Opinion category, Page 22
Elizabeth Shackelford: Why we need dissent
This month I began teaching a new undergraduate course on Dissent and Democracy in the World. I started developing the course over a year ago, convinced that the subject is not only essential to well-functioning communities, but also not well understood or appreciated in American society today. When the class...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s Ukraine lesson
Well, I guess President Trump found out that he/his family couldn’t make any money out of the war in Ukraine no matter who he backed or who wins. He also found out that ending a war of this magnitude requires skillful negotiating, sustained thinking talents and patience. I don’t think...
Letter to the editor: Competent leadership matters
Competence in leadership is crucial. When Republicans and President Trump are at the helm, America experiences tangible results. Under Trump’s leadership, our economy thrived, unemployment reached record lows and families benefited from significant tax cuts. He prioritized American workers, secured our borders and emphasized that law and order are nonnegotiable....
Letter to the editor: AI killing resources
As of Sept. 18, parts of Southwestern Pennsylvania are in extreme drought. Climate change will only make this more common. While people are warned to conserve water, our elected officials like Gov. Josh Shapiro are looking to pave the way for water-greedy data centers. Food & Water Watch research points...
Editorial cartoons for the week of Sept. 29
Editorial cartoons for the week of Sept. 29....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Sept. 29
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Sept. 29....
Letter to the editor: The hate has to stop
The writer of the letter “Soft-on-crime policies have tragic consequences” (Sept. 26, TribLive) says Democrats are soft on crime and let criminals out on the street. Did you forget the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and President Trump pardoning everyone charged with or convicted of crimes related to the day? Many...
Letter to the editor: Community voices not being heard in West Leechburg
I recently proposed an amendment to our borough’s backyard chicken ordinance, but instead of giving the idea fair consideration or allowing residents to weigh in, our borough council dismissed it almost immediately. Their reasoning was that enforcement would be “too costly” and that allowing backyard chickens would somehow “destroy the...
Editorial: What does U.S. Steel’s $100 million announcement mean?
A promise has been made for the Pittsburgh steel industry. Again. Last week, U.S. Steel announced it was committing $100 million to a new slag recycler at the Edgar Thompson Works in Braddock. Any investment in the steel industry facilities throughout Western Pennsylvania is more than an investment in equipment...
Letter to the editor: Ideas to freshen up our communities
After being reminded that local leaders are always looking for suggestions on how to improve our communities, I thought I’d offer a few ideas. Hopefully, one or two are useful. First, I realize budgets are limited and everything can’t be accomplished overnight. Perhaps in conjunction with other future projects, something...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: In politics, friends are hard to come by
According to the Greek historian Herodotus, “Of all possessions a friend is the most precious.” We all know that personal friendships are priceless and enduringly important in our lives. Public friendships, as we have seen recently, test personal loyalty and consistency in the most visible way. When President Donald Trump...
Patricia Lopez: ICE raids or work permits? The White House wants it both ways
President Donald Trump’s promise to ratchet immigration levels back is colliding headlong with his other goal: a thriving economy that brings manufacturing and foreign investment back to the U.S. He can’t have it both ways, but he doesn’t seem to understand that. Perhaps that’s why his administration keeps dangling —...
Counterpoint: The Smithsonian should not propagate ideology
President Donald Trump is right. The Smithsonian is “out of control.” And it should be a concern to all Americans, whether you agree with Trump on other issues or not. It is the heritage of us all that is under assault. The Smithsonian’s 19 museums and galleries in the Washington...
Point: Yes, Trump is censoring history
On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Trump administration is rewriting history by wielding the tools of censorship and erasure. At the National Park Service site honoring Charles Pickney, who wrote a draft of the Declaration of Independence, for example, references...
Letter to the editor: Steelers’ overpayments
In his column “Steelers not getting their money’s worth from T.J. Watt” (Sept. 20, TribLive), Mark Madden observed: “Look at the Steelers’ roster and stat sheet. Paying name veterans too much money to underperform seems a developing theme.” Also telling is that since Cameron Heyward was drafted in the first...
Letter to the editor: Political violence from the left
I’ve heard and read the quote “there is no place for political violence” many times in the past week or so. It’s been said by elected government officials, pundits and podcasters. While political violence does seem on the rise, and it is not unique to the left, I find it...
Letter to the editor: Did we really vote for this?
I had started this letter with a plea that we need to stop the culture wars, that those in power are fanning the flames of hate and division among the working class so they can get rich off of our backs. But instead of continuing that thread of thought, I...
Editorial: Unconstitutional jock tax fallout could have been avoided
If you buy a flat screen TV in Pittsburgh, you pay 6% state sales tax and 1% Allegheny County sales tax. No one asks you for your driver’s license to see where you are from and charges you another 5% for living outside the city limits. If they did, shoppers...
S.E. Cupp: MAGA says no to Trump and Kennedy’s junk science
The scene would have been comical if not so frightening. President Trump stood at the White House podium, addressing a room full of reporters. “First, effective immediately, the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of … ah-said-a … well … let’s see how we say that.” As he...
David Walmsley and Dr. Tawfik Jelassi: Your right to know — why journalism and access to information matter more than ever
If we lose our fundamental universal right to access to information, and if independent journalists lose the ability to report the facts, then our rights and democracies may vanish entirely. Access to information is a fundamental human right empowering us all to make informed decisions, participate in democratic processes and...
Jonathan Heawood: Regenerating the base layer of democracy — local news
This summer, the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council banned a local news outlet from engaging with any of his 40 elected representatives. Councillor Mick Barton of Reform UK also instructed council officials to stop sending press releases and event invitations to journalists at Nottinghamshire Live. Why? Because these journalists had...
Letter to the editor: Kirk’s legacy will live on
The assassination of Charlie Kirk is a heartbreaking loss to all who knew him and to the countless people he inspired. From founding Turning Point USA as a teenager to becoming a leading voice for conservative students nationwide, Kirk devoted his life to encouraging the next generation to speak with...
Letter to the editor: MAGA has abandoned conservative creed
Conservatives once warned that unchecked government power would corrupt, that concentrated authority would inevitably be abused. Their creed was restraint: limited government, balanced budgets and careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars. MAGA has abandoned that creed. Where conservatives preached discipline, MAGA embraced indulgence. Where they fought to limit spending, MAGA exploded...
Laurels & lances: Studies & Steelers
Laurel: To spreading education. Carnegie Mellon University is one of the best-known, highest-regarded schools in the world when it comes to learning about the ins and outs of computers and programming. But not everyone can get in. It’s a highly selective school. Although many would like to attend, only about...
Letter to the editor: Soft-on-crime policies have tragic consequences
The senseless killing of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, is a tragic consequence of the Democratic Party’s failed policies. She fled her war-torn homeland seeking safety, only to be brutally stabbed on Charlotte’s light rail. The man charged in her death, who has a lengthy criminal record and mental...
