We have plenty of gun laws

The usual misleading statistics were mentioned in the letter “Immediate action needed on gun safety” (Dec. 24, TribLive), with the same tired lack of context and use of carefully selected data points. Not mentioned is that the CDC gun death numbers include not just homicides but also suicides and accidents. None are good, but let’s be specific about what we want our legislation to accomplish.

The writer points to states with “strong gun laws” as holding the answer. As we know, places like these include New York, Illinois and California and are not exactly known for their public safety.

Our state already has universal background checks for all firearms dealers; restrictions on things like barrel lengths and overall lengths, certain actions and some types of ammunition; and a not insignificant list of persons not to possess firearms of any kind. The federal government has prohibited many of the same firearm types or characteristics, restricted who can possess any firearm, and placed burdensome taxes on many other firearms and their accessories. I have not scratched the surface of laws at the state and federal levels.

It seems to me we have plenty of existing gun laws. Why do people think that the same criminal who ignores laws prohibiting murder, prohibiting their mere possession of firearms or making unlawful the possession of a firearm on school grounds, will suddenly be compliant with the bills they support? The best and only answer is to further abridge my liberty?

Matt Pergar

Unity

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End violence to stop more violence

I would like to offer a corrective to the “paw patrol” vision of global conflict in the letter “Ceasefire won’t work in Gaza” (Dec. 24, TribLive). The writer invokes the term “bad guys” multiple times, without identifying who the “bad guys” are and why they keep fighting Israel. The reason groups like Hamas exist is because Israel is an apartheid ethnostate. Like other apartheid states, it is extremely violent. This violence then creates its own violent resistance.

The only way to get rid of these “bad guys” is to stop creating them through violence. This means, like in South Africa, an end to apartheid. It means, like in Ireland, power sharing and an end to ethnonationalism. And like in these places, as soon as the state violence ceases, so does the guerilla warfare and terrorism. If Israel stops being an apartheid ethnostate, it will stop meeting resistance from the people it is doing violence to.

For those interested in learning more, I recommend a crash course on the issue through renowned Israeli scholar Ilan Pappe’s excellent “Ten Myths About Israel.”

Joe Hogle

Troy Hill

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‘Iran-backed militias’ — IBMs the new WMDs?

Regarding President Biden’s latest authorization of airstrikes on an “Iran-backed militia” that injured a serviceman in Iraq: Why are U.S. servicemen still in Iraq? U.S. attacks on supposed Iran-backed militias in Iraq, Syria and Yemen are becoming an all-too-familiar news item lately. Will “IBMs” become the new go-to-war acronym to justify a new Middle East war with Iran, as non existent “WMDs” were used to justify our Iraq debacle?

Elise Schiller

Penn Hills

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Westmoreland County leaders should fix finances without tax increase

So our elected Westmoreland County officials have mismanaged our tax money again (“Westmoreland commissioners blame past fiscal neglect in approving 32.5% tax hike,” Dec. 21, TribLive). Because of this, we are facing a record tax increase. I don’t know where they expect everyone on fixed incomes to find this money. I think they need to use the covid money they are sitting on because they can’t make up their minds what to do with it.

We can’t get a raise when we need it, so why can they? Cut spending or forgo your raises for screwing up. Better yet, do both. Interest rates, inflation have all gone up, but income hasn’t. Fix it without a tax increase.

Donald Nelson

Greensburg

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US Steel and what ails corporate America

Now that U.S. Steel is in the news with its impending sale, let’s take a look at the reasons why it is a poster child for what ails American corporations.

First is the corrupting influence of lobbies. Because of the steel industry’s decades-long lobbying, the companies have received billions of dollars, our tax dollars, in state, local and federal subsidies and bailouts. This lobbying reached its zenith during the Trump years with the imposed duties on imports. The American people end up paying a price for these subsidies.

Factor in their exemptions from environmental regulations. Mon Valley residents continue to this day to pay the price of the industry’s pollution.

Then there is the staggering wage inequality. U.S. Steel’s CEO compensation is almost $19 million. That is 345 times the pay of the average Pennsylvania steel mill worker’s $55,000. This obscene wage inequality is incompatible with democracy. This is what causes revolutions and autocracies.

Finally, there are the destructive results of stock buybacks. Instead of using cash to lower prices for the consumer, invest in the company, clean up their pollution or increase wages, U.S. Steel spent $1.2 billion in the last two years on stock buybacks which benefit Wall Street, shareholders and upper management.

We the middle class need better regulations to protect us from the excessive greed of our captains of industry.

Joanne Garing

North Huntingdon

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Steelers’ coaching controversy

For two years I have spoken about what Steelers Nation saw in the Dec. 23 shellacking of the Bengals. It knocked those rose-colored glasses right off Mike Tomlin’s nose and the rest of the excuse-making Kenny Pickett supporters. Only Matt Canada is laughing harder than yours truly.

Tomlin finally let the genie (Mason Rudolph) out of the bottle, and, uh-oh, now the real fun begins as he eats Rolaids straight from the bottle. While some see a QB controversy, I see a coaching controversy. The team clearly wants to play (win) behind Rudolph, but Tomlin presumably wants the golden boy (Pickett). Say it with me: team mutiny!

One more time: fan mutiny!

I’m not as concerned with what Tomlin does as I am with what Art Rooney will do. A class act like Rudolph will land on his feet somewhere if not here. Happy New Year, readers, and thank you, Mason, for the nice Christmas gift.

Rob DiSanti

O’Hara

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The left isn’t very tolerant

I am always fascinated when I hear people speak or see writings about tolerance as exemplified by the op-ed “Pittsburgh can use the arts to fight intolerance” (Dec. 11, TribLive).

Tolerance in the conventional sense is a good thing. When I hear a car pass my house playing music I don’t like way too loud, I remember that I probably did the same thing when I was young, so I understand … and tolerate it.

However, as is the case with so many well-meaning concepts, the left has bastardized tolerance into an ugly mishmash of wokeism, identity politics and virtue signaling. So-called “progressives” have become the most intolerant people. Their definition of tolerance seems to be, “you believe what I believe or I will attempt to destroy you.”

Sure, being intolerant about genocide is easy (except apparently for Ivy League university presidents), but let’s see how understanding and tolerant Pittsburgh area artists and arts groups are about other issues.

How many of these people would accept that changing one’s gender is fine if you are an adult, but coercing children, adolescents and their parents into this permanent, life-altering decision needs much more scrutiny? Or, that swimmer Riley Gaines is correct that biological females should not have to compete against biological males who changed their gender?

Numerous polls show that the majority of Americans believe abortion up to a certain point is acceptable, but most cannot accept the far-left feminist standard of abortion on demand.

Tolerance is a double-edged sword, but as usual, the left can’t see it.

A.J. Abate

Elizabeth

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