Opinion category, Page 269
Hans Zeiger: Employing 1st-person sources can re-humanize history
The field of American history is in crisis. Earlier this month, the Department of Education released troubling data indicating that only 13% of eighth-graders met proficiency standards in history. Students are failing to understand the American story and our shared values — and the consequences are severe. To those of...
Cal Thomas: No will, no way in Washington
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way” is an old and familiar quotation, often attributed to Albert Einstein, who was on to something almost as significant as E=MC2. What if there is no will, is there still a way? It doesn’t seem likely. In Washington, will has come to die,...
Kristen Rotz: We can help Pa. families who are falling through the cracks
Working a full-time job is no longer enough to keep a family from struggling financially. Take child care teachers, who tirelessly care for our children, or home care workers, who support our elderly loved ones. They are like so many Pennsylvanians, treading water just to stay afloat financially. This is...
Rep. Eric Nelson: Why is Shapiro so quiet on Pa.’s energy policy?
We all believe that promises made should correlate to promises kept, especially when those promises are made by government leaders. When it comes to Pennsylvania’s energy policy and our newest governor, however, promises made have not been kept — at least, not yet. One hundred-some days ago, I joined the...
Letter to the editor: National sales tax would allow all to pay fair share
The left complains that the rich don’t pay their fair share. The right thinks President Biden spends money like a drunken sailor. Americans don’t save much money. Republicans have a solution to all three problems. Replace the federal income tax with a national sales tax. The tax would not apply...
Letter to the editor: Problems with PACs
Some political action committees (PACs) are soliciting and harassing us under false pretenses and with a sense of urgency. They then spend our contributions in ways outside their charter or what we envisioned. Rather than spending our money to support candidates, some PACs use contributions to falsely assassinate the character...
Letter to the editor: Connecting students with real jobs
Western Pennsylvania was built on the backs of blue-collar workers who opted for the trade career route rather than pursuing a four-year degree. As the editorial “Embracing and supporting career and tech education is critical” (May 1, TribLIVE) stated, “career education is not less than college education. It is merely...
Editorial: Approve savings plan for retirement
Bette Davis once declared that “old age ain’t no place for sissies,” and few older people would argue otherwise. The observation also is true regarding finances for retirement, yet millions of Pennsylvanians hurtle toward old age without retirement savings. One of the reasons for that is the lack of employer-provided...
Letter to the editor: Comparing Durham, Mueller results
The headline “Counsel blasts Russia probe” (May 15, TribLIVE), conveys Special Counsel John Durham’s opinion. A more informative headline could have read “No FBI criminality,” which states a fact and not a point of view. Durham’s investigation brought criminal charges against three people. Two cases were thrown out of court....
Letter to the editor: Another approach to opioid crisis
The letter “We can’t police ourselves out of opioid crisis” (May 4, TribLIVE) says “making medication-assisted opioid detoxification (MAOD) widely accessible should be the top priority” vs. hiring police to use opioid settlement money to reduce overdose deaths. Additionally, the article states the “CDC recommends evidence-based strategies for preventing opioid...
Editorial cartoons for the week of May 29
Editorial cartoons for the week of May 29....
Tom Purcell: Americans rediscover the summer picnic
It’s a positive trend that I hope continues: the resurgence of summer picnics. According to Mental Floss, the covid pandemic caused a picnic boom beginning in 2020 that is showing no signs of letting up. In 2020, with restaurants shuttered and experts telling us the bug didn’t spread so easily...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of May 29
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of May 29....
Letter to the editor: Are we ignoring the deterioration of Pittsburgh’s bridges?
Who is responsible for the deterioration of bridges in Pittsburgh? Is anyone taking responsibility for their maintenance? Is anyone in authority reading the inspection reports? This needs to be addressed and corrected. It is a public safety issue that is being ignored. Thank God lives have not been lost. Money...
Letter to the editor: Ending the child care staffing crisis
The child care staffing crisis, caused by the sector’s low wages, is rapidly diminishing working families’ access to child care. Unfortunately, programs all across Pennsylvania are closing classrooms and further limiting families’ options as they look for a safe, high-quality learning environment for their child while they work. Across Pennsylvania...
Letter to the editor: We need to help young people learn to deal with stress
The article “Shapiro talks mental health, budget plans with Hempfield Area High School students” (May 17, TribLIVE) cited students “asking for help” to deal with stress at school by seeking to start classes later and decrease class workloads, etc. Mental health is not achieved by decreasing the stress of life...
Editorial: We honor the service and sacrifice
For Memorial Day, a classic Trib editorial: On this Memorial Day, be grateful that Americans’ willingness to sacrifice for freedom’s sake, instilled by each generation in the next, remains as strong as ever. Today, Americans honor those most worthy of such gratitude — those who gave their lives in our...
Letter to the editor: Clean energy is our future
As an Army veteran, I believe the transition to clean energy is essential to our national strength and prosperity. I’m so baffled to see Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., attacking the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a bill that finally gave us the tools we need to tackle the climate crisis and...
Letter to the editor: Christians and migrants
In response to the letter “Questions for Christians” (May 21, TribLIVE): As a Roman Catholic Christian, I know that church clergy and members repeatedly advocate on behalf of migrants, from Pope Francis on down. Some examples: 1. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on May 12 issued a “Statement from...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Winds of change in Pittsburgh, Philly
It was a tale of two Democratic cities on primary election night in Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia, Democrats nominated Cherelle Parker to be their party’s nominee for mayor. In Pittsburgh, Sara Innamorato was the winner of the Democratic Party’s nomination for Allegheny County executive. Those offices are widely seen as the...
Marina Lagattuta: We must make it more affordable to become a teacher in Pa.
It’s not easy becoming a teacher in Pennsylvania. I should know. I’ve been working on becoming one for three years. I’ve seen fellow education majors come and go, some lured to other job prospects with more earning potential, others deterred by cynical political efforts to turn parents and communities against...
Letter to the editor: All schools should be teaching financial literacy
Regarding the article “Show me the money: Teachers, education experts advocate for financial literacy” (May 21, TribLIVE): Kudos to the school districts that are teaching this important and valuable class. It should have been taught beginning many years ago. Monica Yuhas Smock...
Sounding off: Gun laws, Biden’s policies, lying leaders, Tomlin’s losses, Alzheimer’s drugs
Sensible gun laws will help us back the blue A recent feature article regarding law enforcement line-of-duty deaths was truly disheartening and speaks to our culture of gun violence. Eight local officers who lost their lives while serving our communities were highlighted. Five of those eight officers were fatally shot...
Letter to the editor: Biden’s policies not working
Just about everybody on Wall Street knows that the Biden administration’s economic policies are driving our economy into a deep recessionary ditch. Since President Biden took office and began reversing President Trump’s policies on fossil fuels, energy independence, the southern border and government spending, the inflation rate has surged to...
Letter to the editor: Thinking big for Pittsburgh
Regarding Yarone Zober’s op-ed “Innamorato needs big action for an Allegheny County that has been thinking small” (May 20, TribLIVE): Let’s hope the probable future Allegheny County executive is not only able to think big, but also is far-sighted enough to identify the talent necessary to move Pittsburgh into the...
