What to do when you lose
When a political party loses an election, it has three choices. It could reexamine its policies and message and change them to appeal to more voters. Secondly, it could double down on its policies and try to clarify its message in hopes of persuading more voters. Lastly, it could try to limit opposition voters by suppressing the vote. The Republican Party has taken the third course, which tells us what they think of democracy.
Donald Ries
Southeast side
Student loans
Re: the Sept. 3 letter “Don’t forgive student loans.”
This letter berated those who seek help from the taxpayers for their student loans. The reason student loans should be re-evaluated is because many private colleges have always been a rip-off by ruthless schemers who falsely promised careers when they were actually scamming loan programs and targeting unsophisticated kids who couldn’t afford college. In earlier days, I invested in private school stocks, followed them, know exactly what they represented: profits. I ate lunch with the sharks who owned and managed them. I had acquaintances who taught in them despite being completely unqualified. Can you say Trump University? Sadly for me, someone dear to me signed up for large student loans without consulting me. Result? Two huge adjustable rate loans at 6.75%, now climbing ever higher as rates rise. Crushing for someone who might have fallen for an oily sales pitch instead of sincere guidance.
Rick Howell
Mount Lemmon
Labor unions outgrown
Re: the Sept. 4 article “Point: Unions have stake in ending minority rule” and “Counterpoint: A free marketeer’s love of Labor Day.”
Both Mark Weisbrot and Michael D Farren got it wrong in their support of labor unions. Mr. Weisbrot is correct in writing that union membership has declined from a high of 35% in 1954 to a mere 10.3% today to an even smaller 6% in the private sector. The reason for this decrease is that workers have increasingly realized that unions serve to artificially drive up costs, which means fewer workers, which is why so many workers in the private sector often vote down union membership.
Mr. Farren, supposedly a free marketer, betrays his trust in free markets by supporting government-protected labor unions. Though he claims labor unions were originally necessary “to draw attention ... to low wages (and) long hours,” surely he recognizes that the only way to increase real wages is for businesses to invest in new technology so that workers become more productive and thus can be paid more. Labor unions have outgrown their usefulness and now serve as a drag on the American economy.
David Pearse
Foothills
Unqualified for op-ed pieces
Re: the Aug. 28 guest opinion “Conover’s long delay eroded trust.”
It is amazing that the Star chose as qualified, a former high-ranking prosecutor in the LaWall County Attorney administration to criticize the Laura Conover office. Members of the LaWall team openly campaigned against Conover during the election. After her election, the office not only failed to cooperate, but actively obstructed a smooth transition and spent money recklessly in order to leave her incoming team an underfunded budget and inadequate finding. The early days of her office were forced to be spent responding to far too many complaints, many repetitive and spurious. An obvious pre-existing grudge does not make for fair commentary and this letter was written with fuel from the juice of sour grapes.
Richard Bacal
Midtown
Fascism
In the Oxford Dictionary of English, after the specific definitions for fascism, you will find the following reference to fascism. Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one national or ethnic group, a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach. I offer this so that the term fascism will be interpreted properly in the context of recent references to it.
Jerry Fay
SaddleBrooke
MAGA Republicans
In a nationally televised speech from Philadelphia, President Biden identified MAGA Republicans as evil, and a “clear and present danger” to our country. Via his speech, President Biden indicated that these MAGA Republicans are anti-abortion/pro-life, pro Second Amendment, in favor of voter ID, and would likely include Christians. These are citizens that also likely voted for Donald Trump. The question is “what next” for these MAGA Republicans? Does President Biden mobilize military and other forces to identify and arrest these MAGA Republicans? Do these forces go door to door to confiscate the property of MAGA Republicans, including all guns? Perhaps Biden’s forces can arrest every registered Republican, every Republican in office or running for office and any person who ever attended a Trump rally? And, what do we do with the children of MAGA Republicans? What do you think?
Alan Alexander
Northwest side
Gun control
Re: the Sept. 6 article “The statistical argument for increased gun control.”
As a certified firearms instructor I must point out a glaring error. The writer states, “A semi-automatic rifle can fire up to 750 rounds a minute.” Outrageous — the trigger would have to be pulled 12.5 times per second! Impossible. The rate quoted is within the range for a fully automatic weapon. Does G.A. Clark (and others) understand the difference between semi-automatic and fully automatic? Semi-automatic means one round, and one round only, for every pull of the trigger. Also keep in mind, that rate of fire for fully automatic assumes non-stop feeding of ammunition. However, most magazines contain 30 rounds, requiring the shooter to stop and change magazines thus, they will not achieve that rate in actual usage — maybe half that. Yes, that’s still a lot but far more accurate than the number quoted. Perhaps it is more informative to say that a 30-round magazine can be emptied in just over two seconds.
Tina Talley
Northeast side
Nihilism in American politics
The terms “nihilist” or “nihilism” derive from the Latin root word “nihil,” which means “nothing.” The 19th-century Russian writer Ivan Turgenev referred to certain Russian revolution-minded types as “Nihilists.”
We see nihilism in 21st Century American politics. Trump and the politicians he endorses maintain, contrary to truth, that Trump won the 2020 election. What was found by the FBI at Mar-a-Lago? Multiple folders for Top Secret documents with nihil, nothing, in them. They got moved and removed.
Voters who let politicians flagrantly deny the truth end up paying big consequences — think Germany in the 30s and 40s. The truth has substance. Lies? Nothing. Choose wisely.
Richard Sipan
Green Valley
The biggest traitors
The war by the Russians against Ukraine is critically supported by the big energy corporations that have no morals whatsoever and brutally use the military conflict for their own profits. Russia earns billions of dollars per day with their sale of subsidized oil and gas to new consumers globally, and the Western oil companies continue to buy from them as if the Ukraine did not even exist or matter. The world energy markets are filled with supply, but we are led to believe that because of the military conflict, all price gouging is necessary or a logical consequence. But currently, at least in the U.S., the prices have come down somewhat, maybe because the oil companies have realized that their price gamble has not quite achieved the desired outcome, higher profits. There is no logic to the gas price at the pump, so we could call the oil companies the greatest traitors in world politics. They are multinationals anyway and couldn’t care less regarding loyalty or honor at home.
Albrecht Classen
Midtown
