Opinion category, Page 186
Sounding off: Gun violence, politics on readers’ minds
Senate must take action on gun violence I read the essay Meredith Elizalde wrote about her son Nick, who was killed during a mass shooting at his school’s football game in September 2022 (“State leaders disdain gun victims,” Feb. 9, TribLive). The reaction of lawmakers in Harrisburg to this mother’s...
Letter to the editor: Revisionist history
Regarding Elwood Watson’s op-ed “The creep of Christian nationalism” (March 12, TribLive): Elwood, Elwood, Elwood, lend me your brain. On second thought, please don’t. There are a few skinless sheep shivering out there. You owe them an apology. To call you a country bumpkin would be an insult to country...
Letter to the editor: Leadership matters — vote Jill Cooper
I am writing to express my strong support for Jill Cooper as the best proven conservative option for our state representative in District 55. Many politicians talk a good game, but very few actually get important things done. Cooper proved in her first term that she is committed to meeting...
Editorial: Smart, timely action needed on electric vehicle fees
How much should electric vehicle owners contribute toward the cost of Pennsylvania’s roads? It’s a question that needs to be answered. The state Legislature is trying. Pennsylvania has more than 41,000 miles of state-maintained roads. That’s a lot of asphalt and salt for maintenance, not to mention billions of dollars...
Letter to the editor: Cooper will work across party lines
In the letter “Lingg will defend our values” (Feb. 9, TribLive) regarding the “uniparty,” I found it most interesting that the writer’s supported candidate, Jamie Lingg, is against the bipartisan “meet-me-in-the-middle” caucus collaborating across party lines. Is not the work on behalf of all constituents exactly what we send our...
Letter to the editor: Trump commandments
Now that he’s become a religious publisher, here are some commandments we might expect from citizen Trump: Overvalue thy properties for lenders and undervalue for collectors of tax. Remember that the Lord provideth female begetting organs for men of fame or wealth to grab. Belittle the meek, those with disabilities...
S.E. Cupp: Trump abandons pro-lifers; they may abandon him
In 1985, President Ronald Reagan addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference. It had been a very good five years for Republicans, starting with his election in 1980 and, for the first time in 28 years, a Republican Senate. He began by thanking the various groups in the room: the American...
Zach Kennedy: The pathway to preserving Pittsburgh’s steel industry
Throughout America and internationally, Pittsburgh is recognized as the Steel City. From the namesake of our storied pro football franchise to the production of the tanks that defeated the Nazis in World War II, steel is in our DNA and remains a cornerstone of our culture. It should come as...
Carl Kurlander: Development of Salk polio vaccine still one of our greatest stories
On April 12, 2005, I found myself at the Cathedral of Learning with students of mine from the University of Pittsburgh interviewing those who had worked with Dr. Jonas Salk to develop a vaccine that would conquer the most feared disease of the 20th century — polio. During that anniversary...
Letter to the editor: Bizzarro endorsed by many
The writer of the letter ”Bizzarro’s lack of leadership” (March 26, TribLive) accuses Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, the Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate for state treasurer, of not supporting reproductive freedom. It is ridiculous to believe that over 150 pro-choice Democratic leaders — from U.S. Congress members like Mary Gay Scanlon to...
Letter to the editor: Summer Lee delivers for Western Pa.
Summer Lee works tirelessly to champion for Western Pennsylvania. She promotes economic justice, union jobs and environmental justice, and co-sponsored 20-plus bills strengthening voting rights, safeguarding democracy and fighting for reproductive health. She passed through committee $10.7 million in funding for food assistance, addressing antisemitism, affordable housing, rebuilding infrastructure and...
Letter to the editor: Jill Cooper the better candidate
As a former eight-year member of Murrysville Council, I have a reasonable understanding of local politics. I’ve learned that the skill sets required to be an effective representative include intelligence, being principled, ethical and pragmatic, and honoring your commitments. I’ve known our current state representative, Jill Cooper, for nearly 20...
Lori Falce: Despite what happened in Arizona, medicine and law can’t roll backward
Medicine advances at a remarkable rate, with each new advance building on the discoveries that came before it. Today’s immunology and microsurgery and miracle drugs wouldn’t be possible without the anatomical, imaging and pharmaceutical innovations of the last century. There are entire branches of medicine that didn’t exist just a...
Laurels & lances: Texting and scamming
Laurel: To good technology. Text messaging has become one of the primary reminders in our lives. Order a pizza? A text tells you when it’s being delivered. Your kid missed school? A text confirms the absence was excused. Texts remind you of doctor appointments, flight times, hotel reservations and more....
Paul Kengor: The obscene cost of higher ed
The “higher” in “higher ed” ought to stand for higher tuition. Sure, everyone knows that tuition prices at colleges have risen to obscene levels in recent decades, but the obscenity just hit new highs (or lows). Four colleges — namely, Boston University, Tufts, Wellesley and Yale — will be charging...
Steve Hvozdovich: Investing in clean water
Pennsylvania is an old state with old infrastructure. As the commonwealth boomed in the early to mid-20th century, we built roads, bridges, highways and water systems. But as the commonwealth has aged, so too has our infrastructure, and we have struggled to maintain it. Some of those signs of aging...
Bradford Fitch: Congress needs fixing, but it got some advice from an unexpected source
After watching President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, it would be easy to conclude that members of Congress have little interest in, and do not value, civility, bipartisanship and collaboration as a means to address the challenges our nation faces. But a recent survey of some other folks...
James Stavridis: ISIS attacks show the war on terror is heating up
Are we back to fighting the Global War on Terror? The attack in a Moscow concert hall that killed 144 people last month should be a wake-up call to the whole world, especially with the Olympics coming this summer in Paris. It is thought that four members of ISIS-K, an...
Letter to the editor: Wrong to fly flag upside down
If you hang your American flag upside down, you should have to pay a fine. It’s unpatriotic and embarrassing to veterans. Jon Brady Ligonier Township...
Letter to the editor: Jill Cooper deserves to be reelected
The Pennsylvania primary to select our 2024 candidates is April 23. One deserving candidate is state House Rep. Jill Cooper of the 55th District, who is running for reelection. Cooper has been very much involved in understanding the needs of the Westmoreland County communities she represents, including my area. By...
Letter to the editor: Trump and Republicans are for the rich
Donald J. Trump has a lot to be proud of in his life — the sins and lies keep stacking up. His actions have cost lives, with covid and Jan. 6. But there will be a “bloodbath” if he is not reelected. It’s pretty bad when Mike Pence won’t endorse...
Letter to the editor: Democrats and democracy
Democratic politicians and their left-wing media acolytes tell us if Donald Trump is elected in November, it will be the end of our democracy. Apparently, they believe secure borders, low inflation, enforcing laws against crime and promoting voter ID laws are somehow ruinous to “democracy.” But they have no compunction...
Editorial: Anonymous donations to government create questions — and silence them
Anonymous donations are nice when it comes to things like a new wing in an art museum or urgent assistance for a natural disaster. An anonymous donation in these instances is easily understood as altruism. There is little that a museum can give back in return other than appreciation and...
Jonah Goldberg: Republicans abandoning even their most deeply held principles
The changing of the conservative mind in recent years could hardly be captured more pithily than in the headline of a recent op-ed: “Why I believe in industrial policy — done right.” So opined Sen. Marco Rubio for The Washington Post and, at greater length, for National Affairs. Note that...
Bruce Cooper and Mark Reynolds: Polluters should pay for damage to climate
In his recent State of the Union speech, President Biden highlighted how his climate policies are helping Americans by bringing record investment and jobs to the U.S. The positive economic impacts of investments in clean energy — a reported $240 billion in clean energy funding and 170,000 jobs from the...
