Opinion category, Page 29
Mark Reinecke: A goal of zero youth suicides is reasonable. Here’s how we get there
After 35 years as a clinical child and adolescent psychologist and a medical school professor, treating hundreds of children and teens who suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts and meeting with thousands of parents, I had hoped that through research, training and clinical care, I’d eventually be put out of...
Henry I. Miller: Autism, Tylenol and the perils of easy answers
Half of all pregnant women take acetaminophen — better known as Tylenol or paracetamol — to relieve pain or reduce fever. The drug has been around for decades, is available without a prescription and is often one of the few options doctors consider safe during pregnancy. However, on Sept. 23,...
Mary Ellen Klas: Threats against judges have crossed the line
The destruction of South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein’s home in a fiery inferno Oct. 4 immediately led to speculation it was an act of political violence. South Carolina officials are still investigating, and they said Monday “there is no evidence to indicate” the cause of the explosion “was...
Letter to the editor: Congress, Supreme Court must end Trump’s game
President Trump is running our country like a game. When he’s falling behind in the game he changes the rules. He flip-flops on his own words. His good friend Vladimir Putin is no longer his good friend. His one-hour tirade at the UN was embarrassing. He told Ukraine they’d have...
Letter to the editor: Lingg best choice for Murrysville Council
Jamie Lingg is running for reelection to Murrysville Council. We first met her years ago when she was knocking on doors in our neighborhood discussing her campaign for a council seat. We had a very nice discussion and were impressed by her honest openness and desire to keep Murrysville fiscally...
Editorial: Does Walmart need your money to rip down the Monroeville Mall?
Walmart is the largest retailer in the United States. You might think most of what is bought and sold in America is filtering through Jeff Bezos and his Amazon website, but you would be wrong. According to international professional services company Deloitte, the Arkansas-based superstore pulled in $648 billion in...
Letter to the editor: Trump has created a new type of civil war
Many U.S. presidents have attempted to deflect attention from their low poll numbers by sending troops to foreign nations to start wars or skirmishes, but President Trump has more reason to get voters to look elsewhere than any of these former presidents did. He is violating his campaign promise to...
S.E. Cupp: The politics of Donald Trump’s war on cities
A masked, federal agent in combat uniform leans out the passenger window of a Jeep and points a military rifle directly at the face of a U.S. citizen in Chicago, simply for recording him. It should send a chill down every American’s spine. President Trump’s revenge on America’s liberal cities...
Sheldon H. Jacobson and Dr. Janet A. Jokela: Sage advice — get a flu shot this year
The influenza (flu) season is fast approaching. With it brings the risk of upper respiratory discomfort, fever and various aches. Those over 65 years of age and children under 2years of age have historically been at the greatest risk of poor outcomes, including hospitalizations and even death. In the 2024-25...
Matt K. Lewis: Congress’ Democrats are wildly unprepared to face down Trump
Donald Trump has made politics into a dystopian reality show he loves to host, but Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are playing by the old rules — and the mismatch may cause Democrats to get blamed for the government shutdown. This is not because they’re dumb (they’re not)...
Letter to the editor: Protect our forests
Our forests are more valuable to us when they still exist. They act as our planet’s lungs, house activities, provide jobs and help to beautify our landscapes. I’m talking about the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, more commonly known as the “Roadless Rule,” which has been under attack from the current...
Letter to the editor: More funding needed for mental health
Today, Oct. 10, is World Mental Health Day. It was established by the World Federation for Mental Health in 1992 to raise global awareness and support for all things related to mental health. As a now-retired counselor in the field for many decades, I have seen how mental health funding...
Lori Falce: Holding our friends responsible is maybe more important than calling out enemies
It is not just easy to criticize those with whom we disagree. It can also be deeply enjoyable. It’s part of what makes social media so addictive. It feeds that spot in our brain where we all have the capacity to be, bluntly, awful. We turn it toward our opponents...
Laurels & lances: Fixing up & tearing down
Laurel: To restoration. Outside the VFW Post 92 in Lower Burrell stands a piece of history. It’s a Vietnam-era helicopter, the kind that carried service members, rescued the wounded and took enemy fire in battle. It stands there as a kind of memorial to those who served in those actions...
Letter to the editor: Let’s look at the Republicans
I’d like to respond to the self-indulged “expose” of the Democratic Party, the letter “Democrats have become party of evil” (Sept. 20, TribLive), by taking a closer look at Republicans. First, many of them claim they don’t like gay people but they drive around in pickup trucks flying flags with...
Paul Kengor: Tipping is getting ridiculous
Let me begin this column by stating for the record that I’m a big tipper. I say this certainly not to boast but so my overall theme isn’t misunderstood. Well beyond the standard 20%, if a waitress/waiter does an especially good job, or tugs at my heartstrings, I err on...
Letter to the editor: Irony of first lady’s anti-bullying campaign
It’s ironic that first lady Melania Trump, who campaigns against bullying, particularly cyber bullying, is married to a man who practices it constantly. He, along with Vice President JD Vance, seem to be amused by behavior that, by any rational measure, is egregious. Sandy Finley Greensburg...
Letter to the editor: It’s a challenge to find the facts
Many Democrats call President Trump a liar, a fascist, a dictator, while many Republicans say President Biden’s policies at the border, promoting woke culture, overspending and weaponizing the Department of Justice against Trump were ruining our country. Extreme wings of both parties are accused of accelerating political partisanship between them....
Letter to the editor: We need competence, not chaos, from our leaders
Competence in leadership is crucial. When Democrats and President Joe Biden were at the helm, America experienced tangible results. Under Biden’s leadership, our economy thrived, unemployment reached record lows and families benefited from significant corporate taxation. In my opinion, Biden prioritized American workers, safely secured our borders (actually more than...
Editorial: This shutdown is as pointless as all the others
With funding expired, new appropriations bills stalled and progress on a stopgap nonexistent, Congress has for the 15th time since 1981 allowed the federal government to shut its doors. Don’t expect this round to be any more edifying than the others. Republicans want to extend current spending levels until November,...
Letter to the editor: Protecting pets from domestic abusers
In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I’m writing to bring attention to Act 146, a Pennsylvania law passed in 2024 that helps survivors get help sooner by protecting their pets from abusers. Act 146 addresses the powerful role that animal abuse can play in domestic violence. In fact, 41%...
Jonah Goldberg: Mad about politics? Blame Congress.
The judiciary isn’t supposed to be the primary check on the executive, the legislative branch is. Whatever you think about American politics and government, whether you are on the right, the left or somewhere in the middle, you should be mad at Congress. I don’t just mean the Republican-controlled Congress...
Patricia Murphy: The biggest losers of the government shutdown, for now
This column started out as a list of winners and losers of the government shutdown. But it’s obvious that there are no winners in a situation like the one we’ve got today. It’s the first government shutdown in seven years, but also the first I can remember where both sides...
LZ Granderson: Anyone calling Bad Bunny un-American needs a geography lesson
Is there a better inkblot test for America right now than reaction to Bad Bunny being the halftime act for Super Bowl LX? Soon after his name was announced, social media exploded into meritocracy debates as if the National Football League’s decisions are culturally motivated and not commercially. Taylor Swift...
Letter to the editor: Support free speech? Support right to guns, too.
After listening to the media and the public, it makes me proud of the American people who backed Jimmy Kimmel with our First Amendment of the Constitution, for our right for freedom of speech, just like I am doing now, exercising my right to freedom of speech. One thing bothers...
