning the Roe vs. Wade decision of 1973.
Electing Trump was a deciding element for many devout people who hold anti-abortion ideals, and they have been successful. They have won. A major reason to overlook, downplay, justify or reluctantly accept Trump’s character flaws has now been removed.
Devoutly religious people who are against abortion are now free to examine their souls and freely vote their conscience. I urge that they do so.
Michael Burdoo
West side
Steller right
on Honduras
David Burford’s recent letter failed to counter the solid investigative reporting in Tim Steller’s recent feature story “US supports Honduran government that forces many to migrate as it protects drug trafficking.”
Burford was right about Obama supporting the Honduran coup, but the Trump administration has exacerbated the country’s crisis by continuing to support Hernandez and shutting the door to asylum seekers fleeing horrific levels of violence.
Honduras is just another chapter in a long history of U.S. intervention in Latin America, overthrowing democratically elected governments to install corrupt regimes.
Come Nov. 3, we may get a taste of our own deadly medicine as Trump seems determined to stay in power at any cost.
Then Steller can write another report about massive migration out of the U.S., people fleeing a failed state and how the chickens came home to roost.
Richard Boren
Southeast side
