Opinion category, Page 661
Letter to the editor: Do your part & keep us all safe
When you are going about your daily life in this age of the coronavirus pandemic, please remember your letter carrier, who comes to your mailbox every day. Take time to sanitize that mailbox: Mix a half-cup of bleach in water (a half or full gallon) and use it to wipe...
Letter to the editor: Seeing Trump for what he truly is
In late February, President Trump said the Democrats’ “new hoax” was claiming the White House was doing a bad job in response to the coronavirus. As late as the first week of March, he was claiming there was little to be concerned about in our country. Now that he has...
Letter to the editor: Hopeful treatments for covid-19
Tests by many have given great hope that hydroxycholorquine and also in combination with Z-Pak (azithromycin) will help patients tremendously. There are trials starting, and the CEO of pharmaceutical Novartis just said this: “Preclinical studies in animals, as well as the first data from clinical studies, show that hydroxychloroquine kills...
Letter to the editor: We’re bailing out corporations — again
There is one part of the $2.2 trillion stimulus that worries me: the $500 billion bailout to large corporations. They are partially responsible for today’s problems. For the last decade, large corporations have had record profits while paying little in taxes. They have reduced our manufacturing capabilities and decimated the...
Antony Davies & James Harrigan: Making trade-offs during covid-19 crisis
Last week’s initial jobless claims, which tally up the number of people applying for unemployment benefits for the first time, were horrifying. The numbers present bad news and worse news. But if we can see through the devastating haze that is our economy, there might be some good news on...
John Stossel: Unsung heroes are innovating during covid-19 crisis
Congress passed and the president signed a $2 trillion “stimulus” bill. “Not enough!” shrieked politicians. They said the government must do more. They demanded President Donald Trump reactivate the Defense Production Act, a 1950 law that lets government force companies to make things. Trump hesitated. That upset lovers of big...
Walter Williams: Managing a disaster
I’m not sure whether covid-19, first identified in Wuhan, China, in the U.S. qualifies as a true disaster. Putting the disease in perspective, we might look at current influenza illnesses. According to Centers for Disease Control estimates, between Oct. 1, 2019, and March 14, 2020, there have been 390,000 to...
Keith Williams: System-focused bureaucracy is tying teachers’ hands
Anyone who has stood in front of a classroom knows: You must adapt to succeed. The coronavirus crisis has proven that flexibility is king when it comes to essential skills for teachers. Like the rest of us, teachers are being forced to adapt to statewide school closures and local quarantines....
Editorial: A glimpse of hope in Pitt’s covid-19 vaccine trial
Good news came out of Pittsburgh on Thursday. It came in the form of a fingertip-sized innovation with miniature needles made of sugar and virus proteins. It might be the vaccine that protects millions from the novel coronavirus pandemic. And it has been developed at the University of Pittsburgh School...
Kim Stolfer & Klint Macro: Law-abiding citizens’ gun rights
In his op-ed “Congratulations on your new gun. Now lock it up.” (March 25, TribLIVE), Rep. Dan Frankel shows his contempt for the individuals who have decided to exercise their right to defend themselves and those they love. As professional firearm instructors, we teach that a firearm that is out...
Nuket Curran: Telemedicine a powerful tool in coronavirus pandemic
Nuket Curran, a doctor of physical therapy, lives in Shaler. She is director of compliance at Phoenix Rehabilitation and Health Services (phoenixrehab.com). Coronavirus has changed our lives completely. Each day we are making the choice to not to see anyone in person and rely on digital technology to connect with...
Letter to the editor: Beer essential, school not?
Let me make sure I have this right: Beer distribution is an essential service, but K-12 education is not? Thomas Comini Sewickley Township...
Letter to the editor: Relieved that dentists can now provide care
It was a great sense of relief to many that the Pennsylvania Department of Health came to its senses and is allowing Pennsylvania dentists to reopen their offices to care for patients who are experiencing dental emergencies. It’s too bad we were shut down in the first place, causing untold...
Letter to the editor: Trump needs to take action on supplies
Why isn’t President Trump implementing a plan for mass production of supplies badly needed by medical professionals and medical facilities? Shouldn’t that have been considered foremost on his agenda in order to protect doctors, nurses, aides and those already afflicted by the coronavirus? Asking companies to donate their supplies of...
Letter to the editor: Why Americans support Trump
Shame on letter-writer Anthony Cortazzo Jr. (“Reasons for Trump support,” March 12, TribLIVE). He states as “possible reasons” certain voters support Trump is that they are “deaf, intellectually disabled and blind.” This is hate speech. How does name-calling solve anything? I think this is discrimination. The Americans with Disabilities Act,...
Donald Boudreaux: Essential questions on essential medicines
The clarity with which we humans express desirable objectives often hides reality’s complexity. That’s true for the increasingly common notion, as expressed by President Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro, that America should “bring home its … supply chains for essential medicines.” This sentiment is supported by U.S. Trade Representative Robert...
Lori Falce: Reluctant covid-19 homeschool lessons
I have never wanted to home-school. While I want my son to reach for knowledge, and I want to be his partner in finding it, I have never wanted to be his teacher. That is largely because I am all too aware of my strengths and my weaknesses, and how...
Laurels & lances: Giving, feeding, showing
Laurel: To the right prescription. Match Day is something medical students look forward to from their first day of class. It’s the day they find out the hospitals where they will do their residency years. It’s a celebratory day, with students getting their assignments all together. At Pitt, it’s a...
Joseph Otis Minott: Public policy matters, especially when it comes to our air
As we all stay home and learn to navigate this unprecedented health crisis affecting people not just in Pennsylvania but around the world, coronavirus understandably dominates our public consciousness. The pandemic starkly reminds us all that there is nothing more important than our health and the well-being of the people...
Alicia Santi: Charter schools under attack
My son, like many children in Pennsylvania, is a student with special needs — specifically, developmental disorders requiring him to receive individual tutoring. Like the experiences of many others who have found that the public cyber school option works best for their child, my son would easily get distracted by...
Letter to the editor: Thanks to all who keep our homes safe havens
A big shout-out to all utility workers who keep our gas, electricity, water and sewage operating, and sanitation workers who continue to haul away our garbage. Thanks to all of you for letting us continue to find safe haven in our homes. James A. Bernauer Crafton...
Letter to the editor: Leaders must act on property tax relief
I have not heard what our local governments and school districts are doing to offer property tax relief to all of us who have been affected by the coronavirus shutdown. It would be unconscionable to have our local government make profits with interest and penalties on property taxes when our...
Letter to the editor: Trump is disastrous
We knew it was coming, but prayed it wouldn’t happen with President Trump in office. To be caught off guard by covid-19 is disastrous, and once again showed Trump’s incompetence. First he called covid-19 a hoax, then declared the virus would be gone by April — after 15 confirmed cases...
Letter to the editor: Democrats’ ads disrespectful during crisis
With the world gripped in fear of covid-19, can the liberal super PACs take a break from their TV ad blitz attacking President Trump as he tries to guide us through the crisis? In one ad, a “truck driver” claims “In 2016, I voted for Donald Trump” but now tells...
Letter to the editor: Highlands boys’ dedication pays off
The effect the Highlands boys basketball journey has had on the school district and community is profound. Of course, the highlight was winning the WPIAL Class 4A title at the Petersen Events Center on Feb. 29. The community celebration that followed allowed everyone an opportunity to see the culmination of...
