Raytheon technicians work on a GBU-53/B StormBreaker, an air-launched, precision-guided glide bomb at a Tucson factory.
The 'new' courtesy
Re: the Aug. 16 letter "Common courtesy."
According to the offended shopper she was "snarled at," "glared at," and disappointed not finding a "warm and fuzzy" employee at the checkout. Apparently, she expects the highest level of service delivered at the precise time she wants it and supplied in the exact manner which satisfies her taste of decorum.
To top it off, she didn't receive a "smile or thank you" from a cart collector in the parking lot when she offered to add hers to a growing chain of carts. She should try to do the same job on black asphalt in 100-degree weather and see if she can muster a smile.
Understaffed businesses are full of undertrained, underpaid workers trying to do their best. I make it a point to give them compliments and smiles. I end conversations with a heartfelt "Thank you." Recipients are usually surprised and grateful.
Common courtesy starts with customers. That's common sense.
Robert Robak
East side
Our changing values
As a 9-year-old immigrant to the U.S. in the early 1950s, I became acculturated very quickly during my first months in this country. The playgrounds of the Bronx were the perfect stage for this socialization process. There, I learned many of the key values of my new home. Chief among these was the stigma against sore losers. After a game of handball or stickball, “Sore loser! Sore loser!” was a taunt no one wanted to hear.
So, how has it come to pass that sore losing — at the highest level possible — has become a trait to be admired and defended by a large segment of the population?
Robert Varady
Foothills
Trump GA indictment
Re: the Aug. 15 article "Indictment returned in Trump probe."
The grand jury’s indictment in GA is historic because it accuses the former president and his co-conspirators of a gang like assault on democracy. And it recognizes the courageous refusal of state office holders, mostly Republican, to violate the law.
The Fulton County, Georgia prosecutors are in possession of text messages and emails directly connecting members of Trump’s legal team to the voting system breach in Coffee County. The Trump campaign, under the guise of looking for voter fraud, committed voter fraud.
The only person to blame for Donald Trump‘s indictment is Donald Trump.
Teresa Jenkins
SaddleBrooke
We're all to blame
I just finished reading the Star. I focused on the Editorials/Letters to the editor … it provides me with insight (and sometimes a good belly laugh). So, here goes. There is enough blame to go around in both (or maybe all) parties. Starting with the local government, to the state, on up to the folks in Washington. No one is immune from stupidity! We’re all human; we make mistakes; sometimes big mistakes; just the same, no one has the right to play the “I’m better than you” card. I am hoping and praying (and man, am I praying a lot) that in every facet of government, from local to state to D.C., we will get right with ourselves and start doing the right thing … not the political thing … the right thing. These politicians owe it to U.S. (you and me)! Every one of them is richer than all get out.
Maureen Gagliardi
East side
Defensive weapons
Re: the Aug. 26 letter "Oppenheimer and the bomb, Tucson and Raytheon."
This letter writer vilifies Raytheon for its production of war weapons. The US.. builds weapons as a deterrent to other countries who would destroy us if they could. These are defensive weapons only, and I for one am very glad that we have them.
James Reinertson
SaddleBrooke
We're still doing it
Re: the Aug. 27 article "Researchers map Tucson's history of race-restricted neighborhoods."
I constantly think about what we did to the Native Americans. They owned the whole country. We killed their people, burned their villages, raped their women, and forced then to live on god forsaken land. Now the U.S. has refused to give them water that was promised them years ago. If you think about it the worst part of the article is we are still persecuting them. Isn’t it sad that we are still doing this to the first citizens of America.
Jose Salgado
Northeast side
"Tree Socialism?" Right-wing horse pucky
Re: the Aug. 29 letter "Tree Socialism."
A Kari Lake troglodyte perpetuates her anti-environment agenda with help from a classic right-wing meme (and an editorialized headline writer) “to Fight Socialist Trees.” Oh please, right-wing nonsense. Which begs the question: Is the Arizona Corporation Council hopelessly co-opted by extreme right-wing corporate interests, sans watchdogs? Also, the reporter failed to question a single tree authority. How about a comment from Trees for Tucson?
Meanwhile, didn’t the AZ Republicans get the memo? Last week their House party chairman embraced a plan to plant a trillion trees, ostensibly to address Climate Change, then clarified to boost the timber industry.
Pepper Provenzano
East side
Voting for safety
If you have no other reason to vote for a Democrat then do it simply because republicans refuse to do anything about gun violence in America.
Rick Unklesbay
Midtown
Weapons of war
Re: the Aug. 26 letter "Oppenheimer and the bomb, Tucson and Raytheon."
The writer implies, correctly, that if more Tucsonans who value life over profit knew that Raytheon manufactures nuclear missiles, there would be more objection to Raytheon's presence here. This major player in the global arms trade makes it difficult for the public to find out all that it is really up to. Raytheon's secrecy helps secure its "sacred cow" status; it seems immune from public criticism. There is also the fact that so many of our friends and neighbors work there. Raytheon promotes itself as a benevolent provider of "good" jobs, but isn't a good job one that produces not just a big paycheck but some benefit to humanity? Making weapons of war hardly fits that description. If nuclear weapons are used, sparking a global conflagration as in Oppenheimer's vision at the end of the film, there will be no jobs at all.
Kim Mathews
East side
Pain management
As a nurse for 43 years, taking care of cancer and chronic pain patients, it is concerning to see such a shortage of opioids, short staffed pain clinics, and overworked pain management providers. Patients call around to pharmacies hoping there is enough supply to fill their prescriptions. Providers cancel prescriptions to different pharmacies in order to meet their patients’ needs. Pharmacies receive these calls numerous times a day. Patients undergo withdrawal and unrelieved pain when they run out of medication where the opioid demand is greater than supply.
What is causing the less production of pain medication? Why do chronic pain patients have to suffer? September is pain management awareness month. Let us hope for a resolution from our nation’s leaders to meet our patients’ right to be free of pain.
Connie Moore
Southeast side
Guarantee for failure
I lived in Virginia for over 30 years. During that time, the Virginia Republican Party would hold conventions for the gubernatorial elections. The faithful would show up and the candidate most distasteful to the majority of Virginians would be nominated. The Democratic Party would hold open primaries. The general election would end with the Democratic candidate winning. In four years the parties would do the same thing with the same result. Over and over. I thought of this when I read that the Maricopa County Republicans want to cancel the presidential preference primary and require voters to show up on Election Day to vote in person. Who thinks that the candidate coming out of this will win in November?
Marilyn Pollow
East side
Great expectations
Because Republicans and Democrats are wasting lots of time and effort trying to convert each other, I would propose that the newspaper ask for and publish every week or so a list of things each person would like the next president to do to make the United States a better place to live.
Susan VonKersburg
Foothills
Nice Looking Changes
Re: the Aug. 27 Adopt a friend page
Congratulations to the graphics people involved with adding some “pizazz” to normally plain pet pictures.
I like ears and paws breaking out of confines of square cropped photos.
It adds a much appreciated warmth and playfulness for our furry friends.
Robert Lukas
Northwest side
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