Civil disobedience was courageous
Re: the Feb. 22 article "Anguishing case of dad's deportation."
When Raúl Alcaráz Ochoa crawled under that Border Patrol vehicle in protest of existing immigration law, he became my hero.
Dolores Huerta, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, César Chávez and Rosa Parks are a few who would have been proud of him.
There is no doubt in my mind where Ochoa stands when it comes to breaking families apart. He should be commended for his courage.
He stated, "There was an injustice taking place in front of me." His illegal act of civil disobedience should strike a raw nerve in all of us.
Breaking families apart for misdemeanors is not just. Our voices should be heard by our leaders on the immediacy of immigration reform.
Daniel Rivera Ashford
Retired, Tucson
Here's a motto for political discourse
While sorting through an old collection of articles, I ran across one about the winner of a "non-inspirational motto" contest that I think summarizes all the pre- and post-election discussions:
"It's not whether you win or lose, but how you place the blame."
Christine G. Scharf
Retired, Tucson
Station enforcement agents along border
On the subject of Border Patrol, perhaps a better solution would be to have the agents stationed along the international border, rather than miles away from it.
As an example, on I-8 between Casa Grande and San Diego, you must pass through a Border Patrol station three times.
On I-19 there is a station miles from the Nogales border. There are Border Patrol stations along the state routes between Nogales and Tucson, driving from Fort Huachuca, as well as from Tombstone.
None of these stations is actually on the border. So citizens driving in their own country, not trying to enter or leave Mexico, are subjected to being stopped for no reason.
I feel this is an infringement on our freedom and a waste of taxpayer dollars.
If all of these Border Patrol agents were spaced out along the actual border, they just might make a difference.
Leslie Harris
Retired, Tucson
Let's get tough with Congress on budget
May I suggest some simple, straightforward methods to get our stubborn, bickering, uncooperating Congress to quickly obtain consensus and move forward on the issues so important to Americans?
1) Freeze all their salaries. If no solutions are accomplished, no payments will be made until they do, i.e. pay for performance! They need to feel the pain they are causing.
If No. 1 doesn't work, more drastic measures should be called for, such as:
2) When meeting to discuss and resolve issues, lock them in their chambers (House and/or Senate) with only water to drink and no bathroom privileges until a signed solution has been reached.
The time has come for stricter methods - don't you agree?
Dennis Winsten
Consultant, Tucson
City Hall security critic uses flawed reasoning
Re: the Feb. 24 letter to the editor "Liberal hypocrisy in City Hall security plan."
The writer insinuates that, because the Democratic mayor of Tucson and the Democratic members of the City Council might favor increasing security at City Hall but oppose inserting armed individuals into public schools, they are "liberal hypocrites."
The hole in his reasoning is as big as the Grand Canyon.
Tucson City Hall is a single building, with only a few entrances, where adults conduct the business of the city - and where, conceivably, someone with a political or personal grudge against a public servant or civic employee might attempt to create mayhem.
The addition of a handful of trained law enforcement officers would increase security greatly.
However, perusal of the Tucson telephone book readily reveals a seemingly uncountable number of public schools within the city. How many people, with how many guns, with how much training, and at what cost - payable by whom - would be required to increase security effectively for the tens of thousands of students in all those schools?
The writer seems to have been thinking more with his gun than with his brain.
Thomas Sanders
Tucson
Boehner sets a bad grammar example
Apart from his words, Speaker John Boehner's grammar is setting a terrible example for our children. In a recent declaration, his subject, "the Senate," cannot sit on "their (plural) ass (singular)."
It must be "Senate ... its ass" or "Senate ... their assess." Agreement between subject and possessive should not be as elusive as agreement on sequester, nominations, or gun control.
Norman Sherman
Retired, Tucson
3 ignore example of Rosa Parks
Re: the Feb. 28 photo showing the unveiling of a statue of civil rights icon Rosa Parks.
Interesting to see the three men, President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House SpeakerJohn Boehner, unveil the statue of Rosa Parks.
Perhaps if those three men had the courage of this one woman, we could get something accomplished in this country.
S. B. Katz
Retired, Tucson
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