Sounding off: Mental health days, Springdale 'implosion,' Trump, Madden on readers' minds

Mental health days help students succeed

As a recent high school graduate, I can wholeheartedly say that our schools need more mental health support.

Across Western Pennsylvania, the recommended ratios of guidance counselors to students are not being met, workloads are increasing and students are suffering. If “mental health day” legislation was passed in Pennsylvania, students who need just one day off would be allowed to have it. With such a measure, we could stop crises from compounding and leading to all-too-familiar outcomes. Missing one day of school will not kill anybody, but it may save them.

It is easy to look at my generation as weak and tiresome. I’m sure I would feel the same way if I was not a member of Gen Z. But, I promise that we have potential and purpose. Supporting reasonable accommodations, such as school mental health days, will help us solve some of the most pressing problems that we have inherited.

Connor Dalgaard

Findlay

The writer is a sophomore studying psychology and economics at Vassar College.

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Springdale ‘implosion’

On the “implosion” in Springdale: What we have here, in the words of Cool Hand Luke’s captain, is “failure to communicate” (“Amid dusty cleanup, Springdale residents remain unsettled in the wake of smokestack implosions,” June 4, TribLIVE). To call what happened in Springdale (and the Hulton Bridge about six years ago) an implosion is an Orwellian misuse of words.

Implosion is an inward force. The dictionary explains it like the collapse of a gas in a glass vessel — the fragments fall inward.

What happened in Springdale was an (begin ital)explosion(end ital) by any reasoning. To quote the Trib article, “The blast used explosives to bring down the stacks … .” Explosives like TNT don’t cause implosions. They cause what they were designed for — explosions.

The companies that do this work have one goal: to bring the structure down as cheaply as possible. They take pains, but not costly ones. The structure should have been removed mechanically with cranes and such.

The fragments shown in the article are not imaginary. They are real, just as the piece of metal that blew a hole in an Oakmont truck windshield several years ago was.

Whatever you do, don’t be close to one of these “implosions.” You could be hit with an unaccounted-for fragment, and as your mother warned, lose an eye (or two).

Tom Kerek

Oakmont

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Where’s defense of Trump?

When the details of the 37-count indictment against former President Trump were unsealed last week, I eagerly awaited the response from both Trump supporters and non-supporters. I watched several different Fox News and CNN shows to hear what the “experts” had to say. I expected the approach of the two groups to be different, but the difference was more than just spin.

Trump and his supporters, both Republican politicians and news people, spoke about double standards, weaponized Justice Departments and supposed crimes of others. Nowhere was there a defense of the actual crimes alleged in the indictment.

Democrats went through the 37 counts in detail, pointing out why Trump’s actions were both illegal and dangerous to the nation.

So why are Trump’s people so hesitant to talk about the facts of the case? If they actually had a good case to defend the presumptive GOP nominee for president next year, you would think they would.

Trump is innocent until proven guilty, but it speaks volumes that his own supporters won’t (or cannot) defend him against the facts of the case.

Robert Charlton

Springdale

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Madden’s PGA take disgusting

I am almost speechless after reading Mark Madden’s column “Money always wins, and the PGA did what was best for golf” (June 7, TribLIVE). I say almost speechless, because my anger and indignation are more overwhelming right now.

Madden’s disgusting show of avarice and lack of any moral or ethical character is appalling, as is his advice to “kids” to “always take the money.” I can only imagine what his advice would be if a woman from his family was denied an education, or someone in his family was arrested, tortured, tried in a kangaroo court, and sentenced to 20 years in a Saudi prison.

He is a contributor to the downfall of humanity, and all for a simple game of golf. There are many more worthy causes for one to champion. Deeply disappointing.

Francine Romeo

New Kensington

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Robert F. Kennedy’s voice disorder

The writer of the letter “Biden and Kennedy are the best Democrats have?” (June 7, TribLIVE) comments that “this guy” Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president, has a “terrible speaking voice.” The fact is that Kennedy suffers from a rare voice disorder, spasmodic dysphonia, that affects his speaking ability.

Mary Lou Murphy

Point Breeze

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Westmoreland unprepared for hazardous incidents

At a recent meeting addressing concerns about a possible train derailment in Westmoreland County, Chris Tantlinger, Westmoreland County deputy emergency management coordinator, assured residents of an adequate response. Actually, Westmoreland County does not have equipment to provide comprehensive monitoring during incidents that contaminate air.

In 2017, Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens’ Group began discussing with hazmat and county commissioners the need for equipment and procedures that speciate the specific chemicals present and detect levels potentially harmful to health — not just life-threatening or explosive levels of a few chemicals.

This was a problem in East Palestine, Ohio. Testing did not comprehensively analyze a wide range of toxic chemicals. For example, handheld detectors used to screen homes were not sensitive enough to detect butyl acrylate at low levels. If you don’t test for it, it cannot be determined what people are being exposed to or at what levels, and consequently, information about health risks or appropriate evacuation measures is lacking. In the recent mercaptan incident in the Delmont area, after exhaustive conversations with various agencies, residents could not learn what level their families were exposed to or if levels exceeded permissible exposure limits.

Recently, nine organizations signed a letter to commissioners requesting that summa canisters be on hand to utilize during incidents affecting air quality. Again, the county has taken no action. Shame. There have already been several county air incidents from gas operations and unfortunately, there will be more. The deleterious health effects are well established, yet county officials shirk their responsibility to protect public health.

Jan Milburn

Ligonier Township

The writer is president of the Westmoreland Marcellus Citizens’ Group.

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Juror who caused mistrial should pay

According to the article “Mistrial declared as jury weighs assault, strangulation charges against Greensburg man” (June 7, TribLIVE), Judge Christopher Feliciani declared a mistrial in a criminal case after jurors were prepped to deliberate when “it was discovered that a juror had communicated with another about the case via Facebook.”

It is inappropriate that taxpayers should bear the expense of retrying this case when it is the result of a juror ignoring the clear instructions that every trial judge gives to jurors once they are empaneled — that they are forbidden to discuss the case with anyone (even another juror) until the jurors commence deliberations in the jury room.

In my opinion, this juror should be charged with contempt of court, and if found to have willfully disobeyed the judge’s instruction, should be ordered to pay restitution to the county in the amount of the trial expenses incurred up to the time the mistrial was declared. Service on a jury is serious business, not an invitation to play around on social media.

Mark Gesalman

Unity