Opinion category, Page 330
Letter to the editor: Vandergrift on the rise
When I came to the Vandergrift area several years ago, the mood appeared to be less than positive, but over the last few years, it has changed for the better. The community has a new esprit de corps mindset. A community that works together as a unit can accomplish many...
Editorial: ‘Boy in the Box’ shows scope of DNA testing
There is an idea in criminal investigation called Locard’s principle. It is the idea that no two things come in contact with each other without leaving something behind. You see it in car crashes when the paint from one fender ends up on another vehicle’s bumper. It is found when...
Letter to the editor: Working for peace with police
This letter is to inform Allegheny and Westmoreland counties about our organization. The Race for Peace Committee is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization formed in 2016 to enrich the lives of people through programs, resources and activities for the family that help us reach an understanding between law enforcement and the...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Safe communities at top of holiday wish list
Everyone has a personal holiday wish list, but we all should have a wish list for our communities, as well. These are not luxury items at all. Those who live in Pittsburgh’s East End or pass through it for work or pleasure or to shop will have one wish come...
Carolyn Kuranz: Why fusion ignition is being hailed as major breakthrough in fusion
American scientists have announced what they have called a major breakthrough in a long-elusive goal of creating energy from nuclear fusion. The U.S. Department of Energy said Dec. 13 that for the first time — and after several decades of trying — scientists have managed to get more energy out...
Jarrod Hayes: A tortured and deadly legacy — Kissinger and realpolitik in US foreign policy
In 2023, Henry Kissinger will mark a century since his birth and more than 50 years of influence on American foreign policy. Kissinger’s centennial represents an important opportunity to reflect on not only his influence, but also the effects of the vision of foreign policy he has espoused. When Kissinger...
Leonard Pitts Jr.: Good night, everybody!
Well, as Carol Burnett used to say, I’m so glad we had this time together. I’ve written about 1.6 million words as a columnist. This 600 or so will be the last. I’m retiring for a few reasons. One is that, while I’ve managed to squeeze out four novels between...
Tim Hartman: The joy and agony of a mall Santa
I used to be a mall Santa. From the ages of 17 to 27, I dressed up as a hairy, overweight elf to bring joy to children throughout the Pittsburgh area. It was good honest work. OK … it was honest work. For three to four hours a day, seven...
Sounding off: Abortion, debt, border, secession, fossil fuels topics of week
Free will and abortion Regarding the article “Non-religious voters wield clout, tilt heavily Democratic” (Dec. 4, TribLIVE): I am a retired nurse who once had the unfortunate privilege of carrying a much too large aborted, macerated baby to the morgue of my hospital. It was really awful. But even having...
Letter to the editor: Here’s how to start ‘fixing stupid’
Letter-writer Gary Pedicone says “Can’t fix stupid, but you can prove it” (Dec. 8, TribLIVE), blaming FOX News, Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity. Yes, you can fix it, Gary: You can start by not drinking the Kool-Aid passed out by CNN, NBC, CBS and the other networks passing out that...
Letter to the editor: The late Tony DeLuca’s win is absurd
Being in politics was never meant to be a career. Tony DeLuca and his fans took that to new heights when the lawmaker won again (“GOP sues over special elections in Pa. House majority battle,” Dec. 11, TribLIVE). We were all reminded of his win again despite the fact that...
Editorial: College books required for college classes
Over the past two years, protests at schools have been on the rise. Aside from the push and pull about pandemic protocols, there also have been vocal demands about the content of curriculum and what is on the shelves of the libraries. Pennsylvania, in particular, has been a main battleground...
Letter to the editor: The real antisemitism
I was angered and offended by another anti-Trump propaganda AP article, this one titled “Antisemitic celebrities stoke fears of normalizing hate” (Dec. 4, TribLIVE). This article attributed a “surge in anti-Jewish vitriol” by citing Donald Trump hosting Kanye West and Nick Fuentes. Where is the real antisemitism being harbored in...
Letter to the editor: Drowning in debt no way to start a life
In reference to the editorial “Financial literacy is key to student debt crisis” (Dec. 8, TribLIVE): I believe those of us who grew up in the low- divorce 1970s and ’80s toxic male environment of watching Westerns were more self-reliant and possessed a better work ethic. Of course, today, with math...
Gary Franks: Democrats’ use of the ‘family card’ is disgraceful
I hate when the Democratic Party and their supportive liberal media use a person’s family member to attack, hurt or help a Black candidate for office. In most instances the family member is used to hurt the Black candidate if he is a Republican and help the Black candidate if...
Ken Ho: Mpox, AIDS, covid-19 show challenges of targeting public health messaging without causing stigma
During infectious disease outbreaks, clinicians and public health officials are tasked with providing accurate guidance for the public on how to stay safe and protect themselves and their loved ones. However, sensationalized media coverage can distort how the public perceives new emerging infections, including where they come from and how...
S.E. Cupp: Candace Owens is infected with viral MAGA fever
Despite all her tough talk on social media and podcasts, her hackneyed attacks on liberal snowflakes and cancel culture, and her daddy-issues affection for dictatorial strong men like Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Owens is seemingly afraid of lots of odd things no one should really...
Letter to the editor: Climate change and wealth redistribution
A preacher I saw on TV said human-caused climate change is a hoax used as a ploy by globalists to redistribute wealth. Globalists want no rich countries, no poor countries, no borders. They want everyone to be the same. They think that will prevent future wars. David Rockefeller was an...
Letter to the editor: Nation deserves better than Biden
M. Lou Harrison, your letter “Remember these things about Trump” (Oct. 31, TribLIVE) was a perfect fit for the current political environment, where, given the choice between a brain surgeon and a lame brain, the latter is chosen. While you cited my letter “Before voting, ask yourself if you’re happy...
Lori Falce: Are we ready for killer robots?
I am OK with robots. Hey, I’m a product of my time. I grew up with R2-D2 and C3PO. My siblings and I were just sharing pictures of Johnny 5 from “Short Circuit” in our chat group this week. I married a sci-fi nerd who adored the various metal monsters...
Laurels & lances: Blight, gas and RSV
Laurel: To a little housekeeping. Westmoreland County has made tackling blight a priority. County commissioners put their stamp of approval on that idea when they carved off $10.4 million of the county’s American Rescue Plan money to dedicate toward mitigation efforts. That got started this week with the demolition of...
Letter to the editor: Big cats belong in the wild
As an animal advocate concerned about public safety, I am thrilled that the Big Cat Public Safety Act finally passed through both chambers and is headed to President Joe Biden’s desk. This no-brainer legislation restricts private ownership of big cats like lions and tigers. It also makes it illegal for...
D. Brian Blank: Fed hiked interest rates for the 7th time — so why are mortgage rates coming down?
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by half a percentage point Dec. 14 to a range of 4.25 to 4.5%, the seventh increase this year. So far in 2022, the Fed has lifted its benchmark short-term rate, which influences most other borrowing costs in the economy, by 4.25 percentage points...
Letter to the editor: The debt-ridden wouldn’t make good soldiers
Regarding the letter “How about a GI Bill to help with student debt?” (Dec. 11, TribLIVE): First of all, I’m not too sure these people owing student debt would actually be a welcomed addition to the military. They already exhibited a lack of responsibility and more than likely wouldn’t make...
Letter to the editor: Are we still land of the free?
The far right often talks about the supremacy of freedom and liberty. America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. However, their actions have consequences that diminish the freedom of some. In Georgia, vigilante supporters have targeted election workers with death threats and physical intimidation....
