Opinion category, Page 417
Letter to the editor: Impeachment reserved for crimes
I am amazed at how many right-wing politicians and voters completely misunderstand, and how casually they bring up, the somber issue of presidential impeachment. The United States impeaches our presidents for committing crimes. There is no other reason that justifies impeachment. We can vote a president out in national elections...
Letter to the editor: Founding Fathers may have anticipated turmoil of political parties
There must be a reason the Founding Fathers did not place any mention of political parties in the Constitution. Perhaps it was just something that never came up in their discussions. Perhaps in their wisdom, they anticipated that something like a political party might grow too powerful and become a...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Downtowns must fight covid, too
In the wake of the latest and perhaps the last coronavirus surge, big-city mayors are grappling with changes to every aspect of urban life. And nothing has changed more than most cities’ downtown districts. What are threatened here are those revenue streams that pay for essential municipal and social services...
Sounding off: Biden, Casey, protect our borders first
I cannot attend one of President Biden’s press conferences or Pennsylvania’s Sen. Bob Casey’s. But, if anyone knows someone who can, could you have them ask one or more of my questions for me? President Biden and/or Senator Casey, you have to know that there is a tremendous amount of...
David Shmoys: Utilizing the power of algorithm modeling for fairer elections
In every representative democracy, free and fair elections in which voters choose their representatives is the foundation of democratic health. This ensures every citizen has equal representation and access to the political process, while each individual’s vote is weighed the same. Unfortunately, there are mechanisms like gerrymandering that hijack this...
Keith Tidman and Richard Sherins: Uprooting racism in America
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin,” declared the legendary civil-rights leader Nelson Mandela in his tireless battle against racism. “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can learn to love,” he averred. Yet racism in America...
Letter to the editor: Biden demonstrating his racism again
President Biden is at it again. He announced that his selection for the Supreme Court will be a Black woman. This statement excludes all white women and all men, both Black and white. Racist? During the campaign Biden stated his selection for VP would be a woman of color. This...
Letter to the editor: Thank a female veteran today
Feb. 19 is National Vet Girls RISE Day, when we recognize women veterans for their service and sacrifice. At Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard, an important part of our mission is to empower veterans’ transition from homeless to home and end the cycle of homelessness. Our Female Veteran Program offers...
Editorial: Westmoreland commissioners can set example with human services department
Westmoreland County commissioners are moving forward with plans to take all of the county’s various human service offices and fuse them into one department. On Thursday, they hired a consultant — Don Goughler, 76, of Harrison — to assemble the pieces and hire a director to take the reins. This...
Letter to the editor: Money is today’s magic medicine
In the last century, deadly diseases included tuberculosis, flu, smallpox, measles, yellow fever, polio, pneumonia, syphilis. Cures or vaccinations were found (in order listed) in 1921, 1940, 1796, 1963, 1938, 1950, 1977 and 1928. Note that at these times higher education was either rare or not common. Today college graduates...
Letter to the editor: Secured weapons are benign
We see it in the news every day: stolen weapons used in murders or robberies, often both. First, the term we should use is weapons, not guns. When discussing “guns,” the message becomes politicized and emotional, which undermines reason-based discussion and solutions about the topic. Americans have a long history...
Gary Franks: Honoring my great-grandfather, former slave G.W. Petteway
During Black History Month, I frequently think about my great-grandfather, who was born a slave in North Carolina in 1834. I think of how he made education such a vital part of his life, as he was allowed to read when reading was against the law for most Blacks. He...
S.E. Cupp: Anthony Weiner’s disgraceful return to a public platform
Anthony Weiner’s message is clear: don’t call it a comeback. Well, don’t worry, I won’t. But if it’s quite all right with the man formerly known as “Carlos Danger,” I will call it gross. Disturbing. Pathetic. Revolting. How else to describe the unwelcome news that the former Democratic congressman who...
Greg Fulton: Truck drivers are frustrated, and for good reason
There have been rumblings about a trucker convoy similar to that in Canada traveling across the U.S. in the next few weeks. In Canada the convoy began out of anger over a mandate that all truck drivers be vaccinated. No similar mandate for truck drivers exists in the U.S. as...
Colin McNickle: A fee too far for Allegheny County hotels
Allegheny County’s 7% hotel room rental tax collections, ravaged by the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, began to bounce back in 2021, county data show. But a proposal to add a new fee on top of that tax is shortsighted, concludes an analysis by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. “Given that...
Letter to the editor: Don’t vote for Dr. Oz
I felt the need to write this letter to encourage Pennsylvania voters not to vote for Dr. Mehmet Oz. I’m not judging Oz; all I’m saying is, he’s not a resident of Pennsylvania. He lives in New Jersey, and to fulfill the Pennsylvania residency requirement, he listed his in-laws’ address...
Letter to the editor: Our justice system puts citizens at risk
When you no longer have a justice system that works, you put the lives of U.S. citizens at risk. There are times I felt safer serving my country in Vietnam than I do in parts of the U.S. There no longer seem to be deterrents to keep people from committing...
Lori Falce: Why doesn’t Russia play by the rules?
The rules never seem to be the rules in Russia. Not when it comes to politics or borders or even sports. It might seem ironic that the Russia-Ukraine situation is escalating in tensions at the same time the world’s athletes are gathered in China in what is supposed to be...
Letter to the editor: Some socialism might be Christian
I found myself intrigued by Jim Stahl’s letter “Socialism is not Christian” (Feb. 5, TribLIVE). Both “socialism” and “Christianity” can mean different things to different people, and I can’t fully know Stahl’s view on those terms based on his letter. So, to look at socialism and Christianity through a different...
Paul Kengor: The Great Dumpster Fire 2 — the rematch?
It sure looks like Hillary Clinton is running for president again. Clinton is expected to speak at the New York State Democratic Party Convention in Times Square later this month, prompting further speculation that she’s running. Indicators continue to mount. It also sure looks like Donald Trump is running again....
Laurels & lances: Cupcakes, eyesores and permits
Laurel: To a sweet gesture. Businesses in competition with each other might not seem like the best sources of help in times of trouble. What is tragedy for one can be a boon for another. But when it comes to small businesses, it is always best for the community if...
Tom Tyler: Liquor privatization — a glass half full, or half empty?
The debate on House Bill 2272 has started: Should Pennsylvania get out of the business of selling liquor, essentially going with private wholesalers and retailers? This has raised a question within the membership of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association (PLBTA), the statewide political voice for family-owned taverns, bars...
Peter Morici: GOP needs practical solutions before midterms
Republicans are a bit too confident about the midterm elections and more vulnerable than they think. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has told key party donors that the Republicans will not offer a legislative platform but rather run against President Joe Biden’s record. Plenty of ammo At first glance, they...
Letter to the editor: History repeating itself in Ukraine
This Russian threat on Ukraine is history repeating itself. Make no mistake: Vladimir Putin will not be satisfied with only Ukraine. I believe Putin wants to rebuild the old Soviet Union and take over the rest of Europe. This reminds me of 1939 and the years before. Adolf Hitler first...
Letter to the editor: Saluting our farmers
I recently attended the 2022 Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg. It is touted as the best in our state, and certainly the biggest and best in the country. I was in awe of the preparation it must take to produce an event of this magnitude to inform the general public...
