Opinion category, Page 33
Letter to the editor: Did we really vote for this?
I had started this letter with a plea that we need to stop the culture wars, that those in power are fanning the flames of hate and division among the working class so they can get rich off of our backs. But instead of continuing that thread of thought, I...
Editorial: Unconstitutional jock tax fallout could have been avoided
If you buy a flat screen TV in Pittsburgh, you pay 6% state sales tax and 1% Allegheny County sales tax. No one asks you for your driver’s license to see where you are from and charges you another 5% for living outside the city limits. If they did, shoppers...
S.E. Cupp: MAGA says no to Trump and Kennedy’s junk science
The scene would have been comical if not so frightening. President Trump stood at the White House podium, addressing a room full of reporters. “First, effective immediately, the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of … ah-said-a … well … let’s see how we say that.” As he...
David Walmsley and Dr. Tawfik Jelassi: Your right to know — why journalism and access to information matter more than ever
If we lose our fundamental universal right to access to information, and if independent journalists lose the ability to report the facts, then our rights and democracies may vanish entirely. Access to information is a fundamental human right empowering us all to make informed decisions, participate in democratic processes and...
Jonathan Heawood: Regenerating the base layer of democracy — local news
This summer, the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council banned a local news outlet from engaging with any of his 40 elected representatives. Councillor Mick Barton of Reform UK also instructed council officials to stop sending press releases and event invitations to journalists at Nottinghamshire Live. Why? Because these journalists had...
Letter to the editor: Kirk’s legacy will live on
The assassination of Charlie Kirk is a heartbreaking loss to all who knew him and to the countless people he inspired. From founding Turning Point USA as a teenager to becoming a leading voice for conservative students nationwide, Kirk devoted his life to encouraging the next generation to speak with...
Letter to the editor: MAGA has abandoned conservative creed
Conservatives once warned that unchecked government power would corrupt, that concentrated authority would inevitably be abused. Their creed was restraint: limited government, balanced budgets and careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars. MAGA has abandoned that creed. Where conservatives preached discipline, MAGA embraced indulgence. Where they fought to limit spending, MAGA exploded...
Laurels & lances: Studies & Steelers
Laurel: To spreading education. Carnegie Mellon University is one of the best-known, highest-regarded schools in the world when it comes to learning about the ins and outs of computers and programming. But not everyone can get in. It’s a highly selective school. Although many would like to attend, only about...
Letter to the editor: Soft-on-crime policies have tragic consequences
The senseless killing of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, is a tragic consequence of the Democratic Party’s failed policies. She fled her war-torn homeland seeking safety, only to be brutally stabbed on Charlotte’s light rail. The man charged in her death, who has a lengthy criminal record and mental...
Paul Kengor: Are you smarter than a senator?
Inspired by the TV show “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-grader?” I propose a new concept. Let’s call it, “Are you smarter than a senator?” And let us begin, boys and girls, with this question: “Do we Americans believe that our rights come from God or government?” If you answered...
Lori Falce: What’s left for pregnant women?
“Take two aspirin, and call me in the morning” is a cliché for a reason. It is the standard, trite advice you expected from your doctor about 100 years ago. It meant to just relax, take these two innocuous tablets for your headache, and get some sleep, the idea being...
Global information crisis poses dire threat to economic prosperity and human progress
Governments around the world are chasing the AI dream, pinning their hopes on these technologies to drive economic prosperity. And yet, they are not investing in the foundational resource that underpins all our 21st century economies — independent, verifiable information. Well-functioning economies rely on widely accessible, verified and trustworthy information....
Matt Smith: The Pittsburgh-Ireland partnership
Even before the first touchdown is scored in the NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Dublin, where the Steelers host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Pittsburgh region already has won big. With deep cultural ties, Southwestern Pennsylvania and Ireland have long shared a spirit of resilience and complementary economic...
Letter to the editor: Demonizing all Democrats as ‘evil’ is wrong
Regarding the letter “Democrats have become party of evil” (Sept 20, TribLive): I think it’s wrong to make a generalization on an entire class/group of people, regardless of their political affiliations. We know that’s not true. It’s like saying if you’re a doctor of color, you had to be a...
Letter to the editor: Unions causing state budget impasse
The Pennsylvania Legislature is stalemated in passing a new budget because the socialist Democrats are holding out for more money for mass transit and education. I think this is code for “let’s funnel more money to the bus drivers’ and teachers’ labor unions,” to whom they are beholden. Why should...
Editorial: The economy is flashing red for many American consumers
Take it from a guy who made more than $30 million last year: Low-income consumers are “living on the edge.” So says Charlie Scharf, chief executive of Wells Fargo bank, citing data that indicate most American consumers are spending down their ready cash. For many, the rainy day they’ve been...
Letter to the editor: Stop, think and come together
I ask that you stop and think. Thinking can be hard, which is why we all judge at times. We have been divided to the point we cannot even talk about the present state of affairs with friends and family members. We have the power and ability to speak and...
Jason ‘J.J.’ Park: Psychological testing could help curb gun violence
The assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk by a rogue gunman led to renewed calls on both sides of the aisle to quell gun violence. As a Harvard graduate who has a severe mental illness and a felony arrest record, I believe my academic qualifications and lived experience are well-suited...
Dr. Nora Conway: Schools need comprehensive eye exams, so students don’t struggle
The school year is well underway for most children. They are settling in with new teachers, new friends and new experiences. But for some students, an old problem will creep into their lives — vision issues. These children will suffer from anxiety and the threat of falling behind academically and...
Letter to the editor: Time for more thoughts and prayers
I’ve read that some guy named Charlie was the latest victim of senseless gun violence. But now is not the time for pointing fingers, assigning blame or addressing root causes. The only action appropriate at this time is sharing our thoughts and prayers with his family. Isn’t that what the...
Letter to the editor: We have a king in Trump
After defeating King George in the Revolutionary War, the Founding Fathers emphasized “states rights” in the Constitution for fear of too strong of a central government and another king. Only those “expressed” powers stated in Article 1, dealing with the executive branch, are for the federal government. All other powers...
Editorial: Learning the fine art of civil discourse
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had it right when they gave us a lesson in song back in 1949. “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” was an admonition about racism and hatred. “You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear. You’ve got to be taught from year to...
Letter to the editor: Steelers fans stupid or in stupor?
As we wind down the spring “whine and cheese” bellyaching on the Pirates, now comes the fall edition (the Steelers). Trib columnist Mark Madden wrote a re-Mark-able column, “Stop supporting the Pittsburgh Pirates” (Aug. 4, TribLive), stating how stupid Pirates fans are for supporting that unworthy team. When I need...
Barbara McQuade: What Pam Bondi gets wrong about ‘hate speech’
What is the federal offense of “hate speech”? It’s a good question because there is no such offense. That didn’t stop U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi from threatening to use the authority of her office to combat it. “We will absolutely target you, go after you,” she said, “if you...
Noah Feldman: Blaming violence on free speech is a very old trick
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the Trump administration is following a very specific, very old script. It argues that political speech causes political violence, and that this speech must therefore be punished. It is imperative that all defenders of free speech — whether on the left, right or...
