Opinion category, Page 590
Letter to the editor: We need capitalism that considers long-term effects
Your Sept. 27 print edition featured side-by-side op-eds with incompatible objectives (“Making clean air a priority in Pittsburgh,” Sept. 26, TribLIVE; “Trump’s manufacturing, energy revival supports Pa. workers,” Sept. 22, TribLIVE). The people of Southwestern Pennsylvania do want a pollution-free environment, but that is not possible with fracking. Just ask...
Letter to the editor: Polio was conquered; covid-19 will be, too
There was a virus that consumed our country some years ago called polio, poliomyelitis or infantile paralysis, since it affected many children. In its early stages, its symptoms acted as the common cold or the flu, but in the advanced stage, it attacked the spine and lungs. This caused paralysis...
Letter to the editor: We all should support fixing election system
Approximately 70 million Americans are questioning the U.S. election results due primarily to distrust of the use of the new mail-in ballots and alleged irregularities in the processing and counting of ballots at polls around the country. Pennsylvania did not escape criticism. If mail-in ballots are the wave of the...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Now it’s time to come back together
Gloating is not our most attractive trait, but it is a natural human response. Republicans gloated plenty in 2016 when Donald Trump beat odds-on favorite Hillary Clinton for president. They kept it up for four years, celebrating Trump’s moves more if they aggravated Democrats more. And now Joe Biden has...
Caleb Verbois: Fraud claims undermine faith in democratic process
Free and fair elections are a relative novelty. Even in America, where we have always had a Republican democracy, for much of our history a relatively small portion of Americans could vote. It was not just that women and slaves lacked the franchise; most men could not vote, unless they...
Dr. David Dausey: What to do about Thanksgiving
We are now eight months into the covid-19 pandemic with little end in sight other than the promise of a vaccine ready for mass distribution sometime in the new year. This means that most Americans will need to make critical decisions about what to do for the upcoming holiday season...
Editorial: Westmoreland commissioners half-right on following mail-in ballot rules
Westmoreland County Commissioner Doug Chew has a point: There are rules for a reason. On Friday, the county’s Elections Board rejected 343 mail-in ballots that were improperly dated on the mailing envelope. Democratic Commissioner Gina Cerilli voted to count them. Chew and his Republican counterpart Sean Kertes declined to vote...
Sounding off: Won’t be listening to politicians’ holiday advice
Regarding Dr. Rachel Levine’s holiday advice (“Pa. health secretary urges that gatherings be limited to households”): Limit holiday gatherings to those within your own home? Will you be avoiding your elderly mother this holiday season, Dr. Levine? I will never forgive myself for following your advice this Easter. Many of...
Editorial: Long-term care homes face fierce fiscal reality
Nursing homes have been talked about a great deal over the last eight months. Most of the talk has been alarming, as the first real outbreak of covid-19 happened at a long-term care facility in Washington state. The same location saw the first medical worker infected and the first U.S....
Letter to the editor: Embarrassed by Pa. ‘leaders’
We all should be embarrassed by the actions of our state “leaders.” This administration has blundered ahead with stupid decisions concerning shutting down our businesses, raising taxes and now the election. Please recuse yourselves from this debacle and let the people run this state for the common good. Power from...
Letter to the editor: Opening more lands for hunting, fishing
Every fall, hunters across our state enjoy Pennsylvania’s outstanding opportunities, from deer to upland birds to waterfowl. This annual ritual offers a chance for sportsmen and women to reconnect with the outdoors, make lifelong memories with family and friends, and fill the freezer for the year ahead. But even with...
Walter Williams: Should Blacks support destruction of charter schools?
The academic achievement gap between Black and white students has proven resistant to most educational policy changes. Some say educational expenditures explain the gap, but is that true? Look at per-pupil educational expenditures: Baltimore city ranks fifth in the U.S. for per-pupil spending at $15,793. The Detroit Public Schools Community...
Cal Thomas: Where should evangelicals go now?
Evangelical Christians have unquestionably been a loyal and largely unmovable base of support for President Trump since he has been in office and in some cases before. Should the election results not be overturned by recounts or court decisions, where do they go and what should they do? Perhaps no...
Laurels & lances: Winning, gloating and writing
Laurel: To beautiful representation. Maybe Victoria Piekut isn’t Miss USA. She is still making her community proud. The Irwin woman and reigning Miss Pennsylvania USA competed for the crown in Memphis this week. She didn’t win. But she did show up, participate, represent her state and her home and do...
Letter to the editor: Make America kind again
When “the Donald” went low, the people voted Joe. Let’s make America kind again! Linda Roche Bethel Park...
Letter to the editor: Democrats started division
Joe Biden said it’s “time to heal in America” in his first address as president-elect. Does he mean like his party did after President Trump won in 2016? They started the divided nation with investigations and impeachment of Trump, and now they own it. Clem Zahrobsky Delmont...
Letter to the editor: Congress must renew GSP program to protect jobs
More than 240,000 people here in Pennsylvania and more than 10 million people across the country have been infected with the coronavirus, with new infections continuing to surge in pockets of the country. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs because of the earlier virus- related lockdowns, contributing to unemployment numbers...
Letter to the editor: Trump, supporters energized
For all the liberals writing Donald Trump’s presidential obituary and celebrating what they believe is a legitimate victory for the White House, allow me to shake you from your echo chambers of fantasy and provide you with a healthy dose of reality. For years, Trump voters and supporters watched as...
Lori Falce: Christmas movies and the end of 2020
Let’s just move on. It’s time. We have to put things behind us and get on with our lives. Some people are happy and some aren’t, but really, there are just two kinds of people in the world anymore. People who are ready for Hallmark Christmas movies to be on...
Paul Kengor: Why Pennsylvania isn’t over
CNN and Fox tripped over themselves to be first to claim presidential victory for Joe Biden. Fox put itself in a bind by prematurely declaring Arizona for Biden on election night. As I write, the vote difference in Arizona has shrunk to 12,000, which is closer than Pennsylvania (nearly 54,000)...
Laura Charos: Reaching all who struggle with mental health
We live in a time where you could break the bank by seeking treatment for mental health. Astronomical costs of therapy deter people from seeking necessary care. Insurance companies may cover some cost, yet oftentimes not enough. Many will only cover your first several sessions before you are forced to...
Dr. David Macpherson: Covid-19 the weapon in anonymous homicide
Here’s a game you might play. It might have come from the mind of Stephen King. Except it’s real and works like this. You’ve received an invitation to a party — it has come almost at a perfect time. It seems like forever since you’ve been able to sit with...
Mark Glick: On climate and energy, free fall or opportunity for Western Pa.?
The defining feature of the Trump administration’s “America First” energy policy was the near exclusive fixation on oil and natural gas development coupled with the aggressive rollback of environmental policies and regulations associated with decarbonization. Such a status quo policy ran counter to global economic growth trends to decarbonize the...
Letter to the editor: Finally, Trump is fired
The votes were cast and counted (thank goodness), and the people have spoken. Donny T., you’re fired! Dave Kolenc Smithton...
Letter to the editor: Statue of Liberty’s message
What has happened to the representation of the Statue of Liberty? What happened to the people in America? God is trying to tell us something. Let’s get back to what this statue represents. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of...
