Tucson Speaks Out: Dec. 26 letters of the day

Trump tried with border

Re: the dec. 16 letter "Immigration in the US."

The writer stated that "Biden’s policies were not that much different than Trump’s." The first thing that Biden did as President was to reverse most of Trump's border policies, with the exception of Title 42. Illegal entry no longer a removable offense, ending ICE Worksite Enforcement Operations. Under Trump, the Border Patrol encountered an average of 490,000 foreign nationals entering illegally a year. Under Biden, it has been 1,900,000 a year. In FY 2023 alone, about 1,0000,000 were released from custody into the country, via abuse of the Parole system, Notices to Appear, etc. Over 600,000 entered illegally evading Border Patrol apprehension. I believe Biden's border policies and immigration campaign rhetoric caused this historic border disaster, and that he has an ulterior political motive in doing this. Blaming America's previous Central American foreign policy does not excuse this disaster. Even liberal Democrat Gov. Hobbs says Biden refuses to secure the border. At least Trump tried!

Gary Beachwood

Green Valley

Surefire birth-control

method for men

One way to eliminate the need for abortion is to enact a law saying all Republican boys are given mandatory vasectomies at age 16. I believe almost every Republican in Congress opposing abortion rights (more accurately the ‘Handmaidens’ control over women), would object to that because “it takes away (my) right to have control of (my) own body. No vasectomies and no vaccines in (my) body.” They’ve already paid for one abortion with a woman, why pay more. Besides, they’d hate to have that tidbit come out during primary season.

This procedure may be temporarily reversed if the man-boy gets married and decides to have a family — for perhaps three years — then it’s re-vasectimization or castration. Poor males must go to school, work to pay bills or are single dads living check to check, well, sorry. Putting the “sock” on the other, uh, foot, so to speak.

The Hypocritical Party would never allow this. They wish to keep abortion just for their wealthy donors and themselves.

Sheldon Metz

Northeast side

Kari Lake

I want to say to Kari Lake, “Hey, wake up. You have lost your marbles. All your efforts are bananas. You’ve become a real head-scratcher, a phenomenon of overreach, a marvel in reverse. Go back to reporting the news instead of making it. You are better than this. You used to be a Fox Diva.”

With misplaced pluck, Ms. Lake keeps charging windmills, banging her head against the truth. But she is still a Trump enthusiast, a man of no account, hoping to play second fiddle in his bandwagon. Now, she is getting lined up for another windmill as Senator.

Once she finally gives up her quixotic quest for power and attention, she will fade and wither away, and be a Fox ho-hum again. I know that is her biggest fear. That is where fools go to wither, the inevitable product of such a daffy dream.

Ron Lancaster

North side

Personal freedom

The Arizona Supreme Court is deciding whether to reinstate an 1864 law banning doctors from providing abortions unless it is to save a woman’s life. The 1864 Arizona law is similar to the highly restrictive 2022 Texas law. Arizona is better than that and what happens in Texas should stay in Texas.

Thankfully, there is an initiative afoot to change the Arizona constitution to allow a woman’s fundamental right to abortion. It would take the decision-making process out of the hands of the State legislature and give it back to a woman and her physician where it belongs.

When you are approached by a smiling person holding a clipboard and asked to sign this important initiative, please do so. It is, after all, about a woman’s personal freedom.

Linda Coit

West side

Absurd

The idea that Donald Trump has a First Amendment right to threaten a judge's staff is nuts. I was a superior court judge for 12 years and a public defender for seven years before that. I've represented and sentenced a heck of a lot of criminal defendants.

If a defendant in my courtroom said what Trump said he'd be in the pokey so fast his head would spin. And he'd remain there for the duration.

Trump whines a good game, but the fact is he is getting privileges no other criminal defendant in this country would enjoy or even dare ask for.

Larry Fleischman

Northeast side

Colorado exercised

state rights

You saw with your own eyes the traitors attack the capital police at his request to "march to the capital and take your country back," what did you think would happen? For hours, he did nothing, no action to uphold his oath of office. I believe that his treasonous conspirators still wander the halls of the capital. Now Colorado has done what needed to happen, and his supporters somehow paint him as a victim. There is no deep state, this is a problem of his own making because he betrayed his oath. Supporters say they are taking away his rights by keeping him off the ballot, ignoring the facts of his actions. So Supreme Court, do you believe in state rights, or are you a hypocrite? Given Ginni Thomas's well-documented actions, Clarence Thomas should recuse himself from this case, but I doubt his rich benefactors would allow it.

David Creamer

Southwest side

Balfour declaration

Re: the Dec. 20 article "Balfour Declaration still resonates today."

Nowhere does Sommers mention the fact that Jews have lived in the Levant since the second century BCE. Sommer makes it seem like Israel is something that just happened a few decades ago, not four millennia ago, long before any Muslims showed up.

Carlos Encinas

Downtown

University of Arizona woes

After reading numerous articles and letters regarding the current financial crisis, it appears the U of A is suffering from a case of Academentia.

Robert Emery

Foothills

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Short memories

Then, Auschwitz

How crisp our memory of suffering.

We rejoice our rescue from the ovens.

How precious our lives were.

How we suffered.

Now, Gaza

How fierce our revenge on other innocents,

As if they, as we were in our travail,

Are also unworthy and dispensable.

How all suffer.

John E. Irby

Southeast side

Law 'trumps' opinion

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump cannot be on the primary ballot based on the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The other Republican candidates responded that they disagreed with the ruling saying that this issue should be decided by the voters and not in the courts. Really? I suppose that they would think it's all right to violate the law and drive 90 mph to Phoenix if everyone in the car voted that it was ok. If that's their idea of logic and principles, I don't think I will ride in their carpool. The law still prevails in this country. Let's keep it that way.

Robert Kruse

Northeast side

Poll shows fraudulent

mail-in ballots

A new poll conducted by Rasmussen/Heartland of 1,085 likely voters reflected that in the 2020 election, 21% said they filled a mail in ballot in part ofrin full for a friend or family member, which is illegal in most states. Seventeen percent said they had cast a mail-in ballot in a state where they were not a permanent resident, a violation of federal law. Another 17% said they had cast a ballot for someone else, also an election law violation. In the 2020 election, 43% of votes were done by mail-in ballot. The survey did not specify as to which political party these fraudulent votes were cast. This poll is an argument for mandatory in-person voting on election day. Those who pooh-poohed the cries of election fraud in the 2020 election should read this poll. The sweet thing about election fraud is that by law, you cannot contact voters to verify for whom they voted. That helps to foster mail-in voter fraud.

Terry Garland

East side

A human yearning

The Christmas story, a celebration of the mystery of love, maybe just one version of the common human yearning for justice and peace. Some 400 years before Christ in the Warring States Period of China, philosopher Mozi, Mo-tzu or Mo Di thought humans too narrow-minded to establish the law governing all; to him Heaven that sustains all lives is the ultimate lawgiver and judge. He advocated a universal, unconditional love for all being the Will of Heaven and the solution to human conflicts. He opposed military aggressions. He and his disciples rushed to defend besieged cities. He envisioned the Son of Heaven following the will of Heaven to reign through loving all. One truncated quote captures his vision.

“Whence comes disorder? From not loving one another. … To love and to benefit mutually … treat others country, other’s family and others' self as one’s own.”

Sadly, Mozi’s dream has long faded in China. The atheistic Communist Party rules supreme.

Ke Chiang Hsieh

Midtown

Teachers union

For anyone following the reporting of student scores, the steady decline in the world ranking of U.S. students shows a lack of striving for excellence, manifested by a gradual lowering of the student abilities. In the good old days, before the influence of Randi Weingarten and the teacher's union, high school graduates could read, write, do math and knew history. But thanks to the detrimental impact of the teacher's union and their goal of indoctrination instead of teaching as directed by the union president, students now moving into the workforce read at a fourth-grade level, can't write a thank you note, can't perform basic math, and have no idea of US History. The time has come to eliminate the teacher's union and give educational administrators directives to TEACH instead of INDOCTRINATE. The future is being given to students educated only for flipping burgers, which is what Randi Weingarten should be doing, though nobody with a brain would eat a burger prepared by her.

Loran Hancock

Northwest side

First-world problems

U of A sports tickets might get more expensive! Oh, the humanity!

Every undergrad student pays a $100 athletics fee whether they use the facilities or not. This fee isn't optional. It's been around for decades. They can't tell the university they don't go to the gym. If they go to a game, they still have to buy a ticket.

Over four years, a U of A student will pay $800 to subsidize your entertainment. More when you add in all the interest from student loans. With over 40,000 students, the university collects more than $4 million every single semester to prop up athletics. Even with this enforced endowment, the athletics department still needs "loans" to keep operating.

Stop complaining about the price of a single ticket and start complaining about the cost of a myth stating college athletics pays for itself.

David Reynolds

East side

Arlington statue removal

Re: the Dec. 19 letter "Civil War history."

It is unfortunate that Arlington Confederate statue is being removed. Superficially, it would seem logical to remove a statue commemorating Confederate soldiers from Arlington, but that ignores the profound history behind it. At the end of the Civil War, there was a real danger that the conflict would degenerate into a terrible internecine guerilla war, with atrocities on both sides making it nearly impossible for us to reunite as one country. It did not because of the concerted effort by especially the officers on both sides, most especially Robert E. Lee. In about 1900, a few forlorn Confederate graves had been found near Washington, and some petitioned successfully to have them reburied in Arlington. The sentiment was that they had fought and died for their country, as they understood it. The concept of 'The United States IS' had not yet replaced 'The United States ARE', and many identified more with their State. The statue embodied that effort to heal.

Abraham R. Byrd III

North side