Opinion category, Page 658
Letter to the editor: Sewing hope for society
We have reached a point in our history where our fate is being determined by our ability to sew. We are sewing masks because the federal government has failed to provide. Sewing takes preparation. You have to visualize the end product. You must plan. You must strategize. To make a...
Letter to the editor: Wisconsin voting debacle unconscionable
It is utterly unconscionable that the people of Wisconsin were forced to choose between exerting their basic right to vote and their health as in-person voting took place in the midst of a pandemic. The result was predictable: The majority of polling places did not have sufficient staff to operate,...
Frasat Ahmad: Celebrating Easter during covid-19 — a Muslim perspective
A tremor of worry has fallen upon Christian America. With 90% of Americans under stay-at-home orders and only one-fifth of religious Americans still attending worship services, many Christians are left wondering, “How will I celebrate Easter this year?” Even President Trump sought to dull the effects of this tremor, considering...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Seeing the beauty, keeping the faith in tough times
Out the window of my second-floor home office I can see the magnolia tree at the bottom of the drive, in full bloom now. It is a feathery mass of bright pink flowers, nestled where the trunk meets the ground by a bed of blue star-shaped Siberian squill. Some years,...
Editorial: Why hope is the starting point
We need hope. When things are bad — so bad that it seems unthinkable that they will ever be good again — hope is what tells us to hold on and breathe through it. Hope survived the car crash that crushed John Sikora’s NBA dreams. Glenn and Carole Johnson had...
Jessica Poole: Pa. should utilize nurse anesthetists in covid-19 response
As the covid-19 pandemic continues to increase exponentially in Pennsylvania, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are uniquely prepared to provide care for the surge of critically ill patients. Unfortunately, the full contribution of CRNAs is being limited. There are approximately 3,700 CRNAs and students in Pennsylvania, making us one of...
Walter Williams: Manipulation through racial hoaxes
We black people are so convenient and useful to America’s leftists. Whenever there’s a bit of silencing to be done, just accuse a detractor or critic of racism. A recent, particularly stupid, example is CNN’s Brandon Tensley’s complaint that the “Coronavirus Task Force is another example of Trump administration’s lack...
Sounding off: Gov. Andrew Cuomo would be good Democratic presidential candidate
Even though I am a Trump supporter, I hope Democrats are watching N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo giving his daily summary. He is the real deal. President Trump will wipe out Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders — not even close. Cuomo would be a formidable candidate, causing Trump serious problems. He...
Letter to the editor: Hate for Trump and Biden is evil
Two of God’s children are being exploited by those whose hatred is evil — our president and Joe Biden. My heart is overwhelmed when I hear the hateful speech, and when a man who could be suffering from problems with his mind is thrust into evil situations and needs compassion...
Letter to the editor: Party favors fatten stimulus bill
Nancy Pelosi was on TV extolling the virtues of the Senate’s bill. She went on at length about how she and the Democrats changed the bill from a corporate bailout to one aiding American workers. She didn’t mention they had delayed this bill for about a week trying to get...
Letter to the editor: World’s other deadly current pandemics
As the world goes through the coronavirus pandemic, with severity forecasts constantly changing because of imprecise data, the only known constant is that if you are a senior citizen and have health problems, you have a greater potential of succumbing to the disease. With this in mind, it might be...
Letter to the editor: Sources on gun data biased?
Regarding Rep. Dan Frankel’s op-ed “Congratulations on your new gun. Now lock it up.” (March 25, TribLIVE): Frankel is wrong when he states that a gun in the home makes you less safe. The supporting studies he cites inevitably lead to the 1993 CDC-funded Kellerman study, which is a highly...
Letter to the editor: Allegheny County Jail release was right thing to do
Reading Jacob Tierney’s article “More than 600 inmates released from Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh to slow pandemic” (March 31, Triblive) had me thinking was that it’s about time. But it shouldn’t take a pandemic for this to happen. According to a report released by University of Pittsburgh’s Criminal Justice...
Editorial: Darkness of quarantine, light of Easter
Easter isn’t a celebration of rabbits and chocolate. It isn’t about the lilies and jelly beans and ham. It isn’t even about the church service with meaningful sermons and little kids in crisp new pastel outfits. That’s all an important part of the annual rite of spring. It’s just not...
John Stossel: Bankrupting America
Two weeks ago, President Trump signed the largest stimulus bill in U.S. history: more than $2 trillion. For once, both Republicans and Democrats agreed. The Senate voted 96-0. The House didn’t even bother with a formal vote. At the White House, a reporter asked the president, pointing out that the...
Erin Wall: How I miss you, my high school students, but we will meet again
Erin Wall teaches AP English at Woodland Hills High School, where she has worked since 2005. The sounds of our schools are silenced. The tapping of pencil marks, the screeching of desks, the ticking of the clock, the chiming of the bell, the laughter and chatter of voices that flow...
Matthew Brouillette: What’s goal to win war against covid-19?
In any battle, clear objectives are imperative. Unfortunately, in fighting a virus invisible to the naked eye, the end goal has become nearly as intangible: flatten the curve, slow the spread, contain the virus. But how flat? How slow? How contained? When will we know if we’ve succeeded? Clearly, we...
Letter to the editor: Suspend diesel tax to help truckers
Pennsylvania has the second highest tax on diesel fuel (I’m surprised we’re not No. 1) in the nation. Without truckers, medical supplies and groceries could not be delivered. Until the coronavirus pandemic ends, the tax on diesel fuel should be suspended. Tony Pittore Penn Township, Westmoreland County...
Letter to the editor: It’s always Trump’s fault
Regarding Richard P. Davis’ letter “Trump’s inaction on coronavirus” (April 7, TribLIVE): As usual, it’s all President Trump’s fault. Davis cites spring break in Florida and Mardi Gras celebrations in Louisiana. Funny how he left out Nancy Pelosi telling people to come to Chinatown in San Francisco in late February,...
Letter to the editor: Don’t listen to Trump
After watching President Trump’s daily updates on the coronavirus, it makes me wonder how far ahead of this problem we would be if Trump took it seriously months ago. While China, South Korea and other countries were locking down to prevent the spread of this virus, Trump was using it...
Letter to the editor: How is Gov. Wolf doing ‘everything we can’?
While the state loses over $6 million a day in liquor sales, our governor proclaims, “We are doing everything we can to help.” How exactly? Safe practices are in place at many stores that protect both customer and employee. We can’t do that at our Fine Wine & Good Spirits...
Lori Falce: Let’s get back to better than normal
We all can’t wait to get back to normal. This coronavirus shutdown is getting to everyone. We all want to get out of our houses, go back to work and be able to shop again like it’s an activity, maybe even a hobby, instead of a Navy SEAL excursion. We...
Paul Kengor: On vaccines, will Pitt do it again?
“Polio Is Conquered.” That was the jubilant headline atop The Pittsburgh Press on April 12, 1955 — 65 years ago. The headline was repeated in newspapers worldwide. And where had it happened? In Pittsburgh. The man who did it? Dr. Jonas Salk. Polio was one of humanity’s most malicious scourges....
Laurels & lances: Bunny, bottles, breakdown
Laurel: To a bunny’s best helpers. Easter is one of those milestone holidays for many kids, like Christmas or birthdays. For some, it could be hard to reconcile a quarantine celebration without egg hunts and family parties. But volunteers in South Greensburg helped the Easter bunny out by making sure...
Christopher Franklin: Give comfort to the essential
In the face of this unprecedented global pandemic, new phrases like “social distancing” and “flatten the curve” have quickly entered our American lexicon. But as government officials, business owners and frontline personnel around the world grapple with challenges we never could have imagined just weeks ago, there is one single...
