Opinion category, Page 645
Devin Reaves: We can’t have black liberation without ending War on Drugs
As a black man in America, I live in constant fear, and as a leader of an organization that aims to end the war on drugs in Pennsylvania, I also have tremendous fear for people who use drugs — especially those of us who are black and brown. What we...
Laurels & lances: Kids, jobs, parks and options
Laurel: To students making noise. They say kids should be seen and not heard, but Greensburg-Salem students recently raised their voices (and instruments) in protest of cuts to the district’s elementary music program. First, it’s great that the kids are sticking up for role the arts plays in education. Good...
Lori Falce: Why keep Facebook friends you don’t agree with?
I know a lot of people who measure the people they know on social media by the company they keep. It is easy to be accused of guilt by association if someone doesn’t believe the same things you do in a cyber landscape where everyone seems to be wearing gang...
Michael Krancer: Clarifications to EPA’s cost-benefit analysis will protect Pa.’s environment and businesses
Recent history in Pennsylvania has shown that it’s possible to grow our energy economy and make important environmental gains. During my time as secretary of our state’s Department of Environmental Protection, for example, Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry grew significantly, created unprecedented job growth and lowered costs for consumers, while harmful...
Letter to the editor: Senior drivers should be tested every year
How many more people are going to be hurt or killed by elderly drivers before something is done? Untold damage is done because they thought they were in drive, or couldn’t tell the brake pedal from the gas pedal. As a senior citizen myself, I would have no problem with...
Letter to the editor: Remembering a brother veteran
The name of U.S. Marine Corps veteran Tom Watkins of Jeannette was not listed in the Memorial Day paid advertisement honoring veterans who died in the past year. Tom, who died Jan. 3, served honorably and faithfully during the Korean War. RIP, brother. Semper fi. Don Tasser Unity...
Letter to the editor: Murrysville police devoted, professional
Being new to the Murrysville area, I was surprised to see the Black Lives Matter march organized by Aryanna Hunter that shut down Old William Penn Highway on June 14 (“More than 100 turn out for Murrysville Black Lives Matter support walk,” June 14, TribLIVE). It is unfortunate, indeed, when...
Letter to the editor: Gov. Tom Wolf’s actions are warranted
I find it hilarious that Don Walzack wrote in his letter “Gov. Wolf ignores citizens’ wishes” that the governor should abide by primarily Republican representatives’ call to drop his emergency declaration on enforcing public health safety rules for the pandemic. Does Walczak not see the gradual decline of new cases...
Letter to the editor: We must end Trump nightmare
One of the most important duties of a president is to set an example for all to see. The sight of President Trump refusing to wear a mask should be an insult to all Americans, who are supposed to put one on every time they go into a business or...
Letter to the editor: Why Trump succeeds
The supercilious media owners and their sycophant reporters who spout left-wing, Ivy League diatribe cannot believe a brazen plutocrat was elected president. He has proposed legislation and enacted policies that coincide with the desires of his electorate. They are tired of smiling, supercilious sycophants who spout cliches such as “They...
Editorial: Voluntary layoffs seem smart for ATI
Layoffs are never easy. Whether they are about a company closing down entirely, stepping back from the size and scope it once had or just going through a temporary downturn, layoffs are tough on everyone. They hit with the iron fist of being fired but wrapped in the velvet glove...
Colin McNickle: Addressing Pa.’s ‘lasting economic scars’
Pennsylvania’s general fund coffers took a major hit because of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. But the full scope might not be evident until next year, and state government must take serious steps to facilitate recovery, concludes a new analysis by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. “The pandemic of 2020...
Letter to the editor: Kindness to ducks a light in darkness
The story “South Greensburg firefighters, public works crew rescue 8 ducklings from storm drain” (June 10, TribLIVE) brought a smile to my lips and a lump to my throat. Kudos to those who went out of their way to rescue these helpless creatures. Their act of kindness is a bright...
Letter to the editor: Experiment before abolishing police
To find out if abolishing the police is effective, we need to do it incrementally so we have an experimental group and a control. In the first phase, the “no police” zones will be the neighborhoods of the officials who voted to abolish. After six months we can analyze the...
Letter to the editor: Stop being selfish and wear your mask
This is a reminder to those of you who seem to have forgotten your masks since “going green” to continue wearing your face covering into the store and not below your nose — or even worse, not at all. The Centers for Disease Control recommends wearing a cloth face covering...
Letter to the editor: Be prudent when considering experts’ advice
Science has given us many wonderful advancements, yet is replete with disasters: the beneficial effects of cigarettes, diethylstilbestrol, thalidomide, dioxin and asbestos. Thus, when Dr. Anthony Fauci and colleagues, with smug confidence, tell us to do this and avoid that, I shudder with the whisper of history. This is not...
Letter to the editor: Confederacy not about white supremacy
The fact many people view the Confederate flag as a symbol of white supremacy and slavery is, in my opinion, a product of our flawed educational system. Yes, hate groups have flown it just as they have the American flag. The Confederacy was about upholding the original Constitution and Thomas...
Editorial: The future of standardized tests
In July 2019, Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale suggested the state’s Keystone exams — the tests taken by high school students to prove proficiency in required subjects and qualify for graduation — were too expensive and redundant. Rather than paying $18 million a year to test high school students with...
Pat Buchanan: Will Churchill’s statue be next to fall?
On Gen. George Washington’s orders, the Declaration of Independence, signed in Philadelphia, was read aloud to his army. On hearing it, the troops marched to Bowling Green, decapitated and pulled down the statue of George III, and sent the remnants to be melted down into musket balls. It was a...
Steve Bloom: Lawmakers right to end Wolf’s extended disaster declaration
Barber shops and hair salons across Pennsylvania have sparked controversy during the prolonged business shutdown. Many have risked crushing fines and license suspensions to defy forced-closure orders and serve their customers. Cindy Schindler, owner of Papillon Salon and Skin Care Center in Lemoyne, says salons could have been operating all...
Maj. Gen. Donna Barbisch: After domestic deployment, fearing for America’s soul
As a soldier for more than 38 years, I cannot imagine being ordered into the streets of America to use military force against protesters. The country I served is becoming unrecognizable. We need to slow down and take stock. We must acknowledge we are in a fight for the soul...
Letter to the editor: Safeguarding others part of Christian duty
The point of the two letters mentioned in the Rev. Tony Joseph’s letter “Fear God’s judgment more than coronavirus” (June 6, TribLIVE) was to be safe during a pandemic. Rev. Joseph, you state you are a “a conservative, a Christian patriot” and that you love “God, family and country.” Great....
Letter to the editor: Buy American cars to bring jobs back
During this pandemic, we all feel helpless. What can we do to help bring back our economy? My suggestion is to buy American. As we venture out to look for a new car, we should consider an American model. There are many to choose from — Ford, Lincoln, Chevrolet, GMC,...
Letter to the editor: National anthem deserves respect
John Steigerwald’s suggestion for the NFL in his column “Stop playing national anthem before games” is wrong. The reasons he lists for why the playing of it, starting in 1918 to honor those who died defending our flag in World War I and every war thereafter, is an honor that...
Editorial: Hot real estate market shows hope in stock
The little transactions in life have been a problem in recent months. Toilet paper. Yeast. Ground beef. Coronavirus lockdowns didn’t just it make hard to get to the store. It made them hard to find what you wanted when you got there in some cases. That’s settling back into a...
