Opinion category, Page 553
Letter to the editor: Disrespecting our country
When I was 19, I was drafted into the Army. I didn’t run to Canada to get out of it. I felt when your country calls to serve, it’s not only your obligation but an honor. For us to live in a free and safe country, someone has to sacrifice....
Editorial cartoons for the week of Dec. 28
Editorial cartoons for the week of Dec. 28....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Dec. 28
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Dec. 28....
S.E. Cupp: What will this year look like a century from now?
Finally, we can say it: 2020 is almost over. Good riddance. As we look to finally bring a close to this annus horribilis, America will be living amid the detritus for years — a devastating economic downturn, a generation of students behind in education, the collective psychic trauma of prolonged...
Letter to the editor: Trump woke up America
Some people feel that President Trump divided our country. I say he woke up our country. Knowing the truth, exposing so much corruption, and calling out all the fake news was definitely an awakening for all Americans. And those who disliked it the most were the very ones he was...
Letter to the editor: Join RGGI for sake of grandkids
Regarding the letter “RGGI hikes energy costs” (Nov 20, TribLIVE): Do you believe gas- and coal- burning utilities when they say fighting greenhouse gas pollution will raise your electric bill? Long before we ever heard of greenhouse gases, utilities were raising our bills because, they said, the cost of coal and...
Letter to the editor: What’s the thinking on ‘living our lives’?
Headlines in the Dec. 13 Trib included “Calls flood ambulance services” and “Hospitals plead for public’s help.” Excela Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carol Fox describes staff holding the phone for a dying covid patient to hear a hymn sung by a pastor, and others holding the hands of patients...
Editorial: The PIAA can’t dodge the Right to Know Law
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association is not a simple, powerless recreation organization. It is more than a club. To pretend otherwise seems like it should demand a flag on the play from an impartial referee of some kind. The call might be termed “offsides.” The specifics of being offsides vary...
Letter to the editor: Capitalism vs. mixed enterprise
Peter Smith’s op-ed “Community capitalism would strengthen markets and people” (Dec. 14, TribLIVE) is another example of the redefinition of terms so frequently used in contemporary political discussions. First, this country long ago recognized the shortcomings and harms of pure capitalism with passage of the Sherman and Clayton anti-trust legislation....
Letter to the editor: Bad time for big raises in Westmoreland County
Regarding the article “Westmoreland department heads earn raises for pandemic- related work” (Dec. 17, TribLIVE): The county solicitor received an $11,000 per year raise, and has seen her salary increase 70% since 2015. She is considered a part-time employee. A 70% raise over five years — that is quite an...
Mary Schmich: Light returns after dark year
And now the light comes back. On Monday the winter solstice arrived, marking the moment we begin the slow climb out of the darkness, like weary miners exiting the pit. This year more than ever, the shift feels psychological as well as astronomical, so it’s a good time to take...
Eric Epstein: Three Mile Island cleanup must be fully funded
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently granted approval for the transfer of the license of Three Mile Island Unit-2 (TMI-2) from FirstEnergy, a public utility, to TMI-2 Solutions, a limited liability corporation based in Utah. The NRC approved the license transfer without holding a hearing. TMI-Alert speaks in opposition to...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: This Pittsburgher is a much-needed ‘Buddy the Elf’
Chris Webb wore his “Buddy the Elf” costume again this year, right up until Christmas, on the job at Nordstrom in Ross Park Mall. Webb is a natural in a Buddy costume. At 6 feet 4 inches tall with an easy smile and a knack for astonishment, he could have...
Editorial: Restaurants need multiple lifelines to survive the pandemic
There is something about eating at a restaurant that is so different from eating at home. Maybe, it is a special occasion. Maybe, it’s a chance to catch up with friends Friday night. Maybe, Mom just wants a break. Whatever the motivation, the reason we gravitate to these public tables...
Letter to the editor: We gave Trump a chance
Rearding Susan Nease’s letter “Biden deserves same chance Trump got” (Dec. 6, TribLIVE) responding to my letter “Give Biden a chance” (Nov. 29, TribLIVE): First, I am a registered Democrat. Second, I voted for Donald Trump in 2016, hoping an outsider would shake things up. Which he did. I was...
Letter to the editor: Pennsylvanians want climate change action
Climate change is one of the greatest threats we face as a nation. Stronger storms and more frequent flooding are already happening in Pennsylvania, and severe weather is expected to get worse. Taking steps to address the climate crisis isn’t just a good idea, it’s what people want. A recent...
Letter to the editor: Representatives aimed to subvert democracy
Seven Republican U.S. congressmen from Pennsylvania — Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (District 14), John Joyce (13), Fred Keller (12), Mike Kelly (16), Dan Meuser (9), Scott Perry (10) and Glenn Thompson (15) — signed on to the lawsuit filed Dec. 7 in the Supreme Court by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton....
Mona Charen: Lou Dobbs debunks himself
Two news organizations issued corrections recently. One was The New York Times. The other was Fox Business. One concerned an honest mistake. The Times admitted to having been scammed by the subject of one of its podcast series. Fox Business did not admit to anything but instead ran an interview...
Sounding off: Families have right to visit nursing home residents
I am writing to all families who have loved ones residing in nursing facilities in Pennsylvania. If your loved one is terminally ill or emotionally struggling, you have the right to in-person visits. On Sept. 17, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released memorandum QSO-20-39-NH to provide new...
John Stossel: Naughty vs. nice
Who was on Santa’s naughty and nice lists this Christmas? If I were Santa, I’d have given lumps of coal to: • Federal bureaucrats whose rigid rules delayed covid-19 tests. The CDC wouldn’t allow private companies to sell covid-19 tests until the CDC’s own test didn’t work. • President Trump,...
Letter to the editor: Opportunities for community involvement in Monroeville
The year 2021 is just around the corner. The new year brings with it many opportunities for people to be involved with local government. The Monroeville council seats in Wards 1, 3, 5 and 7 will be open, and there will be four seats open on the Gateway School Board....
Letter to the editor: Honoring past, present heroes
My dad never talked much about his role as a U.S. Army medic in World War II. One day, while sitting in the living room, he just opened up to me. He recalled how he was rushed to “the front” in an open Jeep in freezing temperatures and only wearing...
Lori Falce: Christmas village and family tradition
In my mother’s dining room, an antique sideboard carved and joined by my great-grandfather usually groans with the silver and gold she treasures — the frames that show her four kids and six grandchildren, her parents and her sister and the two dark-haired men who got her to say “I...
Letter to the editor: Project SEED still feeding hungry kids
Our lives have changed dramatically this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. One thing that hasn’t changed is the prevalence of food insecurity in so many homes. As covid-19 continues to cause shutdowns of so many aspects of our lives, rest assured that Project SEED remains committed to providing a...
Letter to the editor: Time to help our businesses, workers
For the last nine months, the pandemic has been raging across our country and across the world. Over the past few weeks, things only have gotten worse — with more infections, more hospitalizations, more deaths, more politicization and now another closure. I agree that we need to mitigate this virus,...
