Opinion category, Page 276
François Dubet: French riots follow decades-old pattern of rage, with no resolution in sight
Although they never fail to take us aback, French riots have followed the same distinct pattern ever since protests broke out in the Eastern suburbs of Lyon in 1981, an episode known as the “summer of Minguettes”: a young person is killed or seriously injured by the police, triggering an...
Letter to the editor: No mercy for Bowers
Abraham Jacob Bonowitz is sadly misguided in his calls for clemency to be extended toward convicted mass murderer Robert Bowers (“Pittsburgh synagogue shooter should not be executed,” June 25, TribLIVE). Bowers, who took the lives of 18 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, has forfeited any claim...
Letter to the editor: Love all, harm none
Why is there something rather than nothing? Could numerous universes exist like grains of sand in an endless desert, or exist within every single atom? Our universe is 15.1 billion years old, and the earth is 4.65 billion years old. On a 24-hour time scale, we have been here less...
Lori Falce: Focus on beating opponents sets up bitter grudges, bigger battles
The crowing came quickly after a routine political back-and-forth turned into an unexpected upset with long implications. On Wednesday, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers took a pen to the state’s budget, meant to govern spending over a two-year period. He signed the plan into law — but not without a little...
Laurels & lances: Summer plans
Laurel: To a happy birthday. America celebrated its 247th year Tuesday, but there is a real milestone being marked closer to home: 2023 is Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday. It’s a celebration with a special name: Semiquincentennial. There’s a tongue-twister for you. The event is prompting celebrations all over the county,...
Letter to the editor: Let’s protect women’s sports
Fifty years ago, Title IX defined sports as education. That opened the door for a broad menu of choices for girls and women from elementary school to college to experience the joy of winning and the emptiness of defeat. Many learned how to compete and they learned they could win!...
Cal Thomas: The catastrophe du jour
King Charles III has launched a catastrophe countdown clock. It will tick until 2030, a year in which he predicts “serious consequences” if the world doesn’t effectively address “climate change.” Honestly, if you can’t trust the king, whom can you trust? It’s always good to be reminded of predictions like...
Paul Kengor: My July Fourth abroad
VERONA, Italy — For the first time ever, I missed July 4. I was an American abroad, in Italy. I spent the day in Verona and Venice. I missed the fireworks. At one point late in the evening, longing for my Independence Day celebration, we heard distant music that sounded...
Peter Morici: Biden and McCarthy’s debt-ceiling deal puts U.S. on course for fiscal trainwreck
The agreement that President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached recently to suspend the U.S. debt ceiling until 2025 avoided immediate turmoil in financial markets but does little to avert the crisis that may be brewing due to huge federal deficits. The deal cuts the 2024 deficit by...
John A. Sparks: In Sackett and Tyler, court bolsters property rights
In its last three terms, the Supreme Court has received a great deal of public attention — both positive and negative — due to its decisions on human sexuality (Bostock, Zarda) and abortion (Dobbs). This term, going relatively unnoticed, were two now-decided cases — Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency and...
Letter to the editor: Heroes vs. idols
Idols and heroes: Synonymous? Not quite. Idols: Sports figures, movie stars, rock bands. Heroes: U.S. military, law enforcement, health care providers, first reponders. These heroes give us solace and safety. Regis Farrell Greensburg...
Letter to the editor: Respect voters when replacing Thrasher
When the 11 Common Pleas judges gather to choose a replacement to fill Gina Cerilli Thrasher’s soon-to-be-vacant seat, I hope they remember how much they respected the will of those who voted them into office. In the recent Democratic primary election, Ted Kopas won by a wide margin, 10,400 votes....
Editorial: Is leaving Pa. the way to find lower taxes and cost of living?
A Commonwealth Foundation poll shows a lot of Pennsylvanians are considering relocation. Tell us something we didn’t know. Pennsylvania has been aware of its changing demographics for years. Decades, actually. Pennsylvania lost one of its seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, bringing the number of...
Letter to the editor: Won’t support NFHS over HSSN
It is such a shame that the WPIAL has dumped the TribLIVE High School Sports Network (HSSN) for a streaming service with a less-than-5-star reputation. I certainly hope the WPIAL got a boatload of money, as they really cheapened their reputation with many local sports fans by doing this. HSSN...
Letter to the editor: Urge action on air quality
I recently returned to Pittsburgh after being away for two weeks and was shocked that I couldn’t even go outside because of the foul air from the Canadian wildfires. Even inside, I had a headache and sore throat. As a teacher, I see firsthand how many students suffer with terrible,...
Jonah Goldberg: Why blocking Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan is healthy for politics
Last week, the Supreme Court scuttled the Biden administration’s attempt to forgive more than $400 billion in student loan debt. As a matter of policy, broad-based student debt cancellation remains a terrible idea for a host of reasons. While targeting relatively small debts held by lower income community college graduates...
Cal Thomas: Court’s affirmative action ruling a step toward true equality
It may not have had the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation, or the civil rights legislation of the 1960s, but last week’s ruling by the Supreme Court that affirmative action in college admissions violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause is an important advancement toward equality for all. Reaction to...
Letter to the editor: Trump and Biden, who’s ‘above the law’?
In your two-page editorial section on June 18, I noticed that questions were asked about “above the law” and classified documents Donald Trump kept at Mar-a-Lago. President Biden’s keeping documents at his home in Delaware and elsewhere since his senatorial days, through his vice presidency and now were not mentioned....
Letter to the editor: Banning chocolate milk hurts farmers
Regarding the article “Federal rule could remove chocolate milk option in some Pa. schools” (May 25, TribLIVE): Here we go again. Under President Obama, the Department of Agriculture did the same thing, banning chocolate milk in schools. What happened? The price of milk went down. Then lots of farmers could...
Editorial: Late budgets are the norm in Pa., but 2023 is a little different
Yet again, Pennsylvania starts the fiscal year without a budget. Who could have predicted this? Almost anyone who has paid even grudging attention to the state’s woefully gridlocked government would have trouble missing it. Failing to have the legislative and executive branches agree on what the state will do and...
Letter to the editor: Don’t vote for obstructionists
It is encouraging to pick up the Trib these days and see the reporting of the increase in economic activity in our region. From the removing of dangerous and dilapidated buildings to the capping of abandoned oil and gas wells to the rebuilding of our roads, bridges, dams and airports...
Elwood Watson: Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling is very revealing
After decades of aggressive and strategic efforts from influential right-wing forces, the Supreme Court outlawed race-conscious admissions at universities throughout the nation, dismantling decades of progress and crippling the potential of racial diversity and pluralism at our nation’s institutions of higher education. Chief Justice John Roberts, speaking for the majority,...
Todd Eachus: Working together to connect all Pennsylvanians
In a world increasingly driven by digital connectivity, access to the internet is no longer a luxury — it is a fundamental necessity that allows Pennsylvanians to communicate, learn, work, socialize, and access essential services. The covid-19 pandemic only magnified the challenges faced by those in our state who still...
Letter to the editor: MLB should pick one, umpires or computerized box
It’s time MLB decides to use either the umpire behind the plate to call balls and strikes or the computerized box that shows balls or strikes. How about that job? The umpire has to make split-second decisions, and everyone watching knows if he just made another bad call. The other...
Letter to the editor: School retirees deserve COLA increase
As a music teacher, assistant principal and principal in the Pittsburgh area for 32 years, I dedicated my time to helping students untap their skills, expand their knowledge and continue to grow with curiosity. When I retired in 2012, I soon realized that the contributions I, along with my fellow...
