Letters to the Editor category, Page 207
Letter to the editor: Addressing probation reform
Gene Barr’s op-ed supporting probation “reform” is not only misleading but absurd in its suggestion that it would increase employment for people with convictions (“Probation reform a solution to Pa.’s workforce crisis,” March 24, TribLIVE). Barr points to a real issue of onerous probation regulations that keep people from seeking...
Letter to the editor: If we respect life, we must end death penalty
On April 29, Richard Bernard Moore, a man on South Carolina’s death row, will be executed by firing squad. That’s right. Firing squad! As an ordained Roman Catholic deacon, serving as a chaplain to our incarcerated sisters and brothers in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, I most strongly urge my fellow...
Letter to the editor: The curative powers of hot cross buns
I loved the article “Saint Vincent monks hit sweet spot with handmade hot cross buns” (April 13, TribLIVE). I’ve been making them for ages but always only on Good Friday. Made on that special day, the buns are to have curative powers. I have tried several traditional recipes but never...
Letter to the editor: Saint Vincent College’s intolerance is sad
So, Saint Vincent College invited a speaker that made the liberal-leaning administration “cringe” (“Saint Vincent College responds to racism claims following weekend lecture,” April 14, TribLIVE)? Their response — to make sure that it never happens again. I guess they just don’t want to hear something that may offend their...
Letter to the editor: How would Skybus have changed Pittsburgh?
I wonder … . I wonder what Pittsburgh would have been like today if the innovative Skybus had been passed by the Allegheny County commissioners in the 1960s. Back then, steel was all that mattered to Pittsburgh. Population drain? With steel mills going 24/7? What need was there for Skybus?...
Letter to the editor: Leaders must address border crisis
The Trib recently reported 168 drug overdose deaths in Westmoreland County in 2021, up 37% from the prior year (“Coroner’s report shows 168 accidental overdose deaths in 2021 in Westmoreland County”). What a senseless tragedy this is for families that have needlessly lost loved ones. Sadly, addiction is an illness,...
Letter to the editor: Whistleblowers are key to recouping covid fraud losses
The letter “Pandemic fraud is an eye-opener” referenced the Associated Press article “Fraud overwhelms pandemic-related unemployment programs” spotlighting a tidal wave of fraud. Unfortunately, this is only the tip of the fraud iceberg. Two years ago, lawmakers passed a series of spending bills to provide pandemic relief and shore up...
Sounding off: On racism, we’ve come a long way
The author of the letter “Let’s tell the truth about racism” states that systemic racism “has and continues to be prevalent in all facets of our society.” From my perspective, our country has arguably been more successful at eradicating all forms of racism than perhaps any other. Just look at...
Letter to the editor: Obama, Biden responsible for war in Ukraine
Presidents Obama and Biden must share responsibility for the war in Ukraine. In 2014, Putin walked into Crimea without a shot being fired. This came after Obama told Russia’s president at the time to tell Putin (then prime minister) he would have “more flexibility” after he won the 2012 election....
Letter to the editor: Attacks on thought, free speech
I have read a number of Trib stories recently outlining controversies over local school districts’ curricula. There has been criticism of parents’ efforts to prevent the use of materials deemed by them as not appropriate for their children. This has been decried as “censorship” equivalent to book burnings by liberals...
Letter to the editor: Voice of Westmoreland works to improve lives
In his letter “Actions speak louder than words”, Bill Herald suggests that Voice of Westmoreland, a nonpartisan grassroots group, should bring the homeless and mentally ill into their homes instead of writing letters. Herald glosses over the security and liability issues involved in individuals attempting to take on this responsibility....
Letter to the editor: Democrats’ answer to high gas prices
To all you fine working-class folks having trouble with the skyrocketing price of gas, your “compassionate” Democrats have a friendly message for you: Quit whining and buy a $60,000 electric car already. Jeff Novotny Mesa, Ariz....
Letter to the editor: North Park no place for speeders
I ride Lake Shore Drive in North Park almost daily from Ingomar Road to the boathouse and back. I do two trips. It’s a great place to ride, well maintained, and even the restrooms and portable toilets are meticulously clean. The problem is traffic exceeding the speed limit, even with...
Letter to the editor: Presidential guessing game
Who doesn’t love guessing games? So, guess which silver-tongued orator said this: “Inflation doesn’t exist. Inflation is temporary. Inflation is transitory. Inflation will be going away. Inflation is Trump’s fault. Inflation is the greedy oil companies’ fault. Inflation is Putin’s fault.” Stumped? OK, maybe this will help. Who has criticized...
Letter to the editor: Westmoreland’s public housing needs attention
“Home is where the heart is.” “There is no place like home.” “Home sweet home.” There are hundreds of quotes and song lyrics expressing the importance of “home.” However, if my home was in one of Westmoreland County’s public housing buildings, I don’t think I would feel “there is no...
Letter to the editor: Nurses deserve better
Think about this: You take a job as a nurse and you work one day afternoon shift, then the next day daylight shift, then the third day you work the midnight shift (not the same 8-hour shift all week). Either you have little time to rest between shifts or twice...
Letter to the editor: We must learn from history so we’re not doomed
Regarding the article “Small-dollar donors fuel Trump’s $19M haul in first quarter” (April 17): The Republicans’ only message lately seems to be looking in the rearview mirror. For decades, they have been trying to snatch away our rights (voting, civil, human, environmental) with nothing to replace them. They seem to...
Letter to the editor: Philadelphia masks an election ploy?
Why is Philadelphia requiring masks again when other cities aren’t? The midterms are coming up and without Philly, the state could turn conservative. They know their liberal base will stay home because a lot are not vaccinated and fear the virus and the mask will make them feel safe to...
Letter to the editor: Conservatives have reason to be skeptical of media
The print edition headline on Leonard Pitts Jr.’s column “No more common national identity” is correct, but his conclusions are wrong. Not one for introspection, he of course blames conservatives. Apparently with a straight face he states, “The average Republican trusts almost no mainstream source of information.“ With mainstream media...
Letter to the editor: PSEA serves its members, students well
I write to voice my strong support for my union, the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA). I was troubled to read Joseph P. Ferguson’s letter criticizing PSEA (“PSEA leadership should be challenged,” April 2) based on vague claims that the union wasn’t aggressive enough. The PSEA I know has always...
Letter to the editor: Americans gullible when it comes to Bidens
It’s amazing how gullible the American people are, especially when it comes to believing everything that a group pretending to be the Democratic Party says and does. These people seem to be the new means to end this country as we know it, led by “the big man.” Oh, don’t...
Letter to the editor: Why America has lost its identity
In response to Leonard Pitts Jr.’s column “Americans have lost the willingness, ability to share a common national identity” (April 12, TribLIVE): I would argue that Pitts is your typical Democrat using projection to blame the Republicans for what the Democrats actually do. That is called projection, but I agree...
Letter to the editor: Fighting Legionnaires’ disease
Westmoreland County has had its share of scares with Legionnaires’ disease, a deadly but highly preventable respiratory illness that’s spread by breathing mist contaminated with the bacteria. Concern about the disease has been magnified by covid-19, which forced many public buildings to shut down. When buildings have low or no...
Letter to the editor: Doom, gloom and Democrats
Dave Majernik writes a deceptive letter, painting a gloomy picture for the future based on a false premise that “radical policies” are calling for banning gasoline cars and oil drilling (“Radical fuel policies would bankrupt us”). As a strong defender of the environment, I would never advocate that. At the...
Letter to the editor: Censorship threatens intellectual freedom
April is National Library Month. Here are some important points to ponder as we celebrate the intellectual freedom that libraries provide. Intellectual freedom, the very basis for our democracy, supports the right of every individual to both seek and access information from varied points of view without restriction. Censorship, the...
