There was a photo of families enjoying a musical performance at Townsend Park in Murrysville in the Aug. 6 edition of the Tribune-Review. The caption indicated the event was part of a series of live performances in the park. That would seem to indicate the event is sanctioned by community leaders. In the photo, I don’t see masks on anyone, and it doesn’t look like social distancing is being practiced. And I’m not an advocate of masks.

The point I’m trying to make is this: If this type of entertainment was being conducted at a restaurant/bar, the media would have condemned it. Why does Gov. Tom Wolf seemingly allow this behavior in a community but is bound and determined to make the restaurants, bars and social clubs suffer without regard to the mitigation efforts of the same?

Closing ball fields to Little League and junior football teams, bowling alleys, etc., but allowing outdoor concerts and such is hypocrisy. But I guess in Wolf’s and Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine’s worlds, it is justified. And I sincerely hope that I have not given those two even more ideas to curtail what little enjoyment we are still able to have.

John Bentz, Washington Township, Westmoreland County

A speech Trump would never give

The speech Donald Trump would never give:

My fellow Americans, America is going through a difficult time. We have lost over 187,000 citizens to the coronavirus. We mourn their loss and pray for their families. A reporter asked me recently if I feel responsible. I answered the way our previous presidents would answer: The buck stops here.

We have a movement against the murders of Black people by police. There are protests and sometimes violence. I believe most police officers are good and honorable. But unfortunately some forget the oath they pledged. They need to be held accountable. I pledge to our Black citizens that I will do all I can to make this stop.

Election time can be brutal, but it need not be that way. I disagree with Joe Biden on a host of issues. That doesn’t mean we have to demonize each other and spread lies. If you can’t rely on the president to be honest, then there is something very wrong.

Lastly, I’d like to thank the press. To stifle and degrade reporters because you may not like what they say is childish. A president should welcome a free press as part of our democracy, and I do.

We are in this together. We must treat each other with respect. United we stand, divided we fall. We will not fall.

We have much to do. Together, we can do it, no matter the color of our skin or our political beliefs. God bless you and this great nation.

Please vote like your lives depend on it — they do!

Joni Nowicki Campbell, Harrison

Trump is pro-life, and not racist

Regarding William Werts’ letter “Pro-lifer plans to vote for Joe Biden”: You claim to be a pro-lifer, but I find that hard to believe, since President Trump this year became the first president to speak at the March for Life in Washington.

I hope you read Albert Bianchini’s letter above yours (“Trump, Biden and China”), which correctly stated that under Trump’s leadership, our country has the lowest unemployment in history for minorities.

In my opinion, your comment “racism is always wrong,” implying that Trump does not share that value, is straight from the fake news outlets that have spread this hatred for over three years. Trump appointed Dr. Ben Carson as head of Housing and Urban Development and Dr. Jerome Adams as surgeon general. While in business he hired thousands of minority employees. A Nov. 20, 2019, poll showed a colossal shift of Black voters supporting Trump — up to 33% from 8% in 2016. So much for racism. Terrible talk about a duly elected president of the United States.

To me, your comment that “children should be with parents and not in cages” shows your lack of knowledge. It was President Obama who had those so-called cages built, as 72-hour holding facilities. I never heard anyone from the fake news media talking about them during the Obama era. Strange.

Lou Hoetzlein, Harwick

We shouldn’t be ‘canceled’ because of our views

Brooke Roney’s letter demanding that Bob Wayman be removed from the Norwin School Board seems to be part of the cancel culture movement (“Shame on Norwin School Board”): I don’t like what you’re saying; therefore you must be removed.

As Roney noted, the board has said it has no grounds to remove him. He was voted in by the people. If you don’t like what he’s saying, there will be another election.

Some of us hold to Christian biblical views. I surely don’t want to be canceled for my views.

Soldiers have fought for freedom all over the world. Let’s not permit a few Americans to take it away.

Patricia Matovich, Westmoreland City

Would Biden be able to prevent radical left takeover?

Letter-writer Richard Patton did a good job describing how the large, central portion of the bell curve of politics contains the majority of moderate voters, both Democrats and Republicans (“Not all Democrats are ‘radical left’”). It is the smaller edges of the curve that contain the loudest and most radical political contingents: on the left, the radicals and liberals; on the right, the reactionaries and conservatives.

He points out that “[a]ttempts have been made to group all Democrats as the ‘radical left.’ This simply isn’t true.” He is undoubtedly correct, but in the upcoming election, it won’t even matter. If the Democrats win, what matters is who will be running the country. Would an elderly, moderate-speaking President Joe Biden be strong enough to prevent the party’s demonstrably powerful “radical left” from effectively taking complete control of our nation’s executive branch?

Ed Collins, West Newton

Dr. Scott Atlas was wrong hire as coronavirus adviser

Once again, President Trump is taking advice from an “expert” with no pertinent credentials for help with his covid-19 response. Dr. Scott Atlas, a neuroradiologist, has no expertise in public health or infectious disease. A senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, he was hired to act as a mouthpiece for Trump’s covid-19 response team.

If you needed open-heart surgery, would you seek advice from a podiatrist or gynecologist? Hiring Atlas is analogous to such absurd thinking. Atlas may be a “world- renowned physician and scholar,” according to Judd Deere from Trump’s staff, but his expertise is in magnetic resonance imaging (completely unrelated to infectious disease or public health).

Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx are world-renowned experts in the fields of public health, immunity and infectious diseases. I will listen to these real infectious disease experts, along with experts from Johns Hopkins University, for real science to guide my decisions about covid-19, not an imaging expert who I believe is a mere political prop hired for what appears to be an attempt to legitimize Trump’s unscientific, politically motivated, inept covid-19 response.

How many more people have to die before Trump follows the science? A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for science.

Gary L. Steck, North Huntingdon

Trump’s Latrobe rally irresponsible, insulting

I’m a college student whose school has fortunately remained open and permitted students to return to campus.

We wear masks everywhere: outside, in the classrooms, in the dining hall and even during a short walk to the bathroom. We can’t have visitors in our rooms or study together in groups. It’s annoying and frustrating, but we understand that it’s necessary to keep our campus and community safe.

The audacity of the president to fly into Latrobe and host a campaign rally with thousands of tightly packed and mostly unmasked supporters is more than irresponsible; it’s insulting. Students such as myself are making personal sacrifices in the interest of keeping Americans safe while the president doesn’t seem to be willing to do the bare minimum in the goal of getting reelected.

I don’t believe he cares about your community, your livelihood or your safety; he only cares about your vote.

I couldn’t be more proud to cast my very first presidential vote against Donald Trump — and many of my peers feel the same.

Matt Achtziger, Mt. Pleasant Township

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