Opinion category, Page 34
Letter to the editor: Pa. Legislature’s budget inaction is indefensible
The Pennsylvania Legislature’s inability to come to a budgetary compromise once again proves that it is one of the worst waste of our tax dollars. This august body is the second highest paid legislature in the country and it is unable to accomplish its main function, providing an on-time state...
Letter to the editor: No room for blame in suicide
A boy died by suicide at Franklin Regional High School Sept. 14. Parents lost their son. Kids lost their friend. Teachers lost their favorite student. Shockingly, social media posts said things like “could have been prevented,” “parents should have done something” and “behavioral health makes them like zombies. You cannot...
Editorial: How far should a vape shop be from a school?
Do we need a vape shop on every street corner? They seem to be popping up with the almost magical overnight frequency of mushrooms or Starbucks locations. If a closed business is too small to host a Spirit Halloween, the space has a good chance of becoming a vape shop...
Letter to the editor: A different view of Trump’s actions
I found on the Sept. 14 Opinion page some very balanced commentary concerning the tragedy of the Charlie Kirk shooting. Here is hoping the current administration begins to use a bit more tact in its comments, assessment and mandates that are proposed. Another opinion that stands out is the letter...
Sheldon Jacobson: Is AI the ideal assistant coach in the NHL?
The start of the new NHL season is nearly upon us. With artificial intelligence (AI) regularly in the news, professional hockey is not immune from its influence. Given the surfeit of data available, AI may transform hockey in ways that few can predict. Yet for AI models to be most...
Michael R. Bloomberg: In dark times, Americans need leadership that unites
The assassination of Charlie Kirk has cast a dark shadow over the country, not only because the deed itself was abominable, but also because the reaction to it has been so disturbing. Instead of bringing out the best in America, as tragedies once did, it is bringing out the worst...
Letter to the editor: Animosity toward Kirk beyond ‘disparaging’
I found the Associated Press article “After Charlie Kirk’s killing, a growing chorus of conservatives wants his critics ostracized or fired” (Sept. 14, TribLive) very misleading, shifting focus from where it belongs. The line “Some conservatives are seeking to upend the lives and careers of those who disparaged Charlie Kirk...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s whims
I have a conspiracy theory of my own. Before I ramble like President Trump, let me start by using a political cartoon that appeared in the Trib. There were three drawings: a old man saying he can’t afford heat or medicine, an old woman saying she can’t afford food and...
Editorial: ICE must leave U.S. citizens alone
Here is something all Americans can agree on, whatever their feelings on immigration enforcement: United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement should not be harassing, let alone detaining, citizens of the United States. Nor should that agency be harassing, let alone detaining, green card holders, officially known as lawful permanent residents...
Letter to the editor: Commissioners should enforce time limits on all
Public comment periods during Westmoreland County commissioners’ meetings are meant to give everyone an equal chance to speak — under the same rules and time limits. Unfortunately, that standard is not being upheld at the commissioners’ meetings, as of late. On more than one occasion, individuals have been allowed to...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Sept. 22
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Sept. 22....
Editorial cartoons for the week of Sept. 22
Editorial cartoons for the week of Sept. 22....
Letter to the editor: Why won’t commissioners livestream meetings?
Transparency is the foundation of democracy, yet our Westmoreland County commissioners continue to ignore a simple request: livestream and record public meetings. In 2025, when technology makes this inexpensive and easy, their silence raises real concerns. Livestreaming is not a radical idea. It allows working families, seniors, and those with...
Letter to the editor: Ignoring history’s lessons on tariffs
“No taxation without representation.” That phrase lit the spark of the American Revolution, born out of resentment toward British tariffs. Time and again, tariffs have proved to be more than just economic policy — they are political tinderboxes. In the 1800s, they split North from South: Manufacturers demanded protectionism, farmers...
Editorial: Police attacks started with the danger of domestic violence
Given the amount of attention focused on gun violence, it is worth noting violence itself is not so well aimed. A gun can be expertly targeted. A good hunter, for instance, wants to be as accurate as possible. He doesn’t just point toward the woods and have faith he will...
Letter to the editor: Disclosing donors’ information is dangerous
Trump. Shapiro. Hortman. Hoffman. Kirk. From the president to our governor to state lawmakers and now, an activist and nonprofit leader, violence against political figures in America is metastasizing seemingly by the day. When we justifiably fear harm to ourselves and our families for voicing our beliefs, the free society...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Free speech, voting and finding our way back
This year, by happenstance, Constitution Day and National Voter Registration Day were both celebrated this past Tuesday. Both days focus on the core principles that are essential to being an American. Constitution Day marks the day in 1787 that the delegates from the various states signed the Constitution in Philadelphia....
Maurizio Valsania: Yes, this is who we are — America’s 250-year history of political violence
The day after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University, commentators repeated a familiar refrain: “This isn’t who we are as Americans.” Others similarly weighed in. Whoopi Goldberg on “The View” declared that Americans solve political disagreements peacefully: “This is not the way...
Mandy Steele, Bill McKibben and Joe Morinville: AI, crypto and Pa.’s war on the little guy
This Sunday is SUN DAY, a day of action celebrating clean energy. This is an opportune time to discuss a big problem in Pennsylvania. Artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency may be the shiny new frontier of technology, but behind the hype lies a brutal truth: They are devouring electricity, straining Pennsylvania’s...
Counterpoint: DC should not become a state. Ever.
The District of Columbia should not become a state. Ever. The Constitution established the District of Columbia to be the home of the newly created federal government so that it was not “in” and thereby “under the control or influence” of any one state. Put the capital city in New...
Point: Trump’s invasion of DC makes the case for statehood
President Donald Trump took over the Washington, D.C., police force and deployed the National Guard under the pretense of “rescuing the nation’s capital from crime.” Of course, masked officers roaming the streets and intimidating and harassing residents haven’t made the city feel safer. A checkpoint was set up just a...
Letter to the editor: Commissioners made right decision on ballot curing
Regarding the article “Westmoreland commissioners decline to consider ballot curing for November election” (Sept. 11, TribLive): Why should “mail-in voters” get a “re-do” when they make a mistake on their ballot? They have the ballot for what, at least 24 hours before they can send it back? And up to...
Letter to the editor: Democrats have become party of evil
Let us speak truthfully and factually about the evil that has become the Democratic Party. I see it as a party that no longer believes there is anything good about America, a party that continually embraces failed radical ideas, psychological insanity and violence against anyone who speaks the truth. One...
Editorial: Fetterman, McCormick and moving past political violence
There are a lot of “ists” flying around right now. It used to be the labels socialist, Marxist and communist being thrown around. Now it’s fascist, antifascist and anarchist as Democrats and Republicans hurl epithets at each other. Pennsylvania’s senators say it’s time for that to stop. On Tuesday, Republican...
Letter to the editor: Trump incapable of unifying country
It has become undeniable to me that President Trump is incapable of unifying this country. Why? First, he seems incapable of accepting views that do not align with his and has no interest in compromise. Second, I think he has bamboozled too many with his lies and diversions; if a...
