Opinion category, Page 693
Joseph Sabino Mistick: George Washington’s warning
There have been some great speeches made by presidents of the United States, and Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is at the top of most lists. On his train ride to the bloodied Civil War battlefield in central Pennsylvania, Lincoln wrote 272 words that continue to inspire and serve us. Franklin...
Tony Crisci: Every Bottle Back aims to keep empties out of waterways
Pittsburgh is the hub of economic activity for Western Pennsylvania. The abundance of natural resources offers opportunities for jobs, manufacturing and growth. But with these opportunities comes the obligation to protect and preserve our environment for future generations. Beverage companies are part of the story of economic growth and the...
Sounding off: On impeachment, no courage in the Senate
The authority of the U.S. Constitution fades as sections dealing with impeachment are ignored by President Trump and his Republican allies. Trump gets away with abusing power by ordering witnesses with firsthand knowledge of his impeachable acts — Bolton, Pompeo, Mulvaney, McGahn, Giuliani — to ignore subpoenas by smearing those...
Editorial: Russian hacks demand allied response
We no longer defend simply against nations. We fight factions. We are attacked by ideals and ideologues. We also fight against a deadly sin that has driven more war than politics and pride — greed. On Thursday, federal authorities announced the indictment of two Russian nationals in Pittsburgh. Maksim V....
Letter to the editor: When will political correctness end?
The Associated Press article “Pa. school district can keep ‘Redskins’ name, but logos might go” reported that the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission has ordered the Neshaminy School District in Bucks County, whose sports teams’ nickname is the Redskins, to get rid of all logos and imagery that “negatively stereotype Native...
Letter to the editor: What if Hillary had won?
I have seen many letters to the editor about President Trump concerning all the bad things he is doing. I just wonder what the letters would be like if Hillary had won? Lou Gregovits North Huntingdon...
Letter to the editor: No comparison to Jesus
You can’t compare a person (all sinners) with Jesus (without sin). We should thank Jesus for providing people who do note hate and are trying to make us a Christian nation with much opposition, and ask for more help. Dave Bastl Manor...
Letter to the editor: Musicians share gifts to help others
On Nov. 27, local musicians gathered for the annual Joyce and Bill Toms Thanksgiving Benefit Concert. For the past 14 years the Toms family has organized an evening of great music and fellowship to raise awareness and thousands of dollars in support of local charities serving people in need. This...
John Stossel: Hollywood socialism
Hollywood is now obsessing about increasing ethnic and gender diversity. Good. There’s been nasty racial and gender discrimination in the movie business. Unfortunately, Hollywood has no interest in one type of diversity: diversity of thought. In most every movie, capitalism is evil. Greedy miners want to kill nature-loving aliens in...
Walter Williams: Fraud in higher education
This year’s education scandal saw parents shelling out megabucks to gain college admittance for their children. Federal prosecutors have charged more than 50 people with participating in a scheme to get their children into colleges by cheating on entrance exams or bribing coaches and administrators. As disgusting as this grossly...
Editorial: High stakes bidding at the lottery
Hiring someone for a job is not as simple as putting a “help wanted” sign in the front window. Especially not when the job is about handling the billions running in and out of the Pennsylvania lottery system. But does it really have to be as complicated as it has...
Letter to the editor: Dismayed by ‘Apologies’ letter
I was somewhat dismayed after reading Steven Crichley’s letter “Apologies for being old, white, straight, conservative, Christian male” (Nov. 12, TribLIVE). It is nothing more than a thinly veiled assault on anyone who may not share the values of the writer, especially if he or she happens to be a...
Letter to the editor: Government is broken
Let’s face it: The government of the United States is hopelessly broken. There maybe no recovering from the damage to its structure. The impeachment hearings are a Democratic ruse to capture the House and Senate in the next election, along with the presidency. Don’t get me wrong: I wouldn’t vote...
Letter to the editor: Explanation needed for human condition
No one has been able to understand or explain the human condition. We see, but the light and dark of each day cloud our vision. Is there an explanation for the human condition? Is an answer on the horizon? The human condition is a riddle, whose weight no human scale...
Donald Boudreaux: What does decline in labor-force participation mean?
Imagine that overnight every American’s wealth doubles. From Jeff Bezos to the poorest indigent, imagine that each American today can afford to consume twice as many goods and services as that person could afford to consume yesterday. Making accurate specific predictions about what changes in people’s behavior we’d observe is...
Dr. Arvind Venkat: Patient-centric approach to ending surprise medical billing
Congress now has several options on the table when it comes to ending surprise medical billing, an issue that has for too long hit vulnerable patients and their families with high, unexpected costs. However, not all of these solutions are made equally. In fact, some could make things substantially worse,...
Lori Falce: Blaming moms for screen time
Screen time can be the measure of a good parent. At least, that is what you might think if you spend much time on parenting websites. Screen time — the amount of time your child spends with evil modern devices like cellphones and tablets and video games and sometimes even...
Laurels & lances: Tradition, cruelty, trespassing and questions
Laurel: To a new spin on an old tradition. If you don’t see “It’s a Wonderful Life,” can you even say that Christmas has happened? Let’s not find out. Luckily, the Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media’s recent closing of Regent Square Theater, where the Frank Capra classic was annually...
Letter to the editor: Westmoreland County Democratic leadership lacking
Just weeks after the elections that saw a GOP majority retake the Westmoreland County leadership, county row offices and most of the open judge seats where Democratic candidates were not listed on both tickets, the county Democratic Party is posting about the impeachment trial and Donald Trump Jr.’s book tour...
Letter to the editor: Dem candidates, impeachment
Who will represent the Democrats/socialists in 2020? It appears that as soon as a candidate drops out, three others jump in. Even Hillary said several friends want her to run again. Other than her daughter and husband, I wonder who those people are? Hillary just can’t accept the fact that...
Letter to the editor: Our Chinese investment
Last month marked 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Does anyone know what exactly led to that occasion? In a recent speech at Hillsdale College, Roger W. Robinson Jr. reminded those in attendance how in 1982, during the Cold War, “the Soviets had an empire stretching from...
Editorial: Money can’t buy involvement
There is often a sad lament for the way things used to be in our communities. We look for ways to recapture the days when downtown bustled and the kids were active, when there was less graffiti and more social grace. We wonder how we can have that back. We...
Letter to the editor: Excellent columnists
I want to commend both Lori Falce and George Guido for their excellent columns. Guido does a terrific job with his Look Back columns and all of his sports and Valley news. Falce is an intelligent and thoughtful writer. I really enjoy both of these columnists. All in all, the...
Letter to the editor: Tired of Democrats’ letters
The letter from Ed Svitek (“Trump deserved World Series boos,” Nov. 13, TribLIVE) was enough for me. I, and many other readers, are sick and tired of the repeated letters from frustrated Democrats who just can’t accept the 2016 elections. Give us a break, please! Svitek’s letter mentioned all the...
Colin McNickle: New day ahead for Westmoreland transit
The new year will bring a major change in how the Westmoreland County Transit Authority (WCTA) operates. Instead of contracting out the operation of buses it owns, as it has for the past four decades, the authority will operate the mass transit agency itself, a la the Port Authority of...
