Chemerinsky is wrong
Re: the Oct. 22 article "Trump gag order isn't constitutional."
Erwin Chemerinsky's opinion piece is wrong and inaccurate. Just as the First Amendment doesn't allow someone to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater, Donald Trump should not be allowed to engage in verbal attacks that endanger the lives of others.
We know from recent history that Trump's vitriolic rhetoric is capable of inciting lawlessness and violence from his followers. Judges, jurors, prosecutors, court employees, poll workers, their families, and others, have received death threats directly in response to Trump's inflammatory statements.
Writing that Trump's speech is merely "unpleasant and offensive" ignores the impacts and consequences of his verbal assaults.
Susan Alexander
Marana
Genocide in Gaza
The government of Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people, with the support of U.S. funding and weapons. As of Oct. 23, 2023, more than 5,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 2,000 children. Besides bombing Gaza and displacing a million people, Israeli warplanes bombed mosques and have targeted hospitals and clinics. The state of Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war which constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Convention. Defense Minister Gallant’s order for a complete siege on Gaza is a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute. It is a call for genocide, prohibited by the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute. It is also against the Geneva Conventions to attack health institutions and personnel. Call for ceasefire and substantial humanitarian relief. Tell your elected officials vengeance won't work, only an end to the occupation and the apartheid state, and equal rights for all.
Sarah Roberts
West side
ATF rule change
A new proposal by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) would close the so-called gun show loophole by redefining who needs to get a federal license to sell firearms. With the proposed change, anyone who sells guns for profit (including online) would need to get an FFL (federal firearms license). An overwhelming majority (90%) of the American people have been saying for years that they are in favor of universal background checks. This change would go long way toward making this a reality.
We have until December 7th to comment on this rule change. Do not hesitate: go to tucne.ws/1oij to read the proposed change, then click on the comment button to tell the ATF you approve. The NRA and other gun lobbies are flooding this website with negative comments; let’s overwhelm them with approval of this common-sense proposal.
Kathy Dubbs
West
Tucson Unified School District’s HEART (Homeless Education and Resource Team) Cares program offered its families a series of field trips last week. The program offers assistance to families struggling with housing insecurity.
Tucson's homeless
Re: the Oct. 21 article "Broken system makes homelessness much worse."
Thank you for giving space to Ms. Sides. She knows first-hand the heartbreak and cruelty of that life. I've been homeless myself so, I know a bit about it. Those of us who have a home need to listen more to our neighbors that are forced to live on the street. So many people say the homeless just need to go to a shelter. When asked if they've ever been to a shelter, the answer is always no. They have no idea how bad the shelters can get.
The Mayor and City Council need to look into the allegations of corruption, abuse and malfeasance mentioned in Sides's piece. The homeless have it rough enough already.
Let's stop the blaming and shaming. The realization that our economy doesn't work for everyone is starkly obvious.
Joyce Bertschy
East side
General Election 2024
The ex President is in court, he still has far reaching control of the GOP. Well it's not like the GOP of old where cooperation and intelligent interactions were the order of the day. While involved with court appearances the Ex still maintains control, working on a plan to upset the general election. His disciples do his bidding without question. Difficult to understand the number of people see the ex as the savior of the GOP. When he is only a flim flam man, disgusting in his behavior, rambling nonsensical utterances, that his followers eat up. I don't like to think of my fellow Americans supporting this cheat, liar, no matter what he does.
Robert Rayno
West side
Santa Rita mining
Anyone advocating for a copper mine in the Santa Rita Mountains should drive up state highway 191 through Morenci. You drive right through the middle of a mine. Incredible destruction! This is the kind of environmental catastrophe we can reasonably expect in the Helvetia Mining District currently being developed on the west side of the Santa Rita Mountain range and the Rosemont Mine to be developed on the east side.
Nancy Abrams
Midtown
From fringe to running the House
Dear Editor,
Not long ago white supremacists and neo-Nazis hung out on the fringes of the Republican Party. Today, October 25, 2023, it appears that a white Christian Nationalist has become Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
In his Pulitzer Prize winning book: "Rising Out Of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist," journalist Eli Saslow describes David Duke, KKK, and neo-Nazi Don Black plotting how to move from the fringes of the Republican Party to its center, and how they began by referring to themselves as white nationalists instead of white supremacists.
The new House Speaker is convinced that migrants are coming to the U.S. because the Democratic Party wants to increase its membership. Too bad that the Republican Party just assumes migrants of color will become Democrats upon becoming citizens and no longer believes in inclusion. And too bad that the real reasons for migration are not acknowledged by either party.
Dave Gallagher
Foothills
Clergy/penitent privilege
Re: the Oct. 26 article "Clergy confession protections in limbo."
The state must not void existing statutes on priest-penitent privilege. The privilege has been encoded in law for many decades. It is no different than lawyer-client or doctor-patient privilege. And they are all protected by law.
If clergy can be forced to testify about a penitent confession, then a lawyer can be forced to testify about whether or not his client is guilty. Even the guilty are entitled to full representation by our judicial system. Clergy-penitent privilege is protected in that same way and that must continue.
In court, prosecutors may want to know if a defendant has committed a crime. But forcing clergy, or doctors, or attorneys to testify against their penitents, or patients, or clients is not the way.
John Yoakum
Midtown
We need independent newspapers
Yesterday, I re-watched an exceptional movie: Spotlight. It shows the story of the Boston Globe's searching out and publishing the story of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. That work made a difference.
Watching the movie, I started to think of what we citizens could lose if we lost our independent newspapers, and I felt fear. We need honorable men and women with the courage and the integrity to do the work of informing us.
I expect it is a thankless job at times, but we need it. We can't be free without it.
Claudette Haney
Green Valley
Maine mass shooting
The mass shooter in Maine is allegedly a firearms instructor in the U.S. Army Reserve there. He reportedly had mental problems, was hearing voices and threatened to kill soldiers on his post. The Army called police and he was placed in a hospital for two weeks then released. President Biden came out calling for bans on assault rifles and high capacity magazines. The Washington Post did a survey of AR owners and found that about 16 million are owned by the public, only 10% of owners were Democrats, thus the reason they are so quick to call for bans. Biden and the Democrats' bans would likely apply to 16 million current AR law abiding owners and turn them into criminals if not not complying with new highly restrictive requirements. I think intervention rather than punitive bans is what is needed. Many mass shooters displayed signs of mental illness or other red flags and intervention could have prevented their shootings. Why did the U.S. Army not do more here?
Martin Wagman
Green Valley
Light and joy
Thank you Diamondbacks for bringing some light and joy into our lives among the horror and chaos we constantly live with. Go Diamondbacks! Bring back the World Series trophy to Arizona!
Jean Rogers
Tubac
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