Opinion category, Page 675
Letter to the editor: Impeachment & incumbents
Both political parties showed the worst of already loathed politicians during the impeachment debacle. It never had a chance of succeeding. It really boiled down to Nancy Pelosi running out of options. It then became a Mitch McConnell show. Thus we saw the absolute worst of both Pelosi and McConnell....
Letter to the editor: Bicycle takeover in Pittsburgh
Regarding Bob Bauder’s article “Draft plan calls for more bike lanes in Pittsburgh” (Feb. 11 TribLIVE): Dogs pee on trees and those alert bicycle enthusiasts and their clever strategists here in Pittsburgh have copied this primal territorial approach. They got hold of some white paint and cute abstract stencils of...
Letter to the editor: No ‘gray area’ on guns
Lori Falce’s column “The black and white of guns” starts out lumping seven hot topics with gun rights/control as having “gray area” that must be understood before both sides of any issue are settled. When it comes to gun rights/gun control, it is black and white. Because the “gray area”...
Rich Askey: Let’s talk about fixing Pa.’s educator shortage
Do you like living in a world with doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs and artists? We wouldn’t have any of these professionals — or countless others — without educators. Education is the career that makes every other career possible. So it should trouble all of us that Pennsylvania, like much of the...
Nathan Benefield: A responsible state budget? Only in your dreams
In his sixth budget address, Gov. Tom Wolf asked us to “imagine” what Pennsylvania would look like if he could purchase everything on his wish list. To cover the costs, he wants to raise overall spending a massive 6.1%. He also wants to borrow $5.5 billion — a loan that...
Antony Davies & James Harrigan: Compelled pledge is unconstitutional
A 16-year-old junior at Lebanon High School in Eastern Pennsylvania is suing his school district in federal court claiming his civil rights have been violated. As is the case across much of the country, everything at Lebanon High comes to a standstill for a minute or so every day as...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: A history lesson from Kirk Douglas & ‘Spartacus’
Any time a movie star dies, we tend to remember them for the fictional roles they played, with little time spent on their real lives. When Kirk Douglas died last week at 103, it was easy enough to think of him as he was in the movies. But Douglas did...
Editorial: Pitt virus collaboration is healthy
COVID-19 is coming to town. You are forgiven if you don’t immediately place the name. It’s gone through a number of changes in recent weeks. It’s the new official designation for the disease you are more likely to know as coronavirus. The problem is that coronavirus isn’t a virus. It’s...
Letter to the editor: Impeachment a historic cover-up
The impeachment “trial” in the Senate was always a foregone conclusion based on the numbers. In my opinion, the reason Republicans didn’t want to hear new witnesses was because it would have been harder for them to justify an acquittal. I believe this will go down in history as the...
Letter to the editor: What God would say about Trump, Dems
Regarding Oren Spiegler’s letter “Jesus, Democrats & Republicans” (Jan. 25, TribLIVE): I just returned from heaven and a long talk with God. He informed me that he recently formed a new neutral destination for Democrats in the next life. It is called Demotory, i.e., a somewhat serene place where Democrats...
Letter to the editor: Nancy Pelosi’s poisonous action
Dear Nancy, I served this country for over 20 years in uniform under both Republican and Democratic leaders. Many presidents and speakers have come and gone. In my 65 years, I have never been as disgusted as I was by your contemptuous and childish display during the State of the...
Walter Williams: A more or less perfect union
“A More or Less Perfect Union” is a three-part series, produced by Free to Choose Network, that is airing on PBS stations across the nation. The documentary is a personal exploration of the U.S. Constitution by Justice Douglas Ginsburg, who served on the U.S. Court of Appeals D.C. Circuit and...
John Stossel: Trump’s good, bad & ugly
President Trump “saved the United States,” says former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. He’s one of the “smartest, most clever and successful” presidents, says Fox’s Jeanine Pirro. No, he’s “dumb and racist,” says comedian Seth Meyers, and guilty of “rampant corruption,” say commentators on MSNBC. The man divides opinion like no...
Editorial: Brain drain requires smart solutions
They call it brain drain. It’s the harsh truth that Pennsylvania kids can’t afford to stay in Pennsylvania when they get higher education, and it dances around the edges of a lot of the problems with the state’s colleges and universities. While the Keystone State boasts plenty of opportunities —...
Thomas Kubica: A letter to Sen. Rand Paul
The following is a letter to Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul: Dear Sen. Paul, I read a recent Washington Examiner editorial which included comments you made regarding the impeachment trial, former ambassador and national security advisor John Bolton, and the political future of other Republican senators. You disparaged Bolton, who I...
Letter to the editor: Shame on Pat Toomey
A letter to U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey: It is obvious to me and many of your constituents why the Republican Senate voted against having additional witnesses in President Trump’s impeachment trial. I think you know that having John Bolton testify would confirm beyond any doubt that Trump conspired to rig...
Laurels & lances: Transparency, therapy, reflection
Lance: To keeping secrets. Every day, there are lawsuits that are sealed for a variety of reasons. On Tuesday, sealed paperwork was filed in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas containing the details of the settlement between UPMC and Paris Cleaners Inc. on one side and, on the other, the...
Letter to the editor: Trump, bribery & heresy
On the same day the letter “Trump haters should be mindful of facts” (Jan. 17, TribLIVE) appeared, there was an article headlined “White House considers changes to law banning overseas bribes” (Jan. 17, TribLIVE). So what if bribery is unethical and illegal (not to mention impeachable)? The president is quoted...
Letter to the editor: Hillary & the Electoral College
Those who worship Hillary Clinton just never give up. Letter-writer Paul Messich (“Voters wanted Hillary Clinton as president,” Jan. 17, TribLIVE) knows that we don’t elect our presidents by popular vote. If we did, the states with the largest populations would choose our president every four years while other states...
Paul Kengor: Love that still loves tomorrow
Once again we embrace that annual cultural ritual known as Valentine’s Day. In fact, you’ve had plenty of warning, dating back to, oh, shortly after Christmas, when Santa displays at stores were replaced with heart-shaped candy boxes. Of course, it’s not just stores. Obnoxious TV ads tantalize guys with images...
Lori Falce: Does love really never fail?
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It...
Sounding off: Common sense is biggest loser in impeachment
Near the beginning of President Trump’s impeachment trial, one of the House managers suggested that senators shouldn’t leave their common sense at the door. That message fell on the deaf ears of most Republicans. Common sense would have dictated that jurors hear witnesses and see documents. Common sense would have...
Letter to the editor: Less fret, more hope & love
I am weary after reading the letters to the editor that stress the imbalance of Pittsburgh and Greensburg politics, and the sorry global situation in Iraq and Iran, and then those that stress the struggles with traffic congestion between Greensburg and Latrobe. Occasionally, and only occasionally, can we not sing...
Letter to the editor: Impeachment a perversion of law, common sense
The lack of objective truth is the real reason for the insanity that we see each day. Removing objectivity and replacing it with emotions destroys common sense and one’s ability to reason. This is no clearer today than the impeachment trial. The desperate attempts to get rid of a duly...
Letter to the editor: Republican Party has no honor
The vote in the Senate to refuse to hear witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Trump puts the last nail in the coffin of what was formerly known as the Republican Party. Instead, we have a party filled with Trump sycophants and lap dogs lacking any integrity, moral character...
