Letters to the Editor category, Page 157
Letter to the editor: Would anyone really ‘cross that bridge’?
Regarding the article “A year after Fern Hollow Bridge collapse, are Western Pa.’s bridges in better shape?” (Jan. 28, TribLIVE): Would anyone in their right mind cross a bridge with a sign posted and flashing the words “CAUTION — BRIDGE RATED IN POOR CONDITION”? I would like to think that...
Letter to the editor: Today’s ‘change’ is not for the better
I remember when, years ago, people thought of “change” as being for the greater good, the betterment of society as a whole. Well, times have “changed” since then, and, unfortunately, not for what I perceive as the betterment of our society. I am a retired scientist. Those of us in...
Letter to the editor: Second Amendment, weapons and abortion
I believe Democrats must include in their support of the Second Amendment the right to possessing assault weapons and must concede to limiting abortions to a last-resort option. Republicans must not support total bans on abortions, nor prohibit access to birth control. Republicans must also acknowledge that not everyone should...
Letter to the editor: Anxiety and medical marijuana
Regarding the article “How anxiety came to dominate the big business of medical marijuana cards in Pa.” (Feb. 2, TribLIVE): I greatly appreciate the Trib’s recognition and concern regarding this issue. There are many conditions that allow one to qualify for a medical marijuana card in Pennsylvania, but only a...
Letter to the editor: Giant Eagle making it harder to be savvy shopper
It is becoming harder and harder for us to be informed consumers and savvy shoppers. Giant Eagle/Market District has announced that, beginning March 2, we no longer will be receiving its weekly ad flyer in the mail. They have told us to use our smartphone to scan their QR code...
Letter to the editor: $3.6 million too much for homeless shelter
An open letter to Westmoreland County Commissioners Doug Chew, Sean Kertes and Gina Cerilli Thrasher: Last week you approved a $3.6 million plan for construction of a new homeless shelter with 12 beds. Is this right? $300,000 a bed? Even a third of that cost is outrageous. Then it needs...
Letter to the editor: Trump, Biden make for poor presidential choices
Both the Democratic and Republican parties are presently in a quandary regarding the 2024 president election. The Democrats are saddled with an 80-year-old President Biden, who I believe is mentally and physically feeble. In addition, Kamala Harris has bombed as vice president. No would-be challenger could defeat Biden in the...
Letter to the editor: Take care of us first
How many borders of other countries does the United States defend? I’m sure none of us really know. We have defended the border of South Korea from North Korea forever, and at what cost? We have already spent $113 billion defending Ukraine’s border with Russia. What about our borders? Don’t...
Sounding off: On gun violence, Bushy Run, Ukraine, pope’s call on homosexuality, Trump
We must address our gun violence problem Our region has a gun violence problem that threatens to undo all progress we’ve made on equity and economic development. Public safety is a just expectation from every person. Our day-to-day existence is shaken to its core without the feeling of safety. Tragically,...
Letter to the editor: We need someone like Trump to speak the truth
A recent letter-writer described an independent as “a liberal embarrassed by his or her party’s policies” (“Trump, like Reagan, was a great president,” Jan. 23, TribLIVE). I have been an independent for years, but I am not a liberal! I changed because, to my shock, there are a few good...
Letter to the editor: ‘Free markets’ must have rules
It is noticeable that many of the Trib’s opinion pieces are written by the Commonwealth Foundation and Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. I consider these two organizations to have extreme right-wing conservative and libertarian beliefs. To me their objectives are no taxes, no regulations and privatize everything, and they worship...
Letter to the editor: Is Gov. Ron DeSantis afraid of learning?
In 1671, Gov. William Berkeley of Virginia wrote, “I thank God there are no free schools or printing, for learning has brought disobedience … .” It appears that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis feels the same way. Suzie Morris Stewart...
Letter to the editor: GOP and ‘fixing’ Social Security
The writer of the letter “Republicans not nihilists” (Feb. 2, TribLIVE), states that “The only fact is Social Security is broken and needs to be reformed. It’s the Republicans who want to fix it.” Below is listed a brief history of past Republican proposed fixes to Social Security programs: 1935:...
Letter to the editor: Ideas to continue Bushy Run reenactments
Here’s some free advice for the Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society: Don’t cancel the battlefield reenactment (“Pa. agency explains why it enacted new ‘no force-on-force rule’ for Bushy Run, other sites,” Feb. 6, TribLIVE). Replace the Native American side of the battle with sound effects. There are many local universities...
Letter to the editor: Stop funding Israeli violence
Clearly the U.S. media inadequately covers the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and pretends that it is a clash of comparable violence. There has been unrelenting violence against Palestinians since the displacement and ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands (over 750,000) of Palestinians during the 1948 creation of the state of Israel. Since...
Letter to the editor: Pope’s call on homosexuality a welcome step forward
There are currently over 65 countries throughout the world in which homosexual relations are classified as a criminal offense; indeed, in several countries, a person can be executed for being gay. Pope Francis’ historic call for the global decriminalization of homosexuality is a historic step forward for LGBTQ individuals, their...
Letter to the editor: Bushy Run needs to continue its battles
The new woke policy on force-on-force reenactments that the National Park Service adopted, and this blue state liked, is being used to censor the history of Bushy Run Battlefield (“Pa. agency explains why it enacted no force-on-force rule for Bushy Run, other sites,” Feb. 6, TribLIVE). They claim it is...
Letter to the editor: GOP, party of violence
Ninety-nine percent of Republican lawmakers voted against banning assault weapons, and 96% voted against commonsense background checks before gun sales. Both of these safety measures are supported by the majority of Americans and would save countless lives. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 648 mass shootings in 2022....
Letter to the editor: With Ukraine aid, are we headed for WWIII?
As the U.S. continues to funnel tens of billions of taxpayer dollars and military aid to Ukraine, with what seems like zero accountability, ask this simple question: If Country A supplies Country B with missiles to bomb Country C, does Country C have the moral right to bomb Country A?...
Letter to the editor: Environmental insanity
Hopefully, the talk of banning gas stoves marked the beginning of the end of the radical climate change movement. It’s becoming a bad joke. The effort to switch from internal combustion engine-powered vehicles to EVs sounded like it made good environmental sense, but we are learning that it does not,...
Letter to the editor: We must address our gun violence problem
Our region has a gun violence problem that threatens to undo all progress we’ve made on equity and economic development. Public safety is a just expectation from every person. Our day-to-day existence is shaken to its core without the feeling of safety. Tragically, for many, this means the fear of...
Letter to the editor: Regarding Tyre Nichols — common sense and honesty can save lives
I was appalled by the way police responded to the Tyre Nichols traffic stop. My military training taught me you are only as strong as your leaders. These officers had no skills in policing. The leaders who gave them their jobs should be fired. Giving jobs to people who are...
Letter to the editor: Let the average person see a Super Bowl
The two teams participating in the Super Bowl each year get 17.5% of the tickets. The host city gets 5%. The league gets 24%. The other 30 teams, including the Steelers, each get 1.2%. State Farm Stadium holds 75,000, meaning the Steelers will get 900 tickets. Although the number is...
Letter to the editor: ‘Recipe’ to fix property tax assessment issues
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald’s staffers finally appeared publicly to discuss the seven-year ratio coding scandal. After fixing one of the seven years of bad luck for taxpayers, Fitzgerald’s chief of staff, Jennifer Liptak, was asked about conducting a voluntary review of the other six years so taxpayers would finally...
Letter to the editor: State of the union stronger when America leads on energy
Solving the energy crisis requires a course correction from Washington — and one that encourages domestic natural gas and oil development, energy security, economic growth and continued progress toward a lower-carbon future. What doesn’t help is the finger-pointing at producers, unfounded accusations of price gouging and threats to impose new...
