Opinion category, Page 153
Letter to the editor: God is life, and abortion is death
The writer of the letter “Abortion and the Bible” (June 16, TribLive) has used the Bible to make a fallacious argument concerning the morality of abortion. If he had been careful not to take the sacred text out of context, he would have seen the folly of his argument. The...
Sounding off: Bump stock ban, cyber charters, Trump, Biden among week’s topics
Pa. needs a bump stock ban I am writing regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a federal ban on bump stocks, the lethal device that turns semi-automatic rifles into military-style killing machines. At the Las Vegas music festival in 2017, the shooter used this device to kill more than...
Letter to the editor: Biden must be stopped
So it wasn’t enough that on day one President Biden opened up the floodgates to allow illegal immigrants to trample our borders. Under his watch, students and others were allowed to shut down colleges, and people were allowed to deface the American flag and statues while praising terrorists. He has...
Editorial: Was presidential debate the worst ever?
During the 2024 primary season, neither presidential candidate participated in a debate. That changed Thursday when President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, and former president Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, took the podiums in an audience-free Atlanta event on CNN. For many, it was deemed a disaster. A...
Letter to the editor: Reflecting on insidiousness of slavery
The op-ed “Juneteenth is about more than the end of slavery” (June 19, TribLive) is one of the most important columns to be printed in any newspaper, and I am most appreciative for it. Historically it is recognized that slavery was the most insidious aspect of the new nation, morally,...
S.E. Cupp: Biden’s poor debate was so infuriating
This last week of June 2024 will go down in history as one of the most consequential in American politics. June 27, in particular will go down as one of the most consequential debates in American elections — perhaps even more so than Nixon/Kennedy, or Lincoln/Douglas. That’s because the CNN...
Steve Lopez: How’d the grandpa debaters do? 3 experts on aging size up Biden, Trump
Not a good night for Biden. Not a proud night for Trump. A sad night for the United States. That’s my take after watching the presidential debate, but I didn’t watch alone. I enlisted three experts on aging to share their observations. I was focused on a single question while...
Chris Antypas: Only PBM reform can save Pa. pharmacies from closure crisis
We haven’t even crossed the midway point of 2024, and more than 140 pharmacies have closed in Pennsylvania since we began the year, and countless local jobs have been lost. Sadly, there aren’t any signs this trend will slow down anytime soon until Pennsylvania enacts comprehensive pharmacy benefit manager (PBM)...
Elwood Watson: The Ten Commandments and the creep of Christian nationalism
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry was brimming with pride and arrogance last week when he signed into law a requirement that every classroom in his state — from kindergarten to college chemistry labs — will be required to display a copy of the Ten Commandments. “I can’t wait to be sued,”...
Letter to the editor: Casey should focus on our problems
Sen. Bob Casey has a political ad talking to steelworkers about how he supported the new infrastructure law which will benefit them. I went to the website and read this law, which has an addendum which states that products made in the USA must be purchased by companies unless they...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s conviction suspect
You don’t have to be a Donald Trump supporter to realize that his conviction raises serious questions. For example, how can you be convicted of covering up a crime when you haven’t been found guilty of the crime you allegedly covered up? How can the mere receiving of bills from...
Lori Falce: You can lead a county to Pride Month but you can’t make them proclaim it
We have often been told about the perils of leading horses to water. You might be able to push, pull, ride or haul your steed where you want it to go. You cannot ensure it will do what you want when you get there. Life has no guarantees, no matter...
Letter to the editor: Trump charges serious, verdict right
There are several misstatements in the article “Trump verdicts make NYC Venezuela-on-the-Hudson” (June 8, TribLive). Author Hans A. Von Spakovsky tries to downplay the seriousness of the charges against Donald Trump by stating they were “paperwork errors” when in fact they were deliberate criminal actions. He states that “the statute...
Laurels & lances: Memories cherished, memories lost
Laurel: To owning a piece of history. Fundraising often includes more than a simple donation. It can be more transactional, like buying Girl Scout cookies or a fish dinner at your local fire company. The Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall found a way to make money by selling off something...
Heather Visnesky: Solving our child-care crisis
As a working parent, I understand the importance of high-quality, consistent early childhood educators. When my oldest child was born, my husband and I soon realized that the cost of quality child care was nearly equal to my take-home salary. The math just was not mathing, so we made the...
Sean O’Keefe: The Reaganesque candidate in 2024 isn’t a Republican
Republicans like me, loyal to principles over individuals, are grateful to see Reaganesque qualities in a candidate running for president in 2024. It would surprise and disappoint President Reagan, however, that it’s not the candidate on the GOP ticket. It is President Biden who, like Reagan, often demonstrates moral and...
Dan DeBone: Securing funding for Pa.’s critical bridge improvements
Bridges provide crucial access between regions and cities, linking workers to jobs, goods to markets and people to essential services. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), transportation agencies need $70.9 billion to overcome the current backlog of deficient bridges. This investment would be money well spent, as poor bridge...
Letter to the editor: Why does Biden need debate prep?
I have heard reports that President Joe Biden has spent an entire week preparing for the debate with Donald Trump. Biden has 16 people working with him to get ready for this 90-minute event. A mock stage has been built in an airport hangar with lights and cameras so he...
Letter to the editor: Flat fee for cyber charters
The letter “Poorly run schools misusing taxpayer money” (June 21, TribLive) notes what 500 school districts across the state have repeated to legislators for over a decade. Cyber charters can educate a child for $8,000-$8,500. Cybers can accomplish this, when no school district can, for numerous reasons. Cybers don’t run...
Editorial: Should police be allowed to collect DNA for anyone arrested — even if they aren’t charged with a crime?
The most basic building block of who you are is contained in your blood, your skin and the other cells of your body. Even if you don’t have your driver’s license or passport on you, the DNA coded into your body is even more precise than your fingerprints. A fingerprint...
Letter to the editor: Project 2025 would end our freedoms
During Donald Trump’s first term of office, he did not have the organization nor the people to execute his unlawful and unconstitutional plans. This time around, Trump loyalists and the Heritage Foundation have corrected those past deficiencies. Here is their Project 2025 playbook. We would quickly devolve into a police...
Joe Massaro: Shapiro’s proposed investment in Pa.’s trail system will boost economic development
As Pennsylvania competes with surrounding states to attract tourists, it’s important we remain competitive in as many areas as possible. Outdoor recreation and tourism are linked, especially in a state like Pennsylvania. And enhancements in outdoor infrastructure have far-reaching positive impacts on our communities and economies. This is why the...
Jonah Goldberg: Presidential debates generally don’t matter, but this Biden-Trump faceoff could be different
I’ve changed my mind: This presidential debate matters. Before I continue, a quick recap: Last month, I expressed my longstanding view that presidential debates aren’t very meaningful and are very stupid. They are pseudo-events, the historian Daniel J. Boorstin’s term for manufactured media spectacles that feel significant because we imbue...
Cal Thomas: My questions for the candidates
The debate Thursday night between President Biden and former president Donald Trump on CNN ought to be more than rehearsed answers and soundbites we’ve heard before. Polls show Americans are alarmed over what many feel is the unraveling of our country when it comes to the economy, uncontrolled immigration and...
Rev. Martin Bartel: Where are you, America?
The Scripture readings prescribed for worship in my faith tradition on a recent Sunday included, “The Lord God called to the man and asked him, ‘Where are you?’ ” (Gen 3:9) This is the first recorded question posed by God; it must therefore be critical. Adam answers, “I hid myself,”...
