Opinion category, Page 102
Letter to the editor: Don’t castigate real Democrats
I stewed as I read and reread the letters “Trump’s victory shows rejection of Democrats’ ways” (Nov. 15, TribLive) and “Better under Trump? Think again”(Nov. 15, TribLive). As a lifelong Democrat, I take exception to the castigating of real Democrats. The Democratic Party has been infiltrated by progressives, poisoning their...
Gary Franks: Lincoln’s pardon and Trump’s victory
In politics, there are some things we have seen before and some things we have not. Abraham Lincoln was criticized for giving a pardon to a family member. So family pardons are not new. How about President-elect Donald Trump’s recent victory over the legacy press? Now that is different. It...
S.E. Cupp: The press must resist Trump’s bullying lawsuits
In his first week as a federal judge, Murray Gurfein was assigned the biggest case of his life. He’d just been nominated to the Southern District of New York by President Richard Nixon in April 1971, and confirmed by the Senate in May when the Pentagon Papers case landed on...
Rep. Jesse Topper: We can stop the pinch who stole Christmas
It is a few days before Christmas and across the commonwealth, Pennsylvania families are busy looking for last-minute holiday gifts, planning for family gatherings and engaging in charitable efforts to help those in their communities during the holiday season. However, this season is another stark reminder that every Pennsylvanian is...
Stephen Lind: People thought ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ would fail. Sincerity powered its success.
It’s hard to imagine the holidays without “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The 1965 broadcast has become a staple of the season for many generations. But this beloved TV special almost didn’t make it to air. CBS executives thought the 25-minute program was too slow, too serious and too different from...
Letter to the editor: Biden was right to pardon his son
NEWS FLASH: President Biden pardoned Hunter! Oh no, earth-shattering tragedy, moral abyss, epic lies! Oh, please. This in no way equates to allowing the Proud Boys to break into the Capitol ranting, “Hang Mike Pence.” Biden is absolutely right to pardon Hunter after the MAGAs made it clear that, for...
Letter to the editor: Sheriff’s divisive letter tarnishes office
In eight years of submitting opinions, I have never rebutted others. After all, it’s just an opinion. But when a county officeholder receives county funds, I believe taxpayers do have a say. I’m not sure why the chief law enforcement officer of Westmoreland County found the need, or the time,...
Laurels & lances: Taxes & sentencing
Laurel: To taking action. Tarentum property owners will feel an extra pinch in their tax bill next year, but it might be a better benefit in the long run. Council passed a 9% tax increase that will take the cost for an average homeowner from $219 to $239. So what...
Letter to the editor: First responders deserve help for PTSD
We applaud the Trib and its excellent coverage of Act 121, the PTSD law for first responders, including Patrick Varine’s article “Legislation aims to address post-traumatic stress among first responders” (Dec. 12, TribLive) and the editorial “Post-traumatic stress is a shock to the system for first responders” (Dec. 15, TribLive)....
Lori Falce: Is Trump captain of his ship or is Musk?
The prow of a ship is often decorated with a carved object. It may represent the name of the vessel. It may be something important to the owner or the nation whose flag flies on the mast. Over the years, these have been depictions of deities. They have been mythological...
Paul Kengor: The NFL disses Christmas
Count Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and a devout Christian, among the NFL players not happy about the league scheduling games this year on Christmas Day — a Wednesday no less. The Chiefs will play in Pittsburgh against the Steelers. For the Chiefs, there’s an added affront. Because the...
Letter to the editor: Popular vote vs. Electoral College
So I started reading this book on the U.S. Constitution to get a better understanding of who we are as a country. The Founding Fathers put a lot of thought into what type of government we should have so as not to allow despotism (I had to look it up)...
Editorial: Irwin makes itself the Scrooge in a Christmas landlord story
In his famous story “A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens makes his main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, an unlikable character on many fronts. While it’s his miserly ways and dislike of Christmas that get most of the attention, let’s not forget that Scrooge is also an unscrupulous landlord. Whether renting or holding...
Letter to the editor: Plastic burning puts steel communities at risk
For steel-making communities, plastic-burning pollution is headed your way. The Department of Energy has proposed a $182 million taxpayer loan for a company that will build a plastic trash plant in Erie that would turn plastic waste into pellets to be used in blast furnaces for steel mills. The residents...
Jonah Goldberg: The US economy is doing very well. But don’t give too much credit to Biden — or Trump.
One of Donald Trump’s closing campaign arguments was that he would deliver a new “golden age” for America. This week, he announced that this Trump-powered golden age has already begun. That’s fitting insofar as Trump has rapidly eclipsed President Joe Biden in setting expectations and even an agenda for America...
Cheryl Towers and Nancy Weinstein: Time to add ERA to Constitution
History is watching and equality is on the line in the United States. Women and men all over the country are working hard to request that President Joe Biden contact the National Archives for publication of the Equal Rights Amendment in the Constitution, but this movement has received little coverage...
Adriane N. Irwin: 28 miles to the nearest pharmacy? For many, that’s the only option
Pharmacies in the United States are closing at an alarming rate. The ACT Pharmacy Collaborative, a partnership between community pharmacy networks and academia, reported that 244 pharmacies closed in just the first six weeks of 2024. Rite-Aid has closed 500 stores, CVS will close another 300 stores by the end...
Letter to the editor: McCormick should do away with the ‘death tax’
I am writing about something that has bothered me for years. I hope Senator- elect Dave McCormick sees this. I hope he is a person who listens to the people, and I wish him the best of luck (he will need it). The one thing that really irks me is the...
Letter to the editor: ‘Poor loser’ hypocrisy
The profound hypocrisy evinced in the letter “Democrats are poor losers” (Dec. 4, TribLive) is more than I can bear without responding. Who was it that refused to admit he’d lost the 2020 election? Who was it that tried to steal the election? Who was it that insisted he’d won...
Editorial: Monroeville Mall should be on someone’s shopping list
There’s a sale at Monroeville Mall. Everything must go. That’s not unusual in December. Sales are everywhere. But this time, it isn’t just sweaters and toys and candles with a price tag. The big “SALE” sign is on the 187-acre location itself as CBL Properties, the Tennessee owner of the...
Letter to the editor: Fracking falsehoods
It’s time that the commonwealth of Pennsylvania distances itself from fracking. Over the last decade, it’s become clear that the costs far outweigh the benefits. Alongside enormous environmental harm and obvious risks to health, there’s another big problem that isn’t being discussed: fracking just isn’t doing what it’s supposed to...
Elias Wondimu: Not another revival of Band Aid’s ‘Do they know it’s Christmas?’
On Nov. 25, Band Aid released the “ultimate remix” of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” the rock charity single from 40 years ago that, in addition to whatever good it has done, also broadcasts a narrative that undermines an entire continent’s dignity and agency. The recording has raised millions for...
Evan Ramstad: Anger and debate over health care will continue after Thompson’s killer is sent away
The arrest in the slaying of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was the first step to putting his killer behind bars, though it won’t end the power struggle in health care illuminated by public reaction afterward. Another wave of criticism rose against Minnesota- based UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer, and the...
Letter to the editor: How to pay for services in Hempfield
The election is over, and the duly elected people in Hempfield have made it clear they want to grow the township. More parks and more people equal more traffic on roads, and more houses and buildings means the need for better public safety. So I do agree that at some...
Letter to the editor: Why don’t more schools test for radon?
Some of us will do anything to save a buck, even indirectly kill other people in the process. We let cancer kill about 500,000 Americans each year. Allow me to break this down to any hometown. A hometown is part of a school district, and the district is funded by...
