Tucson CitizenTucson Citizen

Letters: “Superbly qualified” but unconfirmed

Dawning of justice for Bush lawlessness

It is time for the Senate to confirm Dawn Johnson for Office of Legal Counsel.

The New York Times has endorsed her as “superbly qualified.” Yet Republicans, afraid of her unstinting stand on upholding the rule of law when it comes to prosecution of those who have participated in U.S. use of torture, continue to block her confirmation.

The “Torture Memos” have confirmed what so many private sources already revealed: The previous administration authorized and implemented the perverse methodologies of torture.

Johnson has the courage and moral authority to investigate these acts without concern for expediency or political pandering.

Torture is illegal and morally inexcusable. For this nation to blindly move forward as the president suggests is equally illegal and morally inexcusable.

Confirming Dawn Johnson will be change we can believe in. A change from lawlessness and shame to justice and redemption.

Laura Carroll

Sahuarita

Paper’s ownership? Readers all about it

I hate to see the Tucson Citizen go.

I have never seen a sales price that Gannett is asking. Could the Citizen become subscriber owned? What is the asking price?

If a friends of the Tucson Citizen campaign were to be launched to garner support for a subscriber-owned paper, would it be possible? Would it be possible to say the heck with the purchase of Gannett’s portion and just do a subscriber-owner newspaper?

How about a name like the Tucson Citizen Commentator. It could continue to publish the everyday news, along with environmental issues; wildlife concerns; education issues; federal, state, county and local government voting records and report cards; citizen surveys; green revolution and alternative energy articles; feel-good stories of citizens helping one another, etc. (We need more of this to prompt residents to “Pay it Forward.”)

An invitation could be given to Tucsonans to write well-thought-out, thought-provoking, unbiased articles presenting both viewpoints on issues that affect us all.

Another idea is to go green by eliminating the need for so many different periodicals and discuss combining it with the Green Valley Times, Tucson Weekly, Downtowner and other local periodicals in an everyday newspaper form.

We can do this if we set our minds to it. We need a newspaper of this caliber. It could be the finest newspaper in Arizona.

Crunch some numbers, including cost of the daily and subscriber counts needed to accomplish the task, and publish an article in the Citizen (if they will allow you to do so).

If not, go to the TV media to report on it.

We need this desperately in the current atmosphere. I’ll support you for sure. I’m wishing you all the best.

Peggy Williams

Obama’s love tonic is hard to swallow

Just about the time I think President Obama has gone over the top, so to speak, he finds a new top to slither over.

Do we have an enemy in the world who this guy has not or will not cozy up to after apologizing for all our past deeds, real and imagined?

As for his dream of sharing an “equal partnership ” with all nations, large and small, who will foot the bill for this tea party? We will.

We are trying to get our heads above water economically, and Obama is dreaming of sponsoring plush love-ins with some of our more dangerous enemies.

I have daydreams and fantasies, but I realize the difference between those and reality.

The Dalai Lama preaches unabated love and understanding for all sentient beings, even our enemies, but even this very committed man knows the difference between his ideal and the real world.

What is next? Hold your breath! Change? Yes, just ask one of the many people who have lost their jobs or will soon.

A lot of our economic turndown started while we had a Democratic-controlled Congress, so trying to blame a former president does not wash.

The faithful will never see through this guy any sooner than the followers of Jim Jones did right up until the day the Kool-Aid was mixed.

Eugene Cole

retired

Journey into past doesn’t burn gas

My family lived for years without using oil, except gasoline for the car. These were not fun trips – doctor appointments, selling produce from our garden, and picking up relatives from the railroad station. Oh yes, church on Sunday.

Dad’s work was the farm, taking care of all the animals and raising us. This was long ago and not viable for now.

Today we also live frugally, however. We have a small garden. Unfortunately, as we are much older, more doctors have to be employed to keep us healthy. Also some community activities and grocery shopping are the extent of our driving.

We no longer have children to chauffeur. The car stays in the carport many days.

We certainly do not expect everyone else to live as we do. But perhaps each of you could think of one fewer car trip each week. Just one fewer trip would cut pollution, ease traffic and save you money. Please think of this fact and take it to heart.

Lois Lockhart

Citizen Online Archive, 2006-2009

This archive contains all the stories that appeared on the Tucson Citizen's website from mid-2006 to June 1, 2009.

In 2010, a power surge fried a server that contained all of videos linked to dozens of stories in this archive. Also, a server that contained all of the databases for dozens of stories was accidentally erased, so all of those links are broken as well. However, all of the text and photos that accompanied some stories have been preserved.

For all of the stories that were archived by the Tucson Citizen newspaper's library in a digital archive between 1993 and 2009, go to Morgue Part 2

Search site | Terms of service