Opinion category, Page 228
Letter to the editor: Why no outcry to remove Biden?
Where is the outcry to immediately relieve President Biden of his office? It was too easy to dump the guy who is two heartbeats from the presidency (speaker of the House). The current unbelievable happenings in Israel could come to our soil because of Biden’s weak enforcement of our immigration...
Letter to the editor: Fetterman not the laughingstock
The letter “Fetterman an embarassment” (Oct. 6, TribLIVE) seems to be nothing more than a way to disparage someone who was able to win an election. Some people can’t accept the fact that Sen. John Fetterman beat Dr. Oz. Most people I know admire Fetterman, for his battle and the...
Lori Falce: Words matter, but actions behind their meanings don’t
I often lament the way people try to harness language like a horse that just needs to be broken in an attempt to solve a problem rather than addressing the problem. Take the vocabulary surrounding people with developmental delays and other challenges. The words we have used over the years...
Laurels & lances: Board members & big screens
Laurel: To a full board. After two months of stalemates, Norwin School Board is poised to be able to accomplish things again. On Monday, Matthew Thomas, 49, of North Huntingdon was named as the replacement for board member Joanna Jordan, who died in August. Thomas was appointed by Westmoreland County...
Letter to the editor: Westmoreland needs new leadership, more transparency
With this election season, it is time for a change. I don’t believe County Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew have been working in Westmoreland County’s best interest. Rather than using the covid-19 American Rescue Plan funds to help residents most impacted during the pandemic, they spent the most of...
Cal Thomas: What a Palestinian state would look like
On “60 Minutes” last Sunday, President Biden said he thinks it would be a “mistake … for Israel to occupy … Gaza again.” He also conceded that eliminating Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon “is a necessary requirement.” At the same time, the president said, “There needs to be a path...
Bruce Ledewitz: Does God want his children to kill each other?
The struggle between Israel and the Palestinians is a religious struggle. That is why compromise is so difficult and peace so elusive. Israel and Hamas are not equivalent. Hamas sent its forces into Israel specifically to kill and kidnap as many civilians as possible. That is barbarism, not warfare. In...
Letter to the editor: Bengel deserves reelection in Harrison
I wholeheartedly endorse the reelection of Harrison Township Commissioner Eric Bengel. I worked at the township and have followed local politics very closely over the past 30 years. Bengel exemplifies honesty, fairness and thoughtfulness. His willingness to examine the issues and listen closely to the public’s concerns differs significantly from...
Letter to the editor: Karaica best candidate for district judge
While I hope never to find myself or a loved one in a scenario where they must appear in district court, I have some thoughts about whom I’d want to hear the case. As a citizen’s first exposure to the judicial system, I’d prefer a magisterial district judge who is...
Editorial: Hydrogen hubs coming, and that’s a positive
A summer with record high temperatures — attributed by most experts to anthropogenic climate change — once again drove home the need for this planet to break its fossil fuel habit. While we need to make that transition as quickly as possible, we also need to be mindful — especially...
Letter to the editor: Pittsburgh diocese could have saved St. Lad’s
What a difference in two dioceses. The Diocese of Greensburg rebuilds churches; we wreck them (“120-year-old St. Ladislaus church is coming down in Natrona,” Sept. 1, TribLIVE). The Diocese of Pittsburgh could learn a lesson. They have grown woke to St. Ladislaus Catholic Church’s beauty, its history, its popularity. It...
Jonah Goldberg: Israel and Ukraine? Americans should remember it’s the same war on two fronts
In normal times domestic political fights over foreign policy breakdown more or less along a conventional left-right divide. These are not normal times. The right is largely united around the need to support Israel in its war with Hamas, but increasingly divided about backing Ukraine in its war with Russia....
Letter to the editor: Parents should get kids in school
If kids won’t go to school here in Pennsylvania, aren’t the parents responsible, under the law, for getting them there? I sort of remember, when I was little, my mom telling me that if I didn’t go to school and played hooky instead that the police would come and arrest...
Letter to the editor: Petrush qualified to be judge
When electing a judge, experience and qualifications matter. Judith Petrush has both. I have been a practicing attorney in Westmoreland County for more than 50 years. During that time, I have sat across the courtroom from many prosecutors in both federal and state courts. Some of them stand out as...
Editorial: Ghost poles bill would exorcise utility danger
Utility poles make so many things possible. The National Electrical Safety Code says the standard height of the poles is 35 feet. They serve as the intersections for the utilities supporting modern life. They can carry various kinds of electrical lines, from the highest powered transmission lines to industrial lines...
Letter to the editor: Blame our bad news on the ‘swamp’
Recent news headlines: “Surges of violent crime cripple American cities.” “Gangs of young people destroy retail stores.” “Food and gas prices hit record levels.” “Over 60% of Americans now live paycheck to paycheck.” “Bidenomics takes 2.1 trillion from American 401(k)s.” “NewYork hospitals overflow with illegal immigrants.” “Fentanyl smuggled from Mexican...
Elwood Watson: The pull of racism in America
More than a century ago in 1900, Black intellectual extraordinaire W.E.B. Du Bois stated the problem of the 20th century would be the problem of the color line. He was right on target. This prophetic message remains relevant today in the 21st century. If the past several years have taught...
John M. Crisp: We’ve always known how to create good public schools
Let’s talk about school choice. But first consider this old saw: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’” President Ronald Reagan popularized this expression in 1986. I first heard it at a graduation ceremony in the late 1980s,...
Letter to the editor: Don’t need TV to know which president was better
The news media sure can twist stories around to fit their politics. I wish they would just report the news. If you watch one channel, they try to make you hate President Trump. If you watch another channel, they try to make you hate President Biden. I watch all the...
Letter to the editor: Support Yakopec, our full-time judge
As we approach this November’s election, I write in support of District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec. She has been working full time her entire career. She does not get sidetracked or distracted with a private law practice, side hustle jobs or planning special interest events, either. Not only can she...
Editorial: Can courthouse be the anchor store for Downtown Greensburg?
In a mall, the little shops that dotted the wide corridors made the experience entertaining for many. The trip might not have seemed complete without a pretzel from a kiosk or browsing the cheap costume jewelry at a spot where you could also get your ears pierced. But the big...
Letter to the editor: Fracking needs to stop
University of Pittsburgh researchers recently found that children living within a mile of a fracked well had 5 to 7 times the chance of developing lymphoma; within 10 miles were 4 to 5 times more likely to experience severe asthma attacks; and babies had lower birth weights. Other studies indicate...
Tom Purcell: Hoping for a happier autumn
Autumn is upon us, but it is making me a little bit sad this year. I have always loved autumn. I love the brilliant colors, the chilly air and the smell of oak burning in a fire pit. Whereas spring is about new life and fresh starts, and summer about...
Michael A. Hellman: Equality delayed is equality denied
In a proud moment on May 2, Pennsylvania House legislators passed House Bill 300, The Fairness Act, to extend protections for all Pennsylvanians against discrimination because of “race, color, religious creed, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age or national origin by employers, employment agencies, labor organizations and...
Bobby Ghosh: No, Palestinians can’t just leave Gaza
Why don’t they just leave? As Israel’s furious retaliation for last weekend’s Hamas attack devastates large swaths of the Gaza strip, killing hundreds and maiming thousands of Palestinians, it is not unreasonable to wonder why the 2.3 million civilians living in the tiny enclave don’t flee to safer ground. The...
