Selling fascism
Considering that fascism is an authoritarian political system, it makes sense that people would not naturally gravitate toward it. Most people pushing such a system historically have been sociopaths, such as Mussolini, and yes, Trump. Fascism did not come into being from the minds of sane people. Sociopaths are manipulators, and as such, sociopathic leaders need to sell their fascism disguised as some national treasure. However, most of the selling has more to do with demonizing the existing system than glorifying fascism itself. Existing leaders are considered to be monsters. This is done with lies, exaggerations, hate speech and deception. Election denial is more than just a fantasy; it accuses the existing regime of a premeditated treachery. So, supposedly, Trump’s rightful place as President was stolen by a mob of totally corrupt beasts on the “left.” It sets up the question: who in their right mind would vote for such a hideous leftist group? The only voting option that remains is fascism, and millions have been converted.
Steve Rasmussen
Foothills
Priest must report molesting
Re: the Nov. 2 article “Compelling clergy to report crimes.”
Dear Representative Nguyen, I find your statements about why priests should not have to report child abuse when it is heard in confession to be that of someone who does not understand the teachings of Jesus or and canons of the Roman Catholic Church. Jesus and the Church do not want people to molest and otherwise abuse children. Your excuse that the priests do not have to report because someone else will is simply nonsense and not what really happens.
I was baptized Roman Catholic 73 years ago. I completed Catholic elementary, high school and college. During my 32 years as Child Protective Services case manager in Tucson, I saw several fathers and pastors molest their own children for years because no one reported the molestation at first. Priests need to follow the laws of God and man and call the police to investigate.
Thank you,
John Higgins,
MSSW LCSW (retired)
Southeast side
What’s worse: coal or oil?
I wanted to know who’s right about the CO2 output of coal vs. oil so, I turned to the experts.
According to the MIT Climate Portal and professors of geochemistry and chemical engineering, the answer lies in understanding carbon intensity due to the way it was formed and it’s not, apparently, a factor of weight. “When coal burns, its higher proportion of carbon molecules creates more CO2 per unit of energy. For oil and gas, it’s “mainly the hydrogens that will burn and generate energy, not the carbons.”
The scientists warn that while “burning coal is more carbon-intensive, both oil and gas still produce climate-warming CO2.
I’ll leave counting molecules to the scientists and accept that Earth is heating up to dangerous levels — faster in the last 10 years — because of all fossil fuels. We know what to do — electrify everything with clean energy and first, put a price on carbon.
Jane Conlin
Northwest side
Support for military?
I don’t understand how any military veteran can support Donald Trump. During his presidency, he called those who died in defense of their country suckers and losers. By extension, in his view, anyone who serves in the military must be suckers and losers since they are there to defend our country. His disdain for those who died in battle was plain to see when he failed to attend a memorial for WWI servicemen at a U.S. cemetery in France “because of rain.” Trump dodged the draft, not for moral reasons, but rather a specious claim of bone spurs, which he said did not allow him to serve. His disdain for Senator McCain’s heroism was pathetic for a man who never served. His claim that he knows more than the generals is laughable, but scary. Hate-filled and divisive, if elected again, expect worse.
Michael Mount, retired
veteran who served in
Vietnam
Foothills
High-level legal action to control guns
Simple. Submit a lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court requesting their interpretation of the 2nd Amendment in its full text. The part about “well regulated militia” seems to be missed or ignored by the NRA and automatic weapon advocates. The Supreme Court should enforce the 2nd Amendment and require any and all gun owners (regardless of type) to attend military/militia training every year. Non-attendance penalty is confiscation of firearms until militia obligation has been filled. We are simply asking the Supreme Court to uphold the Constitution of the United States. All politicians who claim to be for law enforcement and strongly support our Constitution will surely support such an action. If not, why not?
Dennis Winsten
Northeast side
Dental care mobile for children
Did you know that Arizonans spend millions of dollars for restorative dental care for young kids? Too many children start school with a chronic dental disease (tooth decay) that is largely preventable! Dental disease can result in speech impairment, decreased school performance, low self-esteem and impacts overall health. To improve this situation, there must be collaboration and partnerships in our community to focus on our common goal — to prevent tooth decay and promote a lifetime of optimal oral health. We are thrilled to announce that MHC Healthcare is partnering with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona to launch the new Ronald McDonald Dental Care Mobile! Together we will provide care throughout Pima County for at-risk children no matter their insurance status. We are enormously grateful to Roche located at Innovation Park in Oro Valley for providing space to park the unit and provide care for children. In the first year alone, we anticipate serving close to 800 children!
Josh Carzoli
Marana
Ukrainian game plan
In 2022, Congressman Johnson berated the Biden administration for not providing Ukraine the weapons it needed. In 2023, now Speaker Johnson won’t fund Ukrainian war needs without greater details on the end game! How have things changed? Is Ukraine, a sovereign state not still fighting for its identity and to drive the invading Russians from its territory. Same as 2022! Oh, wait, now Speaker Johnson must appease the radical elements of the Republican caucus or risk rejection. Heck, Johnson, if you’re not going to fund their war needs, please ask them to return our M1A1 tanks. They are no good without munitions!
Norman Patten
Midtown
Easier to give than take
So they didn’t pass new funding for Ukraine. It would seem people in Congress should understand that once you provide a benefit to anyone, or even a country and they start to depend on that benefit, it’s almost impossible to stop sending funds without turning them against you. Why would the United States once again become involved in another country’s problems to the point that that country becomes dependent on our help? We jumped in, and now we want out? We should not have put ourselves in that position to begin with. Common sense seems to be in short supply in the current administration and it’s going to take several years to undo the mess they created in the last four years — if it’s even possible. They don’t seem to care about the problems the people in this country are facing due to immigration issues, the homeless and seniors.
Thomas Fletcher
South side
Trees
In your last-minute shopping, don’t forget a gift for Mother Earth and plant a tree. In return, your tree will continuously give back to you beauty, coolness, bird habitat, clean air etc. It is the gift that keeps on giving. And there are no boxes or wrapping paper to discard in the landfill.
Dale Gehring
Midtown
Abortion is not curing a ‘disease’
Re: the Dec. 22 article “The fight for abortion is about so much more.”
In a recent Star opinion, Nancy Gutierrez asserts that “abortion is health care.” Unfortunately and conveniently, she fails to identify the “disease” an abortion is supposedly curing.
The obvious reason for her omission is that abortion is clearly NOT healthcare. Instead, abortion is the purposeful killing of an innocent, genetically unique, defenseless, human life that is being nurtured within a women’s body, but is NOT the mother’s body. Not one medical textbook that I am aware of identifies pregnancy as a disease.
Ms. Gutierrez’s attempts to sanitize abortion by labeling it “health care” is like a Nazi’ attempting to convince an unbelieving world that gas chamber showers were for hygiene instead of extermination. That is nonsensical, as are Nancy’s suggestions that limiting abortions could result in hysterectomies becoming illegal. That conclusion is illogical; a hysterectomy is a legitimate medical procedure intended to improve a human life, not kill life as with abortion.
Rich Wiersma
Catalina
U of A financial woes
As is said in the military, it happened on his watch. President Robbins is totally responsible for the University’s budgetary problems. For him to call for Ms. Rulney’s resignation and throw her under the bus is akin to saying my dog ate my homework or my girlfriend messed up.
David N. Byrne
Northwest side
U of A budget
Re: the Dec. 17 article “UA financial crisis won’t damage football, basketball.”
Greg Hansen’s column assured fans of UA’s football and basketball teams that those programs would not be cut citing a statement of University President Robbins. Hansen’s justification evidences a lack of basic accounting knowledge by focusing totally on the revenue side without discussing the expense side of these programs. His only discussion of the latter is that the football coach should get a raise and the programs should add a new NIL manager at unknown cost. Accordingly, he is unable to address how these programs contributed to the $87 million deficit of the department. Implicit in the column is the assumption that all other university programs must sacrifice so the football and basketball teams can play at the level of their choosing. That’s a myopic redefinition of the university’s mission from an educational one to that of an unprofitable entertainment business.
Ronald Baird
Vail
Fireworks on Christmas Eve
People should be ashamed of themselves for using fireworks on Christmas Eve. The night celebrated as the eve of the birth of a person who stood for peace and goodwill. Fireworks terrify animals, including wildlife (many dogs are lost due to trying to run from the sound of fireworks or hide in fear); disturb the neighbors; damage the ears of people; represent revolutionary wars; lacks compassion for people who have been in wars who are distressed by the sounds of fireworks; and remind people of the horrific wars going on now. Fireworks are NOT a sign of goodwill and peace to all.
Fireworks should be restricted to New Year’s and the Fourth of July. The rest of the year should be free of fireworks for trying to create the difficult processes toward peace on Earth.
Beryl Baker
West side
Some AZ schools going without counselors
What a false equivalent, counselors or SROs (school resource officers). It’s like saying you can only have walls or a roof when building a house. We need physical safety; thank you, SROs and teachers. We also need counselors to support students with emotional and social issues. Students with autism, ADD, physical, emotional trauma, verbal and emotional abuse, grief and loss issues, character education, career and vocational guidance problem solving, and social skills. Tom Horne, if you really care about kids, give them the resources that they need. Arizonans have always voted to take care of our children.
Saul Ostroff
Midtown
The second Tuesday?
All the voter fraud conspirators want to ban mail-in voting. I believe mail-in voting is safe and efficient. However, the USA votes in person on an obscure Tuesday in November. Most American voters work on Tuesdays. To vote in person, you must vote before work, after work or get your employer to let you out of work to vote (good luck with that). That means that most working voters have about a two-hour window to get to the polls to vote in person, yet the polls are open for about 12 hours. This creates major inconvenience and long lines. Mexico, a predominantly Catholic country, votes on Sunday when everyone is not working. Here’s a thought. Veterans Day is in November. It is supposed to be a “day off” holiday honoring the men and women who ensure that we can vote at all. If everyone had the day off, voting in person would be more feasible. A functional democracy requires safe and convenient voting procedures.
Richard Bechtold
West side
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