Are we one nation?
When I was a kid in the ‘50s I attended public school with other white kids. No Blacks or Hispanics. They attended their own public schools. This was the American way. I did not learn about them or their culture and they did not learn about me or mine.
Then along came integration. My kids attended public schools with other kids of all backgrounds. They all learned about each other.
Today we have the fans of former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos who champion “charter” schools. They want their kids to be taught only their own view of the world. Now the divide is not racial, it is cultural. If they get their way we’ll end up with culturally distinct schools that teach to their own cultural prejudices thereby aggravating the cultural divide.
Can we just accept that we are not “one nation” and do not want to be?
Steven Brown
Midtown
Thank God for veterans!
We watched “The Faith of My Fathers,” the story of former Sen. John McCain’s imprisonment in Vietnam. Thank God for McCain. He was a man of strong convictions, valor and honor; of boldness and strength to stand for what is right even in the midst of terrible torture and cruel treatment.
Thank God for our military: the men and women now serving and those who have served in the past — our veterans. They serve at great personal costs, sacrifices and risks to themselves and their families to secure our freedom.
To those serving in the military now and to those who have served: “Thank you!”
You deserve our honor, respect, and a heartfelt thank you for serving us and our country!
Rebecca Fuchser
East side
Safety at UA men’s basketball games
After over 35 years of attending U of A men’s basketball, I was able to put my season tickets on hold last year during the height of the COVID-19 danger. Before buying tickets for this season, I was assured that strong protocols would be in place.
At the NAU/UA game, I was impressed with the requirement to enter only if you were wearing a mask. But, once inside the facility, there was only one announcement made, and I did not see anyone walking around enforcing the mask requirement.
I could see that many of the fans were not wearing masks throughout the game, and this was very uncomfortable and unsafe.
What is the U of A going to do to make sure their regulation is followed? Also, if this is not going to be enforced, what financial adjustment will be made for those of us who don’t feel safe attending the games?
Michael Quast
Foothills
Republicans, party of “no”
The Republican Party has become the party of “no.” No to any laws or policies that address climate change. No to rebuilding infrastructure including the bipartisan bill. No to immigration reform or immigration period. No to funding public education. No to common sense gun control laws that might save lives. They all voted no to the pandemic relief bill which included the $300 per month child tax credit. No to giving people affordable health care and lowering prescription drug costs. No to fighting the pandemic with vaccines and masks.
The only yes was cutting taxes on rich people and corporations in 2017 which increased the national debt over $3 trillion and didn’t create jobs like they said it would. Oh, and did I mention Republicans want to cut Social Security and Medicare?
The Democratic Party is very far from perfect but at least they are trying to help ordinary working Americans.
Therese Flores
Southwest side
Climate change reality check
I tire of hearing “We have to save the planet.” The planet has survived five mass extinctions and will survive the next one. When people use this argument to market the need for climate change it is no wonder the general population tune them out. And what if ocean temperatures rise just 1.5 degrees centigrade in the next 20 years, so what, that is a minimal amount.
If we want to market the dangers of global warming, we need to get real about the message. The risk is not the destruction of the planet, it is the destruction of human beings and other animals, birds, and fish and plants.
Let’s start talking about climate change in terms people understand. Then perhaps people will start acting with individual actions multiplying into significant changes.
Bruce Dockter
West side
Catalina Foothills band
Re: The Nov. 11 article “Foothills band to be in 2023 Rose Parade.”
Congratulations to the Catalina Foothills band! Looking forward to seeing them in the Rose Bowl Parade!
They are not the only locals to perform nationally. Two members of the Tucson Twist-Its, a jump roping group, will be performing their incredible skills in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Their dedicated practice is paying off!
Please watch and cheer them on.
Proud of all our Tucson youth and their talents!
Valerie Golembiewski
Southeast side
Showing thankfulness to immigrants
I just wanted to comment on all these people who tell the immigrants to “go home.” I’d like to ask, who will pick your food? Are you going to get out in the fields and pick your own food? I doubt it. We need people who choose to do this for all of us, and look upon them with thankfulness and gratitude, not contempt. Especially with Thanksgiving approaching, we need to be thankful for the people who broke their backs and picked the produce, and raised crops you are eating. It’s laughable when they say they are taking jobs from American workers. They do work no one else wants to do. Well, I appreciate you.
Sherry OBrien
Northeast side
Outrage over Gosar, but none over Sinema
Re: the Nov. 10 article “Rep. Gosar’s ‘creativity’ is disturbing.”
There were numerous letters to the editor on Nov. 12 condemning Rep. Paul Gosar for his anime video attacking Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Democrats. It was stupid and likely ends his political career. The Star did an editorial. But where has the outrage and condemnation from local Democrats and the Star been on how Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a woman, has been treated by people of their own party? She has been “physically,” not in an anime video, ambushed by progressive activists in a public bathroom, intimidated and bullied at an airport, etc. Democrats, including the Star, have been silent about this because she opposes ending the filibuster and thus far has opposed the Build Back Better leftist trillion-dollar spending bill when inflation is at a 30-year high. The Star’s Tim Steller did write the bathroom episode was “over the top” but with a “but,” that she needed to clarify her positions. Where is the Star’s “Democrat activists’ treatment of Sinema is disturbing” headline?
Gusher Adams
Midtown
