Biden’s identity politics is getting old real fast
Joe Biden said that he would pick the best “woman” for his vice presidential slot, rather than the best American, once again confirming the left-right political divide in America.
The only reason that this conservative letter writer would demand the best “woman” for the job is if I was interviewing for a wife.
I think that America is sick and tired of the identity politics ruse, but I won’t know for sure until Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Jeffrey McConnell
West side
Officers’ endorsement of Trump shocking
I was astonished this morning to read in the Arizona Daily Star that an association of Arizona police unions had endorsed a national criminal who has been accused on a regular basis of engaging in all forms of lawlessness. He is a pathological liar.
My suggestion is that all of their members should resign and turn in their badges immediately. They no longer represent the law enforcement officers I was honored to work with for over 20 years. We were sworn to uphold law and order and protect the citizens of all walks of life.
It comes down to loyalty versus honesty. Scientific research has discovered why individuals tolerate public lying and why supporters of public liars are willing to accept this. The answer is that loyalty matters more.
So, now we have an Arizona police union that will support a criminal that is a prolific liar and overlook the obvious; truth has been abandoned and that loyalty trumps the requirement for honesty.
Thomas Wilson
Northwest side
Stop including race in your reporting
I am getting tired of reporters calling out whether a person is Black, white, Indian or what have you. It seems to make a difference as stories of a new nominee for vice president start out with what races she is and what race her parents are.
Maybe the person reporting the story needs to mention what race they are.
They should also state the race of their parents and if they come from a rich or poor family. Add whether their parents were divorced or not. All this information might determine the leaning of the story they report.
They should report people as just people, not what color or race they are.
Jose Salgado
Northeast side
Trump excels at keeping Americans from harm
President Trump brokered a historic Middle East peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. There may be more to come. Last February, he brokered a peace deal with the Taliban.
Since then there have been no U.S. troop casualties at their hands in Afghanistan. Trump brokered a cease fire deal between the Turks and the Kurds in northern Syria.
North Korea has not launched a long range ballistic missile over Japan or toward Guam in over a year.
They have returned the skeletal remains of American MIAs from the Korean war, including to Tucson. ISIS leader Al-Baghdadi has been killed and ISIS has been largely annihilated. Iranian terrorist General Qasem Soleemani, having the blood of hundreds of American troops on his hands, has been killed.
The Iranians have not fired on a U.S. Navy ship in the Straits of Hormuz for months. All due to the strength of one man: President Trump! Not weak Joe Biden, who was reluctant to go after terrorist Osama Bin Laden.
Terrence Williams
North side
Halt bulk mailings during election
Most of the mail received these days at our household and millions of others is promotional material from nonprofit organizations, political organizations and some commercial enterprises.
I urge these organizations and companies to voluntarily desist from all bulk mailings during October and the first week of November to relieve the pressure on the Post Office, which will be dealing with ballots at the critical time of the election. Doing this will be a big contribution to democracy and a big PR boost for whomever you represent.
Judy Ray
Midtown
Mail ballots in early and track them
So often policies and actions from Washington, D.C. affect our lives and we feel unable to change what seems like a negative impact.
New operational policies put into play for the USPS — just in time for November’s election — seem beyond the reach of our individual influence. But I have two suggestions for all of us to consider.
First, if you vote by mail for this 2020 election, consider sending in your ballot well before the deadline and then track it. You can do so by going online to the Pima County Recorder’s office at recorder.pima.gov, then clicking on “Ballot by Mail Status” on the right side of the screen.
Second, consider volunteering to work at a Pima County polling place. You may apply online to do this by going to the Pima County Elections Department website. Perhaps this will allow an expansion of polling locations and smoother operations on Nov. 3.
Nancy Rochman
Midtown
Star diminishes Harris’ historic moment
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, for the first time in U.S. history, a woman of color, Kamala Harris, became the vice presidential nominee. The next morning, Vice President Mike Pence’s prominent picture appeared on the front page of The Arizona Daily Star. It accompanied an article describing a campaign visit to Tucson.
A tiny picture of Harris (approximately one-fifth the size) appeared on the front page. Once again, this is the first time that a woman of African American and Asian American origin is on a major political party’s ticket. Harris is an inspiration to us all and especially to women and girls. By literally diminishing Harris, The Star chose to underline male power and downplayed the historic importance of her accomplishment.
The paper failed to show it truly supports diversity of thought, gender and color. To protest this blatant sexism and racism I have chosen to terminate my subscription. I urge others to do so as well.
Luz Angela and Marta Lee
Green Valley
This pandemic is not close to being defeated
In May, people misinterpreted the leveling off of COVID-19 cases to mean that the virus had been licked. Arizona opened up then, and the devastation quickly became much greater. Pima County is now seeing five to 10 times the number of daily cases we had in May.
A new misinterpretation appeared in Sunday’s Star. A UA professor was quoted as saying, “I’m confident that we’ve had a peak in deaths.”
Yes, the rate has declined slightly from its recent maximum, but an intolerable number of people here are still getting sick and dying every day.
The one thing we know for certain, is that the slight decline will mean nothing if we again relax our vigilance. It’s fine to acknowledge improvement, but we are still very much at risk, and the virus is capable of producing levels of illness far worse than what we have yet seen.
Neil Weinstein
Foothills
Things I didn’t know about the Post Office
The attack against the Post Office by President Trump motivated me to do a little research about the system that brings my mail six days a week. This is what I learned. No tax dollars support the post office. It depends on customers, which bring in $70 billion a year.
Until 2006 it was making a profit; then Congress mandated the post office had to prefund employees’ health care plan. Since the $47 billion accumulated in that fund can’t be touched, the office began losing money. It costs the same 55 cents to mail a letter 3 miles or 3000 miles.
Tax dollars provide $686 billion a year for the defense department. I like being safe, but I also appreciate getting mail.
Don’t believe everything Trump says. The US Postal Service is vital to our daily lives and our election.
John Kautz
Midtown
It’s time for Congress to finally pass the ERA
Women are an essential gender. They are more than half of the world’s population. Only they give birth, sometimes to a boy, sometimes to a girl.
So, why is it that some of those U.S. offspring can’t get it together and pass the Equal Rights Amendment?
P.S.: I am a white, middle class woman who worked steadily from 1955 to 2000 … for 69 cents on the dollar.
Judith Whipple
Green Valley
The USPS dilemma has come to Arizona
I have never received a piece of mail that was delivered to the wrong address until the last two weeks. During these two weeks I received four different items that belong to other people. One was from Social Security, one a bank statement, one looked like a bill and the fourth maybe junk mail.
According to news reports, one or more mechanical sorter machines have been removed from Arizona post offices.
How does removing these machines save money? Under pressure, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has said no further changes will take place until after the election.
What happens after the election? Am I going to receive your medication or the birthday card you sent to your granddaughter? Sure I put them back in the mail … it’ll probably take just another week for you or your granddaughter to get their property. We have to save the Postal Service for all of us.
Barbara Bauer
South side
Progressives fine with violence
It is amazing that the voices of injustice — against violence, sexism and racism, — have been, for the most part, absolutely silent over the violence, looting and pillaging occurring in many of our cities across the U.S.
Be it Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Chicago, Washington D.C. or New York. The police have stepped back as these protesters asked, yet these people still riot, loot and in some cases attack and injure totally innocent people.
And what do politicians and political pundits like Mr. Fitzsimmons say? Absolutely nothing. Why? It seems that progressives attacking innocents, looting stores and causing mayhem for no good reason are given a free pass.
Let them express their feelings with violence, it’s OK, they’re progressives.
The uber liberals and progressives who supposedly abhor violence don’t say a thing. What hypocrisy!
Helge Carson
Oro Valley
Anti-wall reporting from Star dangerous
Every week there seems to be an anti-border wall article done by the Arizona Daily Star. Whether it’s monsoon rains destroying dirt roads, impacts to the terrain, underground water usage, questions about the contractor, etc. All negative attacking the wall.
But the Star ignores professional border law enforcement experts who say it is a positive border security element. The Star just reported about a corrupt Border Patrol Agent whose job was monitoring surveillance cameras for smugglers and illegal migrants. A border wall eliminates the need for such human monitoring.
A wall deters and impedes illegal entry, which occurs primarily through the ports of entry. Let’s see Star reporter Curt Prendergast go over, under or through the wall!
By opposing the wall, the Star endangers the lives of people trying to enter illegally.
There have already been thousands who perished in the dangerous desert trying to do so. Does the Star understand the border wall can potentially save migrant’s lives? The Star should put their hate for Trump aside and support saving migrant lives.
Paula Martin
Vail
Stop giving Trump the front page
In the week of the Democratic National Convention, and on the day after Joe Biden is officially nominated to be president, the front page shows nothing about it.
Not only that, President Trump gets a large color picture about his visit to Yuma. As a reminder, in the past, opposing candidates stayed out of the limelight during a convention.
But of course, not this president.
Section two, a front page article about Sen. Martha McSally, which also was not news.
Your reporting is lazy and biased, and shows a complete disregard for more important news, such as John McCain’s widow, Cindy McCain giving testimony to Joe Biden’s character. There’s an Arizona story!
There was a lot of content from the speakers at the Democratic National Convention, which was only touched on in one article.
Please quit enabling the showman.
Cande and Tom Grogan
Foothills
