Opinion category, Page 381
Editorial: The importance of history as taught by David McCullough
It is often said that those who do not study history will be doomed to repeat it. Whatever afterlife David McCullough finds himself in, it will not involve repeating history. The Pittsburgh native and world-renowned author died Sunday. He was 89. But what does the death of a historian matter...
Letter to the editor: Elites, not populism, the threat to democracy
Many elites in the media and politics think populism is a threat to democracy. But are they correct? A dictionary definition of populism is “a political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.” What’s so wrong about that?...
Letter to the editor: Jefferson wouldn’t have approved of Jan. 6
Ed Collins is wrong in his letter ”Jefferson may have OK’d Jan. 6 insurrection” (July 31, TribLIVE). Thomas Jefferson would not have approved. That insurrection was neither good, nor brief. It is ongoing, and I predict it will end in a Trump dictatorship if not stopped. Sure, Jefferson is famous for his...
Tom Purcell: Don’t bet on the lottery — the house always wins
I bought my first lottery ticket recently. It was a $20 scratch-off that paid me a $40 prize. Winning produced a nice little thrill, so I bought another $20 ticket right away. And lost. I put out $40 to win $40 that day. I’ve bought three $20 scratch-offs since then...
Editorial: Response to Penn Township boy’s need shows hope for us all
Sometimes it can seem as though the worst is happening all around us all the time. Inflation, high gas prices, rising turnpike tolls are bad enough. Then there are the really ugly political divisions, especially in a midterm election year. War in Ukraine. Gun deaths. Violent crime. Whether you are...
Sophie Bjork-James: White nationalism is on rise, attracting violent young white men
White nationalists showed up in the hearings of the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. Evidence is mounting that white nationalist groups who want to establish an all-white state played a significant role in the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol that left five dead and dozens...
Letter to the editor: Deluzio will fight for ‘made in America’
According to the article “Chip shortage leaves 95K GM vehicles incomplete in storage” (July 1, TribLIVE), “The global shortage of computer chips forced General Motors to build 95,000 vehicles without certain components during the second quarter (of 2022).” The article notes that the shortage of chips has forced many automakers...
Letter to the editor: Why churches are closing
I rarely write to the paper, but this time I was compelled to do so. In my opinion, the big reason churches are forced to close in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has little to do with income, although it may be a lesser factor. I personally believe the major...
Letter to the editor: Denial won’t stop climate change destruction
The writer of the letter, “Climate change hysteria destroying economy” (July 25, TribLIVE), is a master of irony. Could it be that he is blissfully unaware of the already destructive events in this nation and the world due to climate change caused by human actions? Record high temperatures in the...
Letter to the editor: Vote out Democrats to save our ‘shining city on the hill’
The Democratic Party has gone from being the middle class, workingman’s party of the moderate presidents, Jack Kennedy and Bill Clinton, to today, the Biden/Pelosi/Schumer left-wing, socialist, Democratic Party. In order to promote their “religion” of global climate control, they are trying to eliminate the American gas and oil industry...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Aug. 8
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Aug. 8....
Editorial cartoons for the week of Aug. 8
Editorial cartoons for the week of Aug. 8....
Haroro J. Ingram, Andrew Mines and Daniel Milton: Where does al-Zawahri’s death leave al-Qaida and what does it say about U.S. counterterrorism?
Ayman al-Zawahri, leader of al-Qaida and a plotter of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, has been killed in a drone strike in the Afghan city of Kabul, according to the U.S. government. Al-Zawahri was the the successor to Osama bin Laden and his death marked “one more measure of closure” to...
Christopher Decker: Inflation is spiking around world, not just in U.S.
The 9.1% increase in U.S. consumer prices in the 12 months ending in June, the highest in four decades, has prompted many sobering headlines. Meanwhile, annual inflation in Germany and the U.K. — countries with comparable economies — ran nearly as high: 7.5% and 8.2%, respectively, for the 12 months...
Letter to the editor: Grateful to rescuers in Kecksburg
My husband, Ron, and I were at last month’s Kecksburg UFO Festival at the Kecksburg Volunteer Fire Department grounds in our 1990 Camaro convertible when rain started moving in. I tried to put the top up but couldn’t get the release buttons to work. A fireman named Larry stepped in...
Letter to the editor: Support families living with Alzheimer’s, dementia
Research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2022 is providing new insight into dementia risk, prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, the long-term cognitive impact of covid-19 and more. According to the 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures Report, over 280,000 Pennsylvanians are living with Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to...
Editorial: Penn State should realize keeping secrets doesn’t work
Come on, Penn State. Didn’t you learn anything? The backlash felt by the university in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal was not because an employee committed a crime. That can happen to any employer — public, private, parochial — and it has. A business or...
Letter to the editor: Inflation Reduction Act may save our planet
I think it has become obvious that the climate crisis is here now, with massive heat waves, wildfires covering thousands of acres in many western states, and flooding in places like St. Louis and Kentucky causing millions of dollars of damage. And now comes the beginning of a solution to...
Letter to the editor: Let’s call it the victims justice system
When we struggle with a solution to a difficult problem, it’s often time to “reframe the argument.” First there was restorative justice, bail reform and, now, sentencing reform. While review and restructure are always good, some current philosophies propose a number of problems on many levels. Most of our most...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: The human toll of homicide
Jim Morton knows a lot about homicide — maybe too much. Morton retired three years ago after 46 years with the Allegheny County Police Department. For 28 of those years, he worked homicides, rising to head the division and finally serving as assistant superintendent of detectives. Even as a supervisor...
Meredith Oyen: Pelosi’s Taiwan visit puts White House in delicate straits of diplomacy with China
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan Aug. 2 — a highly controversial trip that has been strongly opposed by China. Such is the sensitivity over the island’s status that even before Pelosi’s plane touched down in the capital of Taipei, mere reports of the proposed trip prompted a warning...
Alison Fisk: The value of hiring international employees
The current U.S. labor shortage has affected nearly every industry, from education to health services and child care, leaving many organizations at a loss for how to attract, hire and retain new employees. This year, there are 5.5 million more job openings available than there are candidates to fill those...
Sheldon H. Jacobson: Covid disrupted global supply chains. Can covid fix them?
Over the past two-plus years, global supply chains have been stretched beyond recognition. Yet stretched is not broken, and covid-19 may serve as the launch pad to create a new and improved global supply chain model. Global supply chains became the norm for most products when labor and materials cost...
Letter to the editor: Erasing God from our countryVideo
Have you noticed that on the newly minted 2022 George Washington quarters that “In God we Trust” is minted behind George Washington’s bust instead of in front as it has been for decades? I believe this is not a coincidence but an insidious and deliberate action to visibly erase God...
Sounding off: Thoughts on ‘fixed’ elections, Mastriano, gun control, Jan. 6, border
No one is ‘fixing’ elections As the public is well aware, Joe Biden won the presidential election fair and square. The Jan. 6 committee has not produced a final report, but its presentation of the facts makes it clear that everyone, including President Trump, knew there was no election fraud....
