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Editorials category, Page 57

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Editorial: Judge Feliciani proves value of human element in sentencing
A judge’s job in a courtroom is to enforce the rules as the prosecution and defense go through the steps of a trial. It is frequently less about being the hammer of judgment than it is about interpreting and enforcing the law as written by legislators and determined by years...
Editorial: Honor a candidate’s legacy of seeking public service
Shawn Marcellino was running for mayor of Plum. He had just gotten through the Democratic primary and was looking forward to facing Republican Harry Schlegel in November. On Tuesday, he was playing in a church league softball game when he began having chest pains. He died of a heart attack...
Editorial: Why gun laws are a matter of state law
Say the word “gun” and you can instantly divide people. Some want to enact laws and restrictions in hopes of curtailing violent crimes. Some are just as passionate about protecting constitutional rights and protections surrounding gun ownership. It can be hard to find a middle ground anywhere. Pennsylvania is practically...
Editorial: The battle of agendas in Zappala vs. Raiford
A courtroom is an adversarial forum. The process is set up that way, to help find truth and justice by performing a legal dance to a set of rules. The adversaries in this system are not enemies, but opposing forces like magnets that pull and push in different directions. It...
Laurels & lances: Flying again, hired again
Laurel: To flying high again. The Westmoreland County Airshow didn’t happen in 2020. Unlike many of the events that were canceled over the last year, it wasn’t due to the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement was made in November 2019. It happened because the marquee draws — military precision groups like...
Lori Falce: Pirates owe taxpayers better baseball
When it comes to sports, I am a product of my environment. My soul has fed on the Steelers’ Super Bowl wins and the Penguins’ names etched on the Stanley Cup. Even when they missed the playoffs or if it was charitably described as a “rebuilding year,” the faith is...
Editorial: Vaccine incentives aren’t the Pennsylvania way (right?)
Hey, where is our big money jackpot? Promising giant paydays as a possibility for coronavirus vaccination is the kind of thing that is attracting attention in some states. Ohio recently made Abbigail Bugenske, 22, of Silverton the first vaccination recipient turned millionaire in the state’s Vax-a-Million lottery. Teen winner Joseph...
Editorial: A bipartisan effort to secure Purple Heart valor
Courage is the kind of thing anyone can have. Grab the moment. Seize the day. But valor is different. Valor is a special kind of bravery. Valor speaks to courage under fire. It is about acts of duty and grit in combat, and it often comes with consequences. Valor is...
Editorial: Be a caretaker for Pennsylvania parks
If you are planning on spending part of your summer camping at Keystone State Park or kayaking at Ohiopyle, you aren’t alone. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation of Natural Resources issued an overcrowding alert for the Memorial Day weekend, warning visitors that 14 of the 121 state parks including the...
Editorial: In remembrance of the fallen
For Memorial Day, a classic Trib editorial: On this Memorial Day, be grateful that Americans’ willingness to sacrifice for freedom’s sake, instilled by each generation in the next, remains as strong as ever. Today, Americans honor those most worthy of such gratitude — those who gave their lives in our...
Editorial: An unsatisfactory finding of state incompetence
Sometimes, an investigation can turn up answers. Sometimes, they turn up questions. It would have been nice if the Office of the State Inspector General discovered either in the dive into why a constitutional amendment never made it to the Pennsylvania primary ballot. On May 18, the voters were supposed...
Editorial: Masks, flu and listening to the doctor
There was a lot of pushback against masks during the coronavirus pandemic. While some people embraced even the simplest homemade fabric coverings for whatever layer of protection they might afford, others rejected them. They sometimes claimed the cloth was useless, stopping nothing and just acting as a prop in a...
Laurels & lances: STEM, sentence, study
Laurel: To great ideas. STEM — the acronym for science, technology, engineering and math — has been a priority in education for years as a schools and government alike emphasized the rich opportunities for future careers in all the fields it could open. Three Fox Chapel Area students are showing...
Editorial: The balancing act of vaccines, public health and liberties
Since the first covid-19 vaccines became available in December, the push has been on. Get the shot to the medical personnel, to the most vulnerable, to the front-line workers. Get it to everyone over 65, over 55, over 18, over 12. Get teachers vaccinated and corrections officers and inmates. The...
Editorial: Be realistic about public benefits of online sports betting
Online sports betting is quite the growth industry. Watch a professional athletic competition on TV and you are likely to see more gambling commercials than you will the old reliables such as cars, beer and snack food. The ads sell you on the thrill, the interaction, the potential prize —...
Editorial: Westmoreland wisely invests in election workers
The people of Westmoreland County will be investing a lot more in their elections. On Friday, county commissioners voted to lay out a great deal more cash for the process, but unlike the 2019 purchase of $7.1 million in new voting equipment, this time, the money will not be going...
Editorial: Go beyond voter support for fire departments and EMS
On Tuesday, a ballot question asked Pennsylvanians to take a side on the Municipal Fire and EMS Services Loan Measure. That very formal-sounding title boils down to a simple idea. Should municipal fire departments and ambulance companies be able to borrow from the state’s loan fund to support capital upgrades?...
Editorial: The Pitcairn election shows the political need for wisdom and youth
Government is often seen as an old folks’ game. The math shows why. The average age of a U.S. governor is 64.5 — old enough to be planning a retirement party. For a member of Congress, it swings between 58 for the House of Representatives and 63 for the Senate....
Editorial: A clear rejection of solitary confinement in Allegheny County Jail
Tuesday’s election was heavy on ballot questions. The ones that tended to gain the most attention were the two at the top — statewide proposals to fence in the emergency powers of the governor; those amendments passed by a close 53% to 47%. Another amendment that would protect people from...
Laurels & lances: Doses, closures, alternatives
Laurel: To house calls. To reach the 70% vaccination threshhold that experts say is necessary to fight off the coronavirus pandemic, it is important to get to as many adults as possible. Protecting people with medical conditions that put them at particular risk is even more important. But home care...
Editorial: Enhancing high school graduations with a virtual touch
The Class of 2020 didn’t graduate the way the classes that came before them did. For most graduates, the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic stole the pomp and circumstance from their commencements. There were no auditoriums packed with parents and grandparents snapping pictures and cheering when names were called and...
Editorial: The mask mish-mash goes away with mass vaccination
Do you wear the mask or not? For more than a year, the issue has been out there. At first the recommendations were to stay home and not bother with face coverings, because only the medical-grade masks did any good and health care workers needed them. A few weeks into...
Editorial: More than one reason for unfilled job openings
After a major upheaval, there is often a period of reflection. If your house burns down, you probably put some thought into the electrical system or the heating before you rebuild. The same thing happens after an epic event on a larger scale. Hurricanes like Andrew in Miami and Katrina...
Editorial: All politics start local — so vote on Tuesday
Here it is again: Time to go to the polls. Time to do your duty. Time to cast your ballot. Doesn’t it seem like we just did this? Well, we did, but while presidential races like the 2020 contest and its seeming four-year march to the ballot box get all...
Editorial: Transparency in state spending is a constant process
In a functioning democracy, citizens need to be able to see certain facts about their elected officials in the glaring light of day. They need to know what government is spending money on. They need to know where the money is going. They need to know how much people are...


Editor's Picks

Front Porch Theatricals’ musical ‘Baby’ is a labor of love

Washington townhouse on the market for $1,225,000
Folk legend Bruce Cockburn gives uplifting performance at City Winery
‘Champagne & Chapeaux’: Westmoreland Symphony’s annual soiree for a good cause
Jimmy Stewart’s P-51 Mustang stops in hometown for museum anniversary
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