Opinion category, Page 635
S.E. Cupp: White, privileged should open their ears to black pain
It’s only been a little about two weeks since the death of an unarmed black man named George Floyd in Minneapolis, and yet it feels like a year’s worth has happened. American cities and churches burned. Peaceful protesters tear-gassed and shot at. Stores and small businesses destroyed and looted. Journalists...
Letter to the editor: Pandemic shows need for smaller government
It has become clear to me that Gov. Tom Wolf intends to keep our economy hobbled with undue restrictions on private business for as long as possible, or until after the election, whichever is sooner. Was it “science based and data driven” when his administration directed vulnerable nursing homes to...
Letter to the editor: Recalling pope’s wise words on freedom
In light of the recent birth centenary of Pope St. John Paul II, and given the amount of public misbehavior of late in the land of the free — disrespecting the lives, livelihoods and well-being of others by way of violent rioting and looting, and/or simply flouting mask and social...
Letter to the editor: Other countries need our help
In times like these, it is hard to think about much else other than the ways that covid-19 continues to change our daily lives. Our normal has become watching our families and friends lose their jobs, our favorite restaurants and small businesses shutting down for good, and having to wear...
Letter to the editor: Coronavirus and common sense
Let’s apply some common sense to Pennsylvania, people. Sooner or later, death is a fact of life. There are about 13 million people in Pennsylvania. If 74,000 may have the covid-19 virus, that leaves 12,926,000 Pennsylvanians without. Did they deserve to lose their jobs? Lose their businesses? Go on unemployment...
Letter to the editor: Life is short, take precautions
With over 107,000 deaths in this country from the coronavirus, thought should be given to the late 18th-century writer Xavier de Maistre and his autobiographical novel “A Nocturnal Expedition Around My Room”: “So — I will die one day? I will die? I — the person speaking, the person able...
Letter to the editor: We need a moral compass
Over the last couple days I’ve been reflecting, talking with family, going down the proverbial internet rabbit hole to find a morsel of wisdom to cure an aching psyche as a result of George Floyd’s life being taken from him. I failed to find the antidote. The one answer I...
Letter to the editor: War on virus is hijacking our liberty
The covid-19 threat is much more than just a viral pandemic. It’s the hijacking of normalcy for nefarious purposes. It’s a dark occult ritual taking place in plain view in the light of day. It’s a monstrous criminal consolidation of wealth and power. It’s version 2.0 of hijackers with box...
Letter to the editor: Donations of human milk for infants needed
There is ongoing concern about the decline in donations of human milk in the Pittsburgh area due to the coronavirus. Being a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse, I see firsthand how important these donations are to our fragile babies. Mothers of these babies have difficulty producing the milk they...
Letter to the editor: Now’s the time to ‘lean green’
Because of record rainfall supercharged by the planet’s climate crisis (“Thousands evacuate ‘historic’ mid-Michigan flooding,” May 20, TribLIVE), dams were breached in midland Michigan in mid-May, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. We’ve heard these stories before. But now it’s not enough to escape the floodwaters — those...
Letter to the editor: Focus on value of human life
Many people are focusing on individual rights and livelihoods during this pandemic. Many seem to be forgetting the value of human life. Our first responders and essential workers are risking their lives to save lives. Without life, there are no rights or livelihood. Marilyn Dvorsky Greensburg...
Letter to the editor: Kim Ward’s protest warning a disservice
An open letter to state Sen. Kim Ward: I witnessed the absolute best of my community on May 31 at the Westmoreland County Courthouse. People came together from all over the county to mourn George Floyd and stand in solidarity against police brutality. The event, organized by a local mom,...
Letter to the editor: Students must return to school
It is imperative that Pennsylvania students return to in-school instruction in the fall without restriction. Everyone has an opinion on the effects of this current pandemic, but, based on statistics, children seem to be much less susceptible to this virus. We need to stop focusing on the remote risks of...
Letter to the editor: Legislatures’ ‘executive authority’
I found the first sentence of the Associated Press article “GOP makes power grab to rein in governors on virus response” (May 10) striking: “Republican-controlled legislatures are increasingly trying to strip Democratic governors of their executive authority to close businesses and schools.” From my earliest grade school civics lessons, I...
Letter to the editor: How will you behave in the next pandemic?
How will you behave during the next pandemic if the virus kills children, adults and seniors equally? Would President Trump behave differently if his family was at risk? Would he treat preventable deaths as just part of doing business? Would you insist on opening everything and not wear a mask...
Editorial: When protests become riots
A protest can be a volatile situation. With tensions high and nerves raw, it doesn’t take much to strike a spark and have anger or pain or righteous indignation flash over to the violent unpredictability of a confrontation or from there to a riot. That makes people who show up...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: George Floyd, 1974-2020
When Aristotle said, “Towns should be built so as to protect their inhabitants and, at the same time, make them happy,” it was no mistake that he put “protect” first. People will never be happy unless they feel protected and are, in fact, protected. But, since the days of slavery,...
Editorial: D-Day participants gave us gift of freedom, responsibility
June 6, 1944 was not the last day of World War II. It was the day that the tide of war turned. And that is why we remember D-Day — the day that Allied forces drove into the beaches of Normandy and parachuted from above in the start of a...
Cameron Barnett: 7 tips for white allies from a black Pittsburgher
Dear Potential White Ally, It’s me, your black friend/neighbor/co-worker/family member/acquaintance/person in the world. 2020 has been a lot to handle — an election year, a pandemic, economic depression, and now this. Brutal civilian and police killings of black Americans have punctuated the first half of this year. In Georgia, three...
Stephanie A. Jirard: Understanding black rage behind the riots
This first appeared in the Opinion section of PennLive.com. I teach criminal justice to a majority white audience of college students. My students are respectful, bright and very eager to do a deep dive into understanding diversity, an opportunity not often presented in their small, rural communities. As a black...
Sounding off: On masks, noncompliance is selfish
Even during Pennsylvania’s red phase, what I witnessed in stores such as Walmart was incomprehensible. People would wear masks just to gain admittance, and then take them down to their necks. Only when ready to check out would many bother to put it back on. They were playing a dangerous...
Letter to the editor: Paying it forward warms the heart
During recent visits to Starbucks, some patrons have paid for my drinks, and I have never been able to thank them for their generosity. This brings a smile to my face and a great impression of the kindness other people show. I have returned the favor, and the feeling I...
Letter to the editor: Admiring Robert Levin
During the past year I have come to admire Robert Levin for his obvious positive character traits. Chief among them seem to be compassion, fair-mindedness, honesty, loyalty, generosity and benevolence (“Robert Levin makes 2nd bid to revive family furniture business,” May 19, TribLIVE). I have made a few purchases at...
Letter to the editor: Fear God’s judgment more than coronavirus
Regarding the two letters (“Regulations not infringing on religion,” May 10, TribLIVE; “Safety more important than open churches,” May 16, TribLIVE) responding to my letter (“Government shouldn’t keep us from church,” May 4, TribLIVE): I am a conservative, Christian patriot. I love God, family and country in that order. The...
Letter to the editor: Thanks to Gov. Wolf and company for responsible leadership
Thank you to Gov. Tom Wolf, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine and Education Secretary Pedro Rivera for their leadership and their tough choices during these trying times. The easier, and quite likely the more popular choice, would have been to keep Pennsylvania open. The more difficult...
