Actions have Consequences
Rep. Paul Gosar needs to be censured for his violent post depicting the murder of a colleague. His digital director, Jessica Lycos, a federal employee, paid by our tax dollars, should have severe consequences for her creation of the post. An employee in the private sector would be fired for less.
Andrea Ibáñez
Midtown
Dems need a win
What can we do as the Democratic Party to win one for the people?
With Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin obstructing our progress — how will we ever win? Sinema is being bought off by the drug companies and Manchin is dumber than a rock about economics. We are already in the hole for trillions that will be added to the debt of almost $29 trillion this year and continue to be added from now on. Bidens, Build Back Better bill would be investing in America and the future a sum of $350 billion per year or whatever the final sum turns out to be. How can two so misguided individuals sandbag the future of America? I have written to both senators to no avail. I will never live to see how it turns out. I am a Democrat. Why can't the Democrats be more unified like the Republicans? We seem to be the party of scrambled eggs. Why do we continue to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?
Charles Blackstock
Southwest side
COVID in Arizona
Re: the Nov. 18 letter "Republicans and COVID"
I recently saw the letter to the editor regarding the difference in COVID- related deaths in Arizona and Israel. We don't have to go that far afield to make a similar grim comparison.
Washington state and Arizona have very similar populations with Washington at 7.6 million and Arizona at 7.2 million. However, Washington has had a total of 9,108 COVID-related deaths compared to Arizona with 21,752 as of Nov. 18th.
Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington has been proactive from the beginning of the pandemic while Gov. Doug Ducey has failed to be the leader he could have been. What a dismal record that is. Keep this in mind should he decide to run for a different office when his term as governor expires.
Gail Birkeland
Foothills
Aspen Institute report
A functioning democracy requires a thoughtful electorate that receives fact-based information. Regrettably, too many cable/radio shows, social media outlets, and “think tanks” are in the fake news business. They distort, disinform, and promote lies and conspiracy theories to promote a radical and partisan agenda. Violence, hate speech, and death threats are accepted and embraced. It is in their financial interests to keep supporting an alternative reality and sow division amongst us. Those in the fake news business – including members of Congress - are absolutely responsible for the harmful falsehoods highlighted in this report.
Science continues to be politicized. Too many still believe that the 2020 elections were stolen, that the Jan. 6 terrorist attack on our Capital was no big deal, and that climate change is not real.
In saying that “every American has a role to play in fighting misinformation” is an understatement. Our very democracy depends on making decisions based on facts and truth.
Kathy Krucker
Midtown
