Opinion category, Page 19
Brittany Shoup: Aging out at 5 — Pa. cutting off kids too soon
When Maya entered our preschool program at age 3, she struggled not only with academics — identifying colors, shapes and letters in her name — but with behavior. Transitions overwhelmed her. She often bolted from group activities, had difficulty regulating big emotions and sometimes resorted to hitting or throwing things...
Letter to the editor: Thoughts on patriots, Republicans, peace and Trump
I couldn’t believe the Trib gave Jason Lias 17 column inches to criticize four patriots for reciting the universal rules of war code (“With respect, Deluzio’s message crossed a line,” Dec. 1, TribLive). Such a foolish waste of ink and paper. Just so the ignorant followers and supporters of this...
Letter to the editor: Condemning the Bondi Beach attack
As a Muslim, I unequivocally condemn the Bondi Beach Hanukkah terror attack in Sydney, Australia. In the wake of the tragedy, my faith leader, the worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, declared that nothing justifies violence and that Islam upholds the sanctity of human life. He further emphasized that...
Editorial: Lower housing prices, not loan standards
Philosopher George Santayana once famously observed, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Unfortunately, our nation’s collective memory doesn’t seem to even extend back two decades. Last month, Fannie Mae dropped the requirement that borrowers have a minimum credit score of 620. Freddie Mac had made...
Letter to the editor: Responsible gifting of lottery tickets
The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for gift-giving, when millions purchase presents meant to bring joy and connection. Among those gifts are lottery tickets, popular among adults, 18 and older, who enjoy a moment of entertainment and the opportunity to benefit older Pennsylvanians in the...
Editorial cartoons for the week of Dec. 22
Editorial cartoons for the week of Dec. 22....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Dec. 22
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Dec. 22....
Letter to the editor: Nonprofits make out with taxpayers’ money
The Tribune-Review serves as a disinformation tool of the giant, so-called nonprofits like UPMC and Highmark when it reprints their spoonfed propaganda of how much money they are losing. These massively profitable companies have so much money they are expanding into other states and other countries like Italy and Ireland,...
Letter to the editor: Thankful for all who make Project SEED a success
There seems to be a perception these days that civility and genuine acts of kindness are rare occurrences. I emphatically disagree, and here’s why. I head Project SEED, a backpack program that provides weekend food for any child in the New Kensington- Arnold School District who is experiencing food insecurity. Every...
Letter to the editor: Remember the Christmas spirit
Christmas, a Christian holy day honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, was a rich religious tradition of faith, hope, joy, generosity and good will. It is my opinion that for many, Christmas has lost that sacred glow and is now more about the excessive exchange of gifts, party celebrations and...
Editorial: VA staffing cuts test a promise to vets
Our veterans are not just people who performed military service. Veterans are the front line of promises that should be kept and what happens when promises are broken. They are our neighbors and family. They are teachers and police officers, doctors and elected officials. They are the aging, the sick,...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Let’s come together for peace on Earth
The Christmas message of “peace on Earth” is a heavier lift this year than in some years past. There is now turmoil on every front — internationally, domestically, in our communities and even within some families. The war in Ukraine continues as the tough Ukrainian people refuse to surrender to...
Sheldon Jacobson: The perfect gift may be the most difficult to give
The holiday season is here, and many are still searching for the perfect gifts for those special people in their lives. It may be a child or grandchild who means much to you, a friend who has been there for you during difficult times or a spouse who has the...
Point: Is Trump derangement syndrome real?
The term “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is often used by supporters of President Donald Trump to discredit virtually any criticism of him. It is a convenient slur because it allows someone to sidestep the actual criticism of Trump by suggesting the person making the criticism is mentally flawed. In fact, a...
Counterpoint: It’s real, and it’s spectacular
So there’s a scene in one of the old ”Star Trek” movies in which James Kirk is trying to persuade the bad guy to beam Spock onto his ship. When the bad guy refuses, Kirk asks why.” Because you wish it!” he replies. Message: Opposing something reasonable simply to show...
Letter to the editor: What right does administration have to kill without evidence?
What right does this current administration have to bomb boats off the coast of Venezuela without positive identification that they were indeed carrying drugs? In my opinion, they committed murder. It’s as if someone walks along the street and another person “thinks” they are a drug pusher and kills that...
Letter to the editor: Saving the post office
Regarding Peter Roff’s op-ed “How to save the post office” (Dec. 16, TribLive): Postal workers and mail carriers are forced to handle far too many charitable/junk items/realtor mailings. Implement the following: 1. Limit how many bulk/junk mail items one organization can pump into the system in a month. The constant...
Editorial: Religious freedom doesn’t stop at the jailhouse door
In Westmoreland County Prison, the freedom to worship is treated less as a right than a whim. On multiple occasions, prayer or Bible study gatherings have been disrupted by corrections officers. Tim Williamson of Jeannette spent about a month at the prison related to a misdemeanor arrest. He says he...
Letter to the editor: New facilities will make life better for jail officers
Some of the correctional officers at the Allegheny County Jail work 16-hour double shifts for four to five days in a row. Here is what two officers said about this tortuous work schedule in a 2025 correctional officer survey: “I can’t speak with my family for 16 hours a day,...
S.E. Cupp: Damage from Wiles interview could be far-reaching
Susie Wiles has a reputation. Ask anyone in Washington and words like “strategic,” “disciplined” and “skilled” come up. She’s widely held to be one of the most effective tacticians in modern politics. She’s also known for her low-key, low-drama energy, preferring to remain behind-the-scenes as opposed to preening for cameras...
Dave Anderson: Democrats and Republicans should each support some independents
The Democratic Party sent a strong message to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party in the 2025 elections, but ironically one part of their overall strategy forward should be to support Independents in House and Senate races where the chances of victory for a Democratic candidate are low. Double...
Letter to the editor: When will Adelphoi take responsibility?
Last year, I sent a letter to the Trib, “Adelphoi should take reponsibility for escapees” (Sept. 21, 2024, TribLive). Once again, Adelphoi has allowed a criminal juvenile (with a history of car theft) to escape and steal another car in Latrobe on Dec. 11. The state police had to chase...
Letter to the editor: It’s not deranged to expect character from our president
As the United States faced several tragedies this past weekend, our president, instead of consoling a grieving nation, noted that one of the victims possessed “a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” If an American citizen laments the lack of decency and character in their president, does that...
Laurels & lances: Charging & changing
Laurel: To giving students a break. It isn’t the fault of those enrolled at Penn State’s New Kensington or Fayette campuses that university leadership voted to close the schools at the end of the Spring 2027 semester. With that hanging in the not-so-distant future, it makes sense that some students...
Letter to the editor: Believing the true Christmas story
Regarding the letter “The real Christmas story” (Dec. 3, TribLive): First, I would agree that what we do not know in any narrative can be satisfied with tradition, adopted speculation and human interpretation. This, however, ignores valid historical truth. My belief is that the Christmas story is best told by...
