Opinion category, Page 212
Trudy Rubin: If Israel is accused of genocide, why not Russia?
If Israel is being charged with genocide at the International Court of Justice, why isn’t Russia? This is a question I find very troubling, as do some of my readers. Despite harsh critiques of the civilian carnage in Gaza caused by Israel’s bombs — of which I have written my...
Ivor Ichikowitz : South Africa’s genocide case against Israel is rank hypocrisy
South Africa made history when it took Israel to the International Court of Justice — the United Nations’ highest court — and accused it of waging genocide against Palestinians while asking the court to order an immediate cease-fire. It might turn out to be the worst decision the country has...
Letter to the editor: Corporations and ‘fair share’ of taxes
The next time you hear someone gripe about corporations not paying their “fair share” of taxes, try this reply: “So let me get this straight: You want to take resources away from an efficient, wealth-creating organization (i.e., a corporation) and give them to a demonstrably inefficient, corrupt, wealth-destroying organization which...
Sounding off: Guns, taxes, MAGAs, Biden, immigrants among topics of week
Too many guns, not enough laws The writer of the letter “We have plenty of gun laws” (Jan. 6, TribLive) writes “it seems to me” we have enough gun laws already. Then why do we have so many more shootings than other countries with strict regulation? He says the U.S....
Letter to the editor: Threats to free speech
Among many alarming allegations in a 2023 lawsuit against Penn State are university-sanctioned harassment and silencing of an Abington campus professor. Filings show retaliation against him for asking questions during mandatory “antiracist” training sessions like “White Teachers are a Problem.” He was told that race-based disparagement of white-skinned people was...
Editorial: Westmoreland officials’ pay increase, workers’ strike notice are predictable problem
Westmoreland County officials cannot be surprised by employees bristling over contract negotiations. Aside from the four-year contract expiring Dec. 31 and stalled negotiations, there is the fact that many employees have been dealing with increased work and shorter staff for years. These are problems that might have come into the...
Letter to the editor: Too many guns, not enough laws
The writer of the letter “We have plenty of gun laws” (Jan. 6, TribLive) writes “it seems to me” we have enough gun laws already. Then why do we have so many more shootings than other countries with strict regulation? He says the U.S. cities with the strictest gun laws...
Gary Franks: America needs a constitutional tune-up
We are rapidly approaching our 250th birthday as a republic. And the nation is in need of a tune-up. With just a few tweaks of our Constitution we can put the nation on a path that would allow it to go another 250 years. The Constitution is the supreme law...
S.E. Cupp: It’s the money vs. the map for DeSantis & Haley
Anyone watching the Iowa caucuses results pour in Monday night could see very quickly that former President Donald Trump was going to walk away with a decisive victory. He won 98 of 99 counties, and was denied the 99th by only one vote. More than one cable news network called...
Cal Thomas: Why Trump prevails
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich appeared on Fox News Monday night as Iowa voters caucused and delivered a decisive victory for Donald Trump in his quest to win the Republican presidential nomination and a second term as president. Gingrich joyfully predicted that Trump would not only win the...
Lisa Jarvis: Measles outbreak should be a vaccine wake-up call
A cluster of measles cases in the Northeast is putting a spotlight on how easily the highly contagious disease can spread — and how dangerous any further slip in childhood vaccination rates could be. Infants and toddlers not old enough to have been fully protected through vaccination are vulnerable to...
Colin McNickle: A textbook case for regular property reassessments
The dominos of government nonfeasance have begun to fall in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. And the economic fallout could be catastrophic, says a researcher at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. “This situation underscores the importance of regular property assessments,” says Frank Gamrat, executive director of the Pittsburgh think tank....
Dwan B. Walker: Communities depend on banks to invest in infrastructure
Aliquippa is the place where I grew up, attended school and raised my family. Eventually, it was the place that granted me the humbling opportunity to become mayor, a role I’ve served in for the last 12 years. It’s safe to say Aliquippa is a community I care about deeply....
Letter to the editor: County tax hike is fiscal mismanagement by commissioners
I stand in opposition to the decision by our three county commissioners to raise property taxes by 32.5% This outrageous increase puts a financial burden on seniors living on fixed incomes and families struggling to live from paycheck to paycheck. I have filed a complaint with the ACLU, and I...
Letter to the editor: Gas operation concerns in Bell Township
In Bell Township, our once-tranquil landscape is undergoing a rapid transformation due to the proliferation of natural gas operations. Four compressor stations, numerous drilling sites and waste facilities have dramatically altered the scenery along Route 819, replacing our serene entryway with an industrial zone. This stark transformation, especially when contrasted...
Laurels & lances: Looking out and letting down
Laurel: To recycling. Everyone knows it’s better to reuse than to let something go to waste. That’s not just true of paper and plastic. It also applies to technology. On a visit to Acrisure Stadium, Leechburg Area School District security guard Mike Kapustik noticed there were unused metal detectors in...
Letter to the editor: Our support of Israel will be disastrous
No group I have encountered has been more generous than Jews. This is a deep part of Jewish culture. So I have long been mystified at Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, especially in this current war. Benjamin Netanyahu has answered Hamas’ barbaric act of war with a barbaric act of war...
Paul Kengor: Japan’s Nippon Steel acquires US Steel: Who cares?
It has been about a month since United States Steel (USS) announced it’s being acquired by Japan’s Nippon Steel Corp. I’ve watched curiously for reactions. I find it interesting that local reaction has seemed somewhat subdued, even underwhelming. To the contrary, I’ve heard from older, relocated Pittsburghers who greeted the...
Christine Flowers: Not even the death of a mother is off limits in today’s politics
There are two things that should be completely off limits: a person’s children and a person’s grief. You do not mock a child, something that we often forget when that child happens to belong to a politician we despise, and you do not make fun of someone in the depths...
Letter to the editor: An idea for easing Parkway congestion
Regarding the article “$142M in federal funding to address congestion, transit along Pittsburgh’s Parkway East,” (Dec. 19, TribLive): Congestion on the Parkway is caused by drivers trying to switch lanes. Install a divider guard rail to divide the lanes so once you are on the Parkway, you cannot switch lanes....
Letter to the editor: What will be cure for deadly ‘Disease X’?
I don’t know much about the newest pandemic on the horizon, “Disease X,” other than the trusted World Health Organization says it will be 20 times more deadly than covid. I do, on the other hand, have a clear understanding of what the cure will be: mail-in ballots. Stay healthy,...
Editorial: Mike Tomlin should punt the pettiness and petulance
A coach is someone who gives instruction. Coaches train. They teach. They help make people better. The simple arithmetic of wins and losses shows the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin is a good coach. He joined the organization in 2007. In that time, he has amassed two Super Bowl appearances with...
Letter to the editor: How would we deal with extraterrestrials?
As I read through all the ideas as to how best to be prepared for the next catastrophe, I note that all the suggestions being made are excellent and, if adopted, will certainly have a marked influence on how effective our efforts will be no matter which one of the...
Letter to the editor: MAGAs, respect and patriotism
I for one was glad to see a “MAGA conservative” opine on the differences between conservatives and liberals and help clear the air (“Conservatives respectful, liberals destructive,” Jan. 11, TribLive). Most people think the MAGA group is not respectful of life (unless you consider state abortion bans that are rendering...
Jonah Goldberg: Biden is late but right to strike against Yemen’s Houthis
With the possible exception of fights over the national debt and Supreme Court nominations, there is no topic that arouses more partisan hypocrisy than presidential use of military force. And, globally, there is no issue that arouses more hypocrisy than Israel. Put them together, and you have a perfect storm...
