An urgent call
for compassion
"1,000 Years of Atrocities and Despair"
The Ukraine, a lesson in humankind’s wretchedness to our own.
Ukrainian history, and the history of their neighbors, is one episode after another of senseless killing.
To paraphrase one source, a thousand years of atrocities and despair.
Here I seem to lose my faith in our species and our ability to get along with one another.
The Ukraine is a new and fragile democracy.
Here, beneath the hopeful surface, I sense the old grievances.
Competing flags tell of divided loyalties — the blue and gold of the Ukraine and the white, blue and red of Russia.
Far from home, group against group sounds all too familiar to this traveler.
I see it in our country, too.
Still, I cling to hope that both countries, the young and the old democracy, may learn to live in harmony.
For my kids and grandkids, for the children of the Ukraine, for all the children of the world, it is my passionate hope that compromise and compassion will prevail.
Keith Gentzler
Marana
Loan forgiveness
before midterms
With midterm elections approaching, President Joe Biden and Democrats are once again raising the possibility of widespread student loan forgiveness — a terrific vote-buying strategy. While forgiveness for some debtors, such as those unable to work due to disability, makes sense, a blanket forgiveness is unacceptable. Extended payments or lower interest rate perhaps, but “forgiveness” just transfers the debt to taxpayers and encourages debtors to be financially irresponsible and more dependent on government. The government helped create the “crisis” by providing easy access to loans without regard for the monetary value of the education being received. The higher-education industry was happy to provide programs (and raise costs) to meet the demand. Many students were duped into borrowing many thousands for a “higher education” that provides a minor income advantage. Solution? Since our government bureaucrats and legislators created the environment that brought about this “crisis,” how about if they be responsible for the cost of any student loan forgiveness, rather than all taxpayers?
Matthew Scully
Sahuarita
So proud of our
Polish heritage
Like most of us, I've been reading the papers and watching the national news regarding the Russian advance into the cities and neighborhoods of Ukraine. My wife and I have been overwhelmed with the tragedy heaped upon the peaceful, hardworking people of this country and most especially impressed with the bravery and grit of the Ukrainian people, especially their President Volodymyr "I need ammunition not a ride" Zelenskyy. That said, we've also marveled at the Polish people. Polish mothers have gathered baby strollers to be left at train stations for Ukrainian refugees. Polish educators have committed to enrolling Ukraine children into their schools. The good people of Poland have provided food and clothing and have opened their homes, businesses and houses of worship to their European neighbors. I suspect the Polish people have long memories that date to 1939, when Hitler invaded their homeland. We are proud to be American, and after the events of the past couple of weeks we are so proud of our Polish heritage.
Floyd Nobler
Foothills
Going to miss
that rascal Fitz
I want to give a huge shoutout to David Fitzsimmons for being here for us all these many years, churning out honest and on-the-spot ‘toons and columns. A newcomer to Arizona in 2004, I subscribed to the Star and quickly learned that the state Legislature was a parody. Thank goodness that Fitz was there to confirm my suspicions and to help me giggle or cry my way through the many rough legislative sessions ahead. He has given me insight and perspective on the tyrants, bullies, wackos and thieves who march across our newsprint and electronic screens. Most kindly, David has always reached out to me (in character!) when I have commented gratefully (or tearfully) on his work. I will greatly miss my near daily newspaper encounters with him, and I wish him a wonderful (semi)retirement.
Peggy Hendrickson
Green Valley
Board let down
Cochise County
By voting down COVID-19 monies for Cochise County, the Republican supervisors showed they have no understanding of duties toward their citizens during a pandemic. Hospital monies were needed to shore up services and staff that had been exhausted. Public health monies were needed to service an at-risk population. Low-income housing money was needed to help stabilize families from job losses and low wages. Now inflation. Cochise County has been a depressed area for a number of years, with many small communities having partially closed downtowns. Copper is long gone and agriculture is diminished because of dropping water tables. I think turning down this money shuts the door on future economic development for that region. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue, but a health issue. Healthy people are productive, and healthy children learn. I grew up in Douglas with my former husband, owned a John Deere dealership in Safford and Willcox. I am a retired health educator and Realtor who now lives in Tucson.
Marilyn Civer
Midtown
Why we reelect
our lawmakers
Many of us think our legislators are nuts and want to vote them out of office. But we keep reelecting them. Why? Here is my theory. Politicians curry favor with big donors to amass a big campaign fund. Then they buy political ads to disparage their opponents with misinformation, innuendos, and sometimes outright lies. They want to convince you their opponent is a bigger scumbag than they are. They don’t tell you what they have accomplished, what their position is on the issues, or why we should vote for them — only why the other guy is a worse choice. If we want change, we have to ask questions, look at their past performance, think about what makes sense. If you believe everything you see and hear in the political ads or on social media, you’re just buying a pig in a poke. If we want change, we have to work for it.
Jim Stehn
Southwest side
Barr tries to
clean up image
William Barr's recent book and interviews bring to mind a quote by Primo Levi, the late Italian chemist and Auschwitz survivor, whose books document the dangers of the Nazis, the rise of Fascism, and his desire to assign responsibilities for the tragedy of the Holocaust.
“Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are the common men, the functionaries ready to believe and to act without asking questions.”
Steven Wool
Midtown
