Letter to the editor: Democrats’ video urging insurrection is treasonous
A handful of Democrats with former military ties have produced a video urging current military members to refuse to obey “illegal orders” issued by President Trump. This is an open call for an insurrection, and these congress members (two from Pennsylvania) should be arrested immediately and charged with treason. John...
Letter to the editor: Freeport students go above and beyond to honor veterans
Freeport High School recently hosted a moving tribute to veterans who are family members of current students. The event began with a stirring rendition of the national anthem by the school chorus, directed by Tom Koharchik — himself an Iraq combat veteran, adding depth to the moment. Elizabeth Smetak and...
Lori Falce: From Nelly Bly to Mary Bruce, women journalists don’t tiptoe around
Sit still. Be quiet. Don’t ask questions. These are the mantras of a little girl’s childhood. I learned a lot from my grandmother, like how to make chocolate cake and when a tomato is ripe enough to pick. My mother taught me to flatter a man into thinking my ideas...
Laurels & lances: Reaching out & lashing out
Laurel: To seeing the problem. When you talk about bullying and programs to address it, the scope is generally broad. The instinct is to talk to the whole school or the whole class. You want to tell bullies not to bully. You want to tell the bystanders to speak up...
Letter to the editor: Trump continues assault
President Trump continues his assault on Americans using intimidation, humiliation, name-calling and lies. It’s easy to fact-check Trump. He says prices are down, tariffs are not taxes, he has no knowledge of who the DOJ is indicting, the 2020 election was fraudulent, the only solution to illegal immigration is the...
Paul Kengor: Drunk and stupid at the Pitt-Notre Dame game
“Drunk, fat, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.” Such were the immortal words of advice from Dean Wormer to Kent “Flounder” Dorfman in the 1978 epic “Animal House.” I have an addendum to Wormer’s advice: Drunk and stupid is also no way to go through a...
Stephen Mihm: Threats of nuclear testing ignore its terrifying history
Should the U.S. and Russia resume nuclear testing? The answer to that question must be a resounding “No.” Yet President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, eager to project strength, have raised fears that they may be moving to revive the dangerous practice. While the significance of testing nuclear...
Jonah Goldberg: Presidents can no longer be trusted with pardons
Ours is a system of “checks and balances.” The president can do this or that, but the courts and Congress can put a stop to it. When the courts rule that the executive branch can’t do something, Congress can write a new law saying the president can do it. When...
Letter to the editor: Rather have Pelosi than Trump
To the writer of the letter “Good riddance to Pelosi” (Nov. 14, TribLive): I am a Democrat, and I never liked her either. But I would rather have Pelosi on my side fighting against a so-called president who has been convicted of 34 felonies and who would rather send $20...
Letter to the editor: County’s paper ballot move political theater
This summer, 5,000 Westmoreland County residents, or 1.4% of the county population, signed a petition asking for paper ballots after GOP officials questioned electronic voting. In September, the county approved the change and spent over $40,000 to implement it. In November, of over 106,000 ballots cast, only 3,996 were on...
Editorial: Why won’t lawmakers consider a gift ban?
Why can’t Pennsylvania just have transparent government? Why is it so hard for the people to know who really is paying for the laws, the lawmakers and the influence? For nine years, March on Harrisburg has been — quite literally — marching on Harrisburg. The organization has returned to the...
Letter to the editor: County council’s leg shackles decision risks public’s safety
Recently Allegheny County Council voted to continue the ban on Allegheny County Jail correctional officers’ use of leg shackles on hospital runs by voting 12-2. One of the council members is in denial and continually cites state escape statistics showing no escapes when she knows there have been three incidents...
Christine Flowers: There’s a wholesale inhumanity happening now in immigration courts
Whenever I post something about a person who has been granted asylum, or who has obtained their green card, or who has become a U.S. citizen, people congratulate that person, and say “welcome to the country.” Many of the comments are incredibly warm, and they make me very proud of...
Cal Thomas: Republicans are failing to communicate
In the 1967 film “Cool Hand Luke,” the “Captain” says to Luke (Paul Newman): “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.” The same could be said of the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress. While they have much to brag about — from a closed border, the deportation of...
Letter to the editor: Do the right thing and help those who need it
We all have a choice to do the right thing or not. All the millionaires, billionaires, trillionaires and zillionaires are very fortunate. Helping those who need help might not get you to heaven, but it’s a good start. Let me end with this: Way to go! Kudos! Don’t let me...
Letter to the editor: Free the Pittsburgh elephants
In April, I visited the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium and recorded hours of footage of the elephant paddock. With a mission for detecting abnormal signs and symptoms, what I found was deeply disturbing. In my opinion, these five intelligent creatures (Angeline, Savannah, Tasha, Victoria and Zuri) are suffering tremendously, driven...
Letter to the editor: Unfair license suspensions
A decade-long breakdown in Allegheny County’s Department of Court Records happened. Over 1,000 local residents are now receiving notices that their licenses will be suspended years after their court cases ended — in some cases, as long as 12 years ago. Here’s why this is a big deal, and what...
Editorial: $1 million stolen, no jail time is a betrayal of justice — and police officers
Sometimes when police officers are accused of misconduct, it can be difficult to break through the wall of support — or at the very least, the wall of silence — that surrounds them. To a degree, that’s understandable. Officers depend on each other. In an emergency, they need to know...
Kyle Bender: More males in early childhood education
Alex, a 5-year-old in my preschool classroom, often exhibited challenging behavior, such as hurting his peers and running away from adults, but I could usually redirect him. He loved putting things together, so I often asked, “Would you like to build a puzzle with me?” We assembled many puzzles together...
Phil Kerpen: Uncapping FDIC insurance is a bipartisan bad idea
It isn’t often that two senators as far apart ideologically as Republican Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Democrat Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland get together on a piece of legislation. The bill they wrote together — the Main Street Depositor Protection Act — deserves a closer look. The bill would raise...
Editorial: Klan flyers are cry for attention
Hate groups seem like the kind of thing that festers in the shadows. Who would admit to being aligned with an organization dedicated to hatred, committed to pressuring its neighbors and tied to violence? When was the last time you saw an obituary where someone’s long list of associations included...
Letter to the editor: Tracking property in Murrysville
What is going on in Murrysville? The chief administrator, Mchael Nestico, just offered an ordinance proposal to create a “registry for vacant property.” What? He wants to “track” people’s private properties? He states that if a property owner lives more than 25 miles away, they must hire a property manager....
Danny Tyree: Stressing out over Thanksgiving travel?
Don’t hate me because I’m stationary. Yes, the Tyrees are anticipating another laid-back, close-to-home Thanksgiving. Some would envy our “sweet spot,” but it’s more of a bittersweet spot. Our parents and grandparents are deceased, our siblings have their own plans and we don’t have a daughter-in-law or grandchildren yet. Our...
Anita Chabria: Democrats crumble like cookies. Is this really the best they can do?
Democrats crumbled like soft-bake cookies. The so-called resistance party gave up the shutdown fight, ensuring that millions of Americans will face Republican-created skyrocketing health-care costs, and millions more will bury any hope that the minority party will find the substance and leadership to run a viable defense against President Donald...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s business instincts not so great
The writer of the letter “A businessman in the White House” (Nov. 4, TribLive) extols President Trump’s business instincts, but apparently is ignorant of the real effects of tariffs. It’s a hidden tax on Americans, nothing more, nothing less. Why would our president want to raise prices for Americans? Remember...
