Opinion category, Page 355
Letter to the editor: Republicans are the threat?
President Biden has defined MAGA Republicans as semi-fascists who “do not respect the Constitution … do not believe in the rule of law … refuse to accept the results of a free election … fan the flames of political violence … (and) threaten the very foundations of our republic.” So,...
Gary Franks: Fear vs. reality — which one will prevail in November?
Democratic leaders have failed to do their basic job of passing a budget and spending/appropriations bills via regular order or for that matter even as a continuing resolution once again. It is quite apparent that Democrats are just too busy with other pressing matters, like producing the “Trump Reality Show.”...
S.E. Cupp: Empty offices as housing could save cities across U.S.
As any New Yorker can easily remember, Midtown — the Manhattan neighborhood stretching from 34th Street to 59th Street and from Third Avenue to Eighth Avenue — was once a bustling beehive of corporate activity and commerce. On a typical weekday, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.,...
Leonard Pitts Jr.: Are we different from them?
We are different from them. Instinctively, that’s what you’re thinking, right? Not that you don’t have reason. The news out of Iran that a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Amini mysteriously died in custody after the nation’s “morality police” hauled her in for some violation of their oppressive dress code for...
Dr. Andrew Smolar: Does your party represent your moral foundation?
We are divided by our different belief systems. Roughly half of the population believes that our institutions are fair and that everyone is responsible for the outcome of his/her chosen pathway. The other half believe that the playing field is lopsided and that outcomes are not primarily determined by the...
Letter to the editor: Vote for politicians who follow Constitution
We should be grateful for President Trump. He laid bare the ineptitude, corruption, propaganda and authoritarian leanings of government, collusion with such things by Big Tech, and the general stupidity and authoritarian inclination in a large portion of the public. Don’t forget the 81 million votes for Joe Biden. The...
Letter to the editor: Dietary Supplement Listing Act is nonsense
There is less than a week left to stop S4090, the Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2022 (DSLA), which will regulate supplements out of existence. Right now, DSLA is still attached to S4348, the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), because Congress knows this is a bad bill that can’t...
Lori Falce: Iranian woman’s death latest in list of human rights abuses
I get lists and rankings in my inbox every day. They tell me what states or cities or schools or businesses are the best and worst according to a myriad of factors. Most money. Least education. Highest unemployment. Lowest cost of living. Best quality of life. Worst opportunity for advancement....
Letter to the editor: Where’s the outrage over Republican smears?
Ray Schratz’s letter “Biden’s uncivilized discourse” (Sept. 13, TribLIVE) would be laughable if it weren’t so sad. He says President Biden “smeared” 50% of Americans by calling them fascists and racists. Schratz must have missed the smearing of over 50% of Americans by Republicans at all levels calling us pedophiles,...
Paul Kengor: Tearing down Columbus — and Western civilization
I have fond memories of my first days at Pitt. I began attending in the summer semester of 1987 as a transfer student. I remember sunny afternoons sitting under the giant statue of Christopher Columbus at Schenley Park reading my various books for my first-semester course on Western civilization. That...
Laurels & lances: Growing, going, giving
Laurel: To a grand gourd. Westmoreland County made a good showing with a super squash. Eric Gunstrom of Harrison City was awarded first place in the 58th annual Barnesville, Ohio, Pumpkin Festival with a monster vegetable weighing in at 2,405 pounds. It took an investment of about 30 hours per...
Peter Morici: Biden’s student-debt forgiveness encourages universities to raise tuition
Present Joe Biden’s student-loan forgiveness has attracted wide criticism, but few express the menace it poses to the Federal Reserve and congressional powers. Federal student loans create more equal access to quality higher education for working- and middle-class students, and the average college graduate earns more, lives longer and expresses...
Greg Fulton: It’s inflation, stupid
When Bill Clinton was running for president in 1992, his chief political strategist was James Carville. Carville presented himself as a good old country boy from Louisiana, but really was one of the sharpest and best political minds in the country. Carville understood politics and had the pulse of the...
Letter to the editor: Who’s blindly loyal to who?
Just read Rob Grasser’s letter “What if Fetterman wins and resigns?” (Sept. 19, TribLIVE). I almost choked on my toast. In it, he says “… it shows a dangerous political trend: blind loyalty to a political party instead of loyalty to constituents and the Constitution.” Well, now, he perfectly describes...
Letter to the editor: McCarthy coverage not balanced
In your 15-paragraph article covering Kevin McCarthy’s speech in Monongahela (“Kevin McCarthy, Marjorie Taylor Greene, others visit Monongahela to unveil House GOP’s midterm agenda,” Sept. 23, TribLIVE), five paragraphs concerned former President Trump and five paragraphs were devoted to President Biden, leaving 5 paragraphs to McCarthy’s message. Is this what...
Editorial: Judah Samet provided example in sharing stories of Holocaust, Tree of Life
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year. It is the start of the High Holy Days — a time of celebration and a time to revel in the honeyed sweetness of life and goodness of God. It is marked by the phrase “Shanah tovah,” meaning “good year.” This year, Rosh...
Letter to the editor: Our borders are not ‘open’
I’m sick and tired of all this “open borders” claptrap. Our borders haven’t been open since 1883. Instead, there is a mess at the border, and it’s been that way for decades. In 2006, a bipartisan group in the Senate drew up a reform plan, but Republican House members torpedoed...
Jonah Goldberg: Why ‘RINOs’ would fare better in the Senate midterms than Trump’s MAGA candidates
I’m a fan of ironic nicknames: big men named “Tiny,” bald dudes who go by “Curly,” etc. But, in politics, there’s no nickname more ironic than RINO, short for “Republican in Name Only.” Originally, it was supposed to describe Republicans who went along with Democrats for political expediency. In the...
Eric Felton: A comedic showdown in the Keystone State
For a dead serious election that may determine which party controls the Senate come 2023, the contest in Pennsylvania between hulking Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and slender celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz has its share of comic relief. Some of it is self-aware: Walking into a Philadelphia rec center gym for...
Letter to the editor: James should file charges against Biden
Why doesn’t New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose life’s work seems to be to persecute Donald Trump, file a civil (or criminal) lawsuit against President Biden for his failure to respond to the crisis at our southern border? It would make much more sense. Jerry Krajci Arnold...
Letter to the editor: Kudos to Hempfield’s players, coaches
Three cheers for Hempfield football and their recent success! Congratulations are not only due to the players and head coach Mike Brown, but big congrats are also due to defensive coordinator Ray Reitz and his son, Ryan. Ray brings a high level of accomplishment to the game, attributed to his...
Letter to the editor: Biden’s ship of fools
Well, America, the ship of fools is sailing full speed ahead with Captain Joe Biden at the helm. He’s filling your plate up with all his lies over the loudspeaker with things like the border is closed, we’re not in a recession, I’m making your lives better, I’m not responsible...
Editorial: Did GOP lawmakers overplay hand with amendment package?
Gov. Tom Wolf is taking a step back and following a new path in getting a Pennsylvania court to agree that a package of amendments proposed by the state Legislature didn’t play by the rules. The governor took the recommendation of the state Supreme Court and backtracked to take his...
Kathy English: Journalists must explain our work to our readers
Journalists do our jobs in the belief that journalism — at its best — matters to citizens the world over. As journalists around the globe unite today on this World News Day to proclaim publicly that journalism makes a difference, we must not turn away from the discouraging fact —...
Letter to the editor: Show patriotism by voting for those who accept election results, condemn Jan. 6
Republicans have a rare and unique opportunity to show their patriotism and love of American democracy in the 2022 elections by not casting ballots for any candidates who continue, all facts to the contrary, to deny the results of the 2020 presidential election. This includes gubernatorial candidate Sen. Doug Mastriano,...
