Hate speech?
Editor:
Thank you for providing your readers with the opportunity to respond to the letter setting out hate speech attacking residents here in Goodyear. Since we moved to Pebble Creek, we have been assaulted by Mr. Azzarello’s consistent denigration of his neighbors who happen to disagree with him politically. However, the February 13 letter was simply too egregious to let pass without a response. His attacks have been escalating in viciousness, and his very long letters run with great regularity in the “West Valley View.”
Mr. Azzarello’s direct attacks and name calling of those he considers “progressives” is past insulting. He is attacking people he does not know for beliefs he assumes he can summarize. Mr. Azzarello’s stereotyping and numerous misstatements of the varied positions of those who vote in opposition to him do not even qualify as logical enough for point-by-point responses.
This nation cannot come together to solve problems when individuals are regularly and personally attacked in the local newspaper without cause. He says progressives do not believe in God and serve Satan. Where on Earth does he get his information? He accuses Democrats of buying votes in urban areas and attacks African-Americans for not being sufficiently thankful for their release from slavery, which he attributes solely to Republicans.
Abortion is a touchy issue for everyone, so he, because he is clearly not fully informed, blames women who must make a very difficult decision – often for medical reasons – solely on convenience, in a despicable and unsupported attack. The Supreme Court has addressed all his claims that same sex marriage, civil rights and reproductive rights are immoral, and they have grounded their decisions on the Constitution of the United States. That fact alone undermines all his arguments. We operate in this country under the rule of law and reliance on precedent.
Enough, Mr. Azzarello. Your opinions are not facts, and do not allow you to continue to insult and degrade people who are minding their own business and acting within the law. This is not a First Amendment issue because there is no governmental interference with your right to free speech. However, you are acting outside the norm by continuing to write such outrageous and incendiary tripe.
Alisa Moore
John Moore
Goodyear
Medicare for All
Editor:
Democratic presidential primary contenders have already begun making promises of bigger government and more free stuff. The recent rise of Medicare for All is proof of that.
Medicare for All simply sounds like a huge tax without many more details. It seems to me that the better idea would be to fix the existing Affordable Care Act, which took years of planning and has shown real, positive benefits to so many people. With Democrats in control of the House, there’s a great opportunity to properly implement the changes that would make health care more affordable and accessible.
Throwing the whole country off whatever health insurance they currently have invites more governmental chaos. Surely, we can come up with some means to strengthen and maintain this plan and provide quality and affordable health care. Every American deserves affordable health care options.
Many promises will be made by aspiring candidates. We need to listen and question before we decide to endorse something that would surely upend all of us.
Ted Marin
Goodyear
‘Little House’
Editor:
Recently, I was watching a rerun of one of America’s all-time favorite wholesome families. I was struck with a realization. Yes, “Little House on the Prairie” was America’s favorite Western family drama of all time. Virtually everyone loved that show back in the ‘70s, when the American people had the right values!
“Little House,” as it came to be known, represented the traditional American family. Life was physically harder than today. No child had their brains burned out on computer games. Kids had sleds instead of iPads and had strong character, instead of developing to be snowflakes.
I was struck by one indisputable fact. The values upon which “Little House” was built were traditional American values, of a strong father, a devoted and nurturing mother, and children who succeeded in life because of discipline built upon biblical principles. There is a lot more to it than that, but I think the readers get my point.
So, the traditional loving family – one mother, one father and disciplined children – was the norm for a few centuries in America. I am convinced that America became the greatest nation in the history of humankind because its family unit was strong and built upon a rock. Its foundation was not set in sand, but upon love, righteousness, independence and adherence to the golden rule. America was great because its traditional family unit was great. Without a moral populace we can never continue to enjoy freedoms as we have known for so many years.
If America had the same moral principles throughout its history as it has today, it would never have been great. Now you know what the president means when he says we should make America great again!
So, as Americans, let’s get back to our roots of strong family ties and a strong nation, and reject destructive socialistic and secular progressive ideology. What the progressive party is offering America is worn out and often failed socialism. If we are stupid enough to embrace socialism, it will leave us less great, less prosperous, less moral and, certainly and most importantly, less free as individuals and as a nation. Does anyone reading my letter really want less freedom? Really?
Roy Azzarello
Goodyear
‘Genius’
Ocasio-Cortez
Editor:
The midterm election sure brought some new incompetent people into the U.S. Congress. It’s amazing how stupidity is so abundant in large groups like Congress. There is a law that to become president: you must be 35 years of age. The same should apply for members of Congress, as well as the same term limit.
Now, we have freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose brain, at age 29, has not finished developing, and she is putting forth such ridiculous ideas that would cost more than double the present national debt of $21 trillion. I’m talking about her Green New Deal, which caught the eyes of some Democrats as a great idea.
Excuse me a minute while I try to stop laughing and crying at the same time. And Democrats thought Trump has a problem! OK folks, under AOC’s Green New Deal, get ready to give up your steak dinners, hamburgers, roast beef, milk, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt, leather chairs, belts, shoes, and I haven’t even touched the tip of the iceberg yet. This cow shortage will put all hamburger joints out of work: McDonalds, Arby’s, Burger King, Outback Steakhouse and every steak place.
Anywhere, you presently have family members working who just received a nice pay increase and tax break thanks to President Trump.
Now, let’s get to the “brilliant” part of Ocasio-Cortez’s brain storm. She wants to get rid of airplanes and replace them with bullet trains. That means all American airports will permanently close, and you know, without me telling you, that planes are much faster than bullet trains.
Plus, airports hire a lot of people. People in Europe who want to come to America do not want to come over an ocean by train! All airport employees will be unemployed. She’s keeping her plans to build railroad tracks across the ocean a secret so far. This “genius” has not thought about how rescue workers can get to the middle of an ocean in a hurry to solve a derailed train. You better sit down for this one cause it’s a real gem.
She wants to rebuild every building in the United States to make it green, and when someone asked her where all the money will come from for this huge project, her answer was “print more money.” Let me compose myself before I can continue. I’m ready to pee myself. So, if this woman, who must have been elected accidently into Congress or as a joke on all of us, is the best that Democrats can come up with (you know how voting machines have a record for glitches), one of the main drains that evaded President Trump’s attempt to drain the swamp just got clogged. In other words, everything President Trump has done to help this country recover from the destruction of Obama, dingbat Ocasio-Cortez will try to undo. Her parents are probably wondering how their “pumpkin” managed to get elected into Congress when it’s very evident she was dropped on her head more than once at birth.
James Logan
Buckeye