Resisting arrest
makes things worse
Resisting arrest is a common denominator in many of the recent police involved encounters with suspects that have ended badly. When a 911 call comes into the police, we ask them to put their lives on the line to protect our lives and/or property from those in our community who are suspected of committing a crime.
If you are following the news, resisting arrest generally makes the situation worse and sometimes fatal. Respect for law and order has taken a back seat in many of our communities, and those we entrust to protect us are often ridiculed and disrespected in the worst of ways.
Parents need to teach their children that the police are here to protect the innocent, and if they encounter lawful authority they need obey the instructions given to them, be respectful and do not resist. Resisting arrest, striking an officer, swearing at an officer or refusing to obey the instructions of the officer will only compound the situation.
Robert Guth
Foothills
Backyard fireworks
terrorize our pets
I’m writing this on June 26. Last night I had to sedate my 2-year-old Airedale, Loki, who was frantically pawing in his kennel because loud fireworks were very audible in our neighborhood. Until the drugs kicked in, Loki couldn’t sleep and neither could we.
I expect the need to sedate Loki on the Fourth of July, but not for days beforehand and for many other occasions. I’ve read about the problems created by frequent fireworks in many cities.
Please refrain from using fireworks on occasions other than Fourth of July.
Sylvia Thorson-Smith
East side
Proud to be in UA’s
Ring of Honor
When I first saw my school’s Ring of Honor, I wondered how could I not be in such a ring? Then I heard “Hey, Ernie, you the real thing!” which made my heart sing, and it made me think of not being in the ring for what it is, and that is people think their generation is all there is, the bee’s knees and all that biz.
A sports honor comes along and everybody sings the song of the great jocks of their times, with no intentional thought that there were a few folks who could flat-out play back in the day — ancestors of those who play today. And all that is to say when we honor our history in any way, it’s a gesture of love in the deepest of ways — a reaching out to all who have contributed to who we’ve come to be.
I’m proud to represent my era in Wildcat history.
Ernie McCray
North side
Is financial gain driving president’s decisions?
Every sector of business in this country has been hurt by the coronavirus, but none has been devastated more than the travel and entertainment sector, in which the president and his family are heavily invested. Some analysts have said it will take years to recover, others have opined that in New York City, as many as 1 in 5 hotels will never reopen.
Mr. Trump is perhaps the most forceful leader insisting on reopening our economy despite warnings from medical and scientific experts. Many others have followed his lead. But why did the president use his bully pulpit to press so hard for reopening the business of our country?
Is it really of such great importance that it is essential even if many get sick and some die? Or is it that his own empire is on the line and his own personal economy, rather than that of our country as a whole, is in peril?
Harry Peck
Tubac
Ex-security adviser Rice would make a good VP
I heard the other day that Kamala Harris is being considered as a likely running mate for Joe Biden. Sen. Harris had an early exit from the primaries, facing off with 14 or 15 candidates that she couldn’t draw a competitive plurality from.
A vice president is supposed to add strength to the ticket, and in the name of Susan Rice, enormous strength is added to the ticket. If a President Joe Biden chooses to seek only one term, a Vice President Susan Rice would be ready to stride into the future.
Michael Nichols
Southeast side
Mask a reminder
of costs of freedom
I don’t enjoy wearing a mask. It’s not attractive, I can’t smile, and it’s extremely uncomfortable especially during the heat of summer. We all have our opinions about wearing a mask, some fiercely arguing it disrupts their freedom.
When I think of freedom as we approach the July 4 holiday, I think of our brave servicemen and women who sacrifice their lives to protect ours. I think of the gear they are forced to wear, the temperatures they have to endure in far off lands and their sense of duty fastened to their souls.
For those who refuse to use a mask like it’s a dirty four-letter word, please focus on another word: life. I understand you may not be concerned about the virus taking your life, but as a carrier of the virus you can spread it to those who are not as robust as you. Remember, the mask is not about you, it’s about us.
Ellen Spence
Foothills
Trump really
likes losers
It seems Donald Trump has become chief defender of Confederate statues and their flag, one who values their place in history. He sees them as heroes. We, here in Arizona, recall how he demeaned Sen. John McCain (a true hero) as a loser because he was caught and imprisoned for five years in the Hanoi Hilton. Therefore, he did not see him as a hero.
The irony in all this is that the Confederacy lost the war. They were losers, traitors to the United States. Why should they be so publicly honored? Trump was outraged when football players took a knee during the national anthem as a form of protest, but he never protested a traitorous flag being flown at NASCAR.
He protects the statue of his favorite president, Andrew Jackson, who was responsible for the “Trail of Tears,” the displacement of thousands Native Americans. It appears he is on the wrong side of history, or is it he doesn’t know history? It’s ironic.
Sonya Dougherty
West side
Mail-in voting could save lives
We are clearly in the middle of a statewide epidemic requiring strict social distancing. Now more than ever, it is essential that every Arizonan consider voting by mail.
It is contact-free. Each ballot arrives by mail and is returned by mail to the Registrar’s Office. It is the safest and most secure way to vote in the upcoming 2020 elections. Protect your health and your right to vote by requesting an early mail-in ballot before July 24.
You will avoid exposure to COVID-19, and you will have more time to consider the candidates and the issues as well. Visit ServiceArizona.com and ask to be placed on the permanent early voter list to receive your mail-in ballots for both the August primary and the November general election.
Diana Alexander
Oro Valley
Be a good neighbor and wear a mask
I think we have way underestimated this virus. It is all around us and growing. Arizona is now one of the worst hot spots in the country, and our family, friends and neighbors question the need to wear a mask! What? Good God, neighbor. You wear a mask for me and I will do the same for you.
Let’s live!
Dennis Rivera
Foothills
Winston the best TUSD has to offer
I’d like to tell you why I’m supporting Cindy Winston for the TUSD school board. I’ve known Cindy for many years as an effective teacher as one of her colleagues. I know firsthand she was a gifted science teacher that used innovative approaches to bring science to life in her classroom. I watched her create high expectations and make the time to build relationships with each student.
Cindy did it all: an engaged teacher who valued evidence-based curriculum, who organized field trips and home visits, and who had an appreciation of a diverse student body and their families.
I believe solving the problems of education is best done by the people who know the classroom and the educational institution inside and out. That’s Cindy. I believe change should be built on the strengths of the community, which is best done by people who understand the students’ abilities and challenges. That’s Cindy, too.
I’m voting for Cindy, and I hope you’ll join me.
Carmen Kemery
Northeast side
Republican Party hits a low point
June 28, 2020, has to be the saddest day in the history of the Republican Party. Once known as the “Party of Lincoln” and a symbol of emancipation and equality, Donald Trump’s tweeting of a “white power” video announces to the country that the Republican Party is now officially the party of racism — specifically “white supremacy.”
Should we now expect a revision of the Republican Party elephant logo to include a confederate flag, swastika or some other symbol of hatred?
Patrick Mulloy
Oro Valley
A hopeful forecast
Kind, consistent waves of moderate rain show their love for us July 3-4 and put out the Bighorn Fire and quash any attempts of fireworks celebrations.
Michael Carson
Midtown
Government
has failed us
How dare the federal, state and local government officials even suggest that we the citizens carry an iota of responsibility or accountability for the current status of the COVID-19 virus? These officials have completely screwed up any and every place where control of the virus could have actually been successful.
We still don’t have a successful testing plan. Gov. Doug Ducey’s “blitz” consists of testing 20,000 every weekend. With 7.3 million citizens, the blitz will be complete in a year.
“60 Minutes” showed how the antibody tests were a complete waste of time because the FDA didn’t place any restrictions on their development. These officials determined the criteria for reopening the states and didn’t have a plan to enforce the reopenings. To place the responsibility and accountability on whether or not we wear masks is despicable and unconscionable. Shame on you all.
Kevin Marschke
Oro Valley
Cázares-Kelly is
the people’s choice
Although there are many candidacies Democrats will decide this August, one of the most crucial, in my mind, is Pima County recorder. Do you realize how challenging it can be to vote when you have disabilities, live in a poorly served community, or feel disenfranchised by the system?
Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, not even out of the primary starting gate yet, is already demonstrating in person and across social media platforms that she will work tirelessly to engage and empower all potential voters to register and participate.
In these times of gerrymandering, voter suppression, and tampering, do we not want to bolster our base? A champion for our collective choices? The awesome software upgrade instead of the update that fixes the bugs? It’s time to create a thriving democracy that works for all of us.
Julie St. John
Midtown
