Trump must be held accountable
As a combat veteran, I claim no special commitment or right to patriotism. Yet, in part due to my service, I am heartbroken by the daily attacks by Donald Trump on our democratic values, science, our lands, our environment, our diversity and the rule of law. I struggle to understand his supporters who must see and hear the same lies, exaggerations and distortions as do I. I worry that the immense polarization that currently exists will continue as Trump tweets his daily attacks, insults and conspiracy theories.
I struggle with the value of the impeachment inquiry but, in some way, he must be held accountable for his many breaches of ethics and maybe this is the only short-term course of action that will help his supporters to see and accept reality. I believe that better days will eventually come but that we will have paid a heavy price until that day arrives and that it will take years to undo the damage that Trump has thrust on this country.
Randy Kautto
Downtown
Obama-era policies stifled by GOP
In a Nov. 4 opinion piece, a writer suggested that the policies of Barack Obama “resulted in the slowest economic growth periods since 1949.” The person does not cite any source for the claim. The claim does not hold true in the face of the 1970s recession and the bust of 2008-2009. These periods showed shrinkage and stagnation, not growth.
The policies Obama put forth for recovery were similar to those executed by FDR. They included many public infrastructure programs that had previously received bipartisan support. Because Obama was a Democrat, very smart, well educated and the first mixed-race president, many GOP politicians worked against him and their constituents’ best interest. Too many governors simply refused to use recovery funds to put their people to work. The tea-party fanatics also stopped many efforts to boost the economy.
The Obama policies did not fail, the Republican Party failed the citizens by blocking them. Any discredit was earned by them.
Jeff Rayner
Saddlebrooke
Veterans Day
is not be about sales
To all our Tucson retailers: I am asking you to not honor veterans by having a sale in our honor. Because in reality, selling something to just anybody is not honoring veterans, It’s just another attempt to make money. If you truly want to honor us, just say “Happy Veterans Day,” and go on with your life.
Benito Whatley, USMC
South side
Whistleblower’s identity is irrelevant
Since much of the whistleblower’s complaint has been verified many times over, both by multiple witnesses and by the transcript released by the White House, perhaps one of my Republican friends can explain to me why the GOP and the president are insisting that he/she be “outed” and required to give oral, rather than written testimony (which, by the way, the president himself refused to do in the case of the Muller report)?
Even if he/she totally recanted everything in the complaint, there are still upward of a half dozen people with knowledge of the call and other negotiations with Ukraine who have confirmed under oath everything the whistleblower alleged and more, so it seems to me that his/her testimony would be superfluous. The only reason I can think to demand it is for reasons of retribution, the very reason whistleblowers are protected by federal law.
Carol Conniff
Foothills
Star’s viewpoint often one-sided
“We need your help to keep publishing a range of ideas,” says Opinion Page Editor Sarah Garrecht Gassen. Gassen claims that letters and reader submissions are 90-10 liberal to conservative. I believe it. I read the paper, both news side and editorials.
The political and economic information offered in the Star mirrors this slant both in the “news” and “views.” It’s the same for both local and out of area submissions such as columnists and the AP. There is often a very one-sided headline leading to a rabid diatribe blasting the president, Republicans, conservatives etc. Rarely are there any serious criticisms of any on the left, except maybe on the bottom of the last page.
If the Star is serious (and I doubt it) about really publishing a range of ideas, I would believe that there is hope for print media. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to read the Star and grumble while paying its ever-increasing cost out of habit. Just don’t ask me to justify it.
Tom Vana
Marana
