Accidental shooting on “Rust” movie set
For over 35 years, this old pro participated in firearm target competition as well as practicing and teaching gun safety in the Marine Corps and the Department of Justice.
In all situations, the order of the day was safety! The simple instruction this Pro taught and teaches still is, “If you do not know how to open the gun, do not pick it up. If you pick it up, open the gun and make sure it is unloaded.”
Homer Geymer
Northwest side
Legislators destroy emails, texts
Re: the Jan. 26 article “AZ lawmakers exempt selves from records law, will destroy emails.”
I strongly disagree with the Republican legislators voting to hide information that belongs to us citizens. Looks more like China or Russia than USA.
From the article: “The change only benefits lawmakers who want to hide the truth from the public, said Heather Sawyer, executive director of that Washington, D.C.-based group that focuses on obtaining public records to boost government accountability.” The article also included: “This rule change abets government secrecy by virtually mandating the destruction of records that belong to the people of Arizona,” Sawyer said in a statement to Capitol Media Services. “An informed public is critical to a functioning democracy and this effort to hide the facts and evade public accountability should be reversed.”
John Higgins
Southeast side
One million trees, oh my
The goal of planting 1 million trees would be great in a feel-good, fairytale world. If this plan has a goal other than feel good, we need to see it.
Here are a few issues to consider. 1. Will the trees be native vegetation, Midwest, or East Coast trees? 2. Is there a plan to have developers salvage and replant native vegetation when they are scraping the ground for new home and commercial development? This could put some of the burden on developers. 3. How do you justify using potable water for new trees? If you want to use reclaimed water (good idea), what is the cost to build out the infrastructure to support the stated goal? 4. Do you plan to use storm water to water the trees? There are times of the year when enough storm water could be stored to water trees, but storm water needs to be supplemented with potable or reclaimed water to work long term. Please be realistic with your plan.
Cal Rooker
Northwest side
Investment not an expense
Re: the Feb. 19 article “Time to find a solution for fare-free transit.”
Free transit is an investment in our community, not an expense. It is a major economic development tool from accessibility for all, employment opportunity, and land use efficiency standpoints. It also creates safer roads and is better for the environment.
In addition to the ideas Mr. Clinco provided regarding funding free transit, we should look to both those who would benefit, and what would incentivize lower car usage. Beyond the benefits above, municipalities benefit from less wear-and-tear on the road, which means less repair expense, and more infill development, which utilizes existing infrastructure. Landlords benefit because they can charge more for properties closer to transit. Vehicle sales tax, rental car tax and parking lot taxes can all also be used to dis-incentivize car usage if transit is free.
Free transit is a great benefit to the community. With so many options for funding, the question should not be if, but which ones?
Randi Dorman Downtown
Warm weather to come
Once again, I see someone espousing doom and gloom about the warming trend ending it all. Just checking how good we are at fixing problems. Last month, California had violent rainstorms, which no one could slow down. Why can’t we turn off the rain or turn it on for parched areas? Why can’t we suck tornados back into the sky before they cause havoc? How about the Florida hurricane, why wouldn’t we turn the winds back out into the ocean? The earthquake in Turkey has killed tens of thousands. How about stopping that or at least learning of it in advance? I would be concerned until I recall that ice ages have plagued our planet forever and stop only when Mother Nature warms it up to melt them. No people around to accelerate that process. Let’s be honest, we can’t solve any of these problems and the gradual warming will undoubtedly be the same. Learn to live with it.
Phil Reinecker East side
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Change to metric system
The world is so small now. All media/science/films use the metric system. In America, we use the old British-based imperial system of measure.
When I watch foreign documentaries, all talk is in metric measure — kilometers/grams/centimeter. I am lost at that moment. How high a mountain, how heavy or light an object.
Science, even here in the USA, uses metric. Let’s join the world on this. At least start teaching it to youngsters from an early age.
Just an older adult who thinks it is time for the change.
Ruth Jenkins
Midtown
Tyre Nichols beaten to death
I have read many articles about the man who loved to skateboard and father of a young boy who was beaten to death by cops. One thing I haven’t read was what he did that warranted being tasered and beaten to death by people of his own race. I am a person of color and I would like to know what caused this so it does not happen to me.
Jose Salgado
Northeast side
Education
Arizona ranks among the lowest in academic achievement in the U.S. These poor results should encourage the academic community to look at the curriculum and other standards of teaching. Instead, the focus is on increasing teachers’ pay.
Should not one’s compensation be measured by performance and success? We, as a nation, are falling behind other industrialized nations. We are not educating our citizens for the jobs available. There are more and more jobs being filled by people from Asia, such as from India. We need to wake up as this once great country is falling way behind.
Bill Dowdall
Oro Valley
Democracy, personal choice are goneApproaching 78 years, I realize our days of compassion, education, personal choice, political cooperation, civility and belief in the Constitution and the democratic republic it represents are gone. No longer are those days when we proudly voted, knowing our votes and democracy were secure.
There were no uninformed (by choice), opinionated, undemocratic groups of radicals (bullies) with war weapons to deter us from the polling booth, getting their “facts” from rumormongers, feeling free to broadcast them on to like-minded people with personal grudges against a government assisting them in their grievances, many of which were caused by those very people they reelected.
We no longer have “heroes.” Writer John Patrick Hickey wrote: “Heroes show us courage, honor, integrity and strength. Now more than ever, we need heroes,” brave leaders, unafraid to speak out on behalf of the common good.
Political heroes are placed on a pedestal because their unique qualities set them apart. Through farsighted action, they persevered and succeeded (mostly) in the face of adversity and often ridicule.
Sheldon Metz
Northeast side
