Opinion category, Page 465
Letter to the editor: Right-wing cesspool
Facebook went viral with the “Let’s go Brandon” saying, and I had no idea what they were talking about. It took a friend to tell me what it meant. It all started on Oct. 9, when NASCAR driver Brandon Brown won his first race in the Xfinity series at Alabama’s...
Mallard Fillmore for the week of Oct. 25
Mallard Fillmore for the week of Oct. 25....
Editorial cartoons for the week of Oct. 25
Editorial cartoons for the week of Oct. 25....
Mona Charen: Robert E. Lee doesn’t deserve a statue, but Thomas Jefferson does
In New York City, a statue of Thomas Jefferson has graced the City Council chamber for 100 years. Last week, the Public Design Commission voted unanimously to remove it. “Jefferson embodies some of the most shameful parts of our country’s history,” explained Adrienne Adams, a councilwoman from Queens. Assemblyman Charles...
Leonard Pitts Jr.: My people are Americans
I’ve got something to say about “you people.” That, as you may recall, was how I referred, in a recent column, to Mike Pence and others who have apparently sworn an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Florida taco bowl connoisseur who used to be president. It left a...
Chuck Bosetti: Normalization of deviance has caused a cultural schism in public safety
Functional public policy cannot be built on political paranoia. Sociologists tell us that when deviance from truth and humanism has slowly been normalized by prolonged ideological sophistry in our schools, government and interest groups, an inevitable conflict erupts. Can a “Public Witness” (PW), aided by Neighborhood Response Teams (NRT), separate...
Keith Rothfus: Tax increases could hurt Pa.’s economy, workers
President Biden’s and congressional liberals’ and progressives’ proposals to increase income taxes on businesses come at a time when Pennsylvanians are still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. Because of the pandemic, our state saw nearly one out of three businesses forced to close, the second-highest percentage among all states. The...
Letter to the editor: We need change for Norwin
For Norwin school board, I urge you to support candidates Alex Detschelt, Christine Baverso, Raymond Kocak and Shawna Ilagan. Each are parents with a vested interest in our children’s future and the only candidates who spoke out against mask mandates and school shutdowns while promoting five-day in-person learning. They have...
Letter to the editor: Don’t Republicans want to help struggling Americans?
Politicians feel beholden to vote the way their biggest and richest campaign donors want them to vote. More and more Republican donors are billionaires who are survival-of-the-fittest social Darwinists who would love to see all social safety-net programs that help the middle and lower classes be abolished. They also believe...
Letter to the editor: Let’s talk about CRT, not spread misinformation
In his letter “Keeping kids first in Norwin” (Oct. 18, TribLIVE), Norwin School Board member Pat Lynn concisely articulated the need to put children’s education above other divisive matters such as masking and taxation. I am in complete agreement. I wish also to point out he missed the third aspect...
Letter to the editor: Churchill residents understand effects of Amazon
In the ongoing Amazon Churchill saga, Hillwood (potential developer of the former Westinghouse R&D Center) invested large sums of time and money into discrediting some Churchill citizens who have contested “expert” testimony provided by Hillwood’s hired authorities. Recent documents submitted by Hillwood in public hearings blatantly suggest these residents are...
Letter to the editor: Pick Peck for district attorney
As a lifelong Republican, I’m calling on voters to ignore the party line in regards to the Westmoreland County district attorney race. Nicole Ziccarelli’s qualifications indicate that she is a sole practitioner, focusing on divorce and family law. She hosted a cooking and baking blog and worked as an intern...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: School boards always battlegrounds
“Whatever you do, do not run for the school board!” That’s usually the first advice from veteran politicians when young people ask them how to get into politics. It’s not just the minutiae-filled evening meetings that make it the wrong place to start a career in public service. School boards...
Sounding off: Support police? Support gun safety laws
In our area, there are many yard signs stating, “We Support Our Police.” Many of these households also feel that gun laws are an infringement of their rights. At the same time, we have the law-and-order Republican Party opposing gun safety laws. It is difficult to understand these contradictory positions....
Rep. Dan Frankel: Keep the culture wars out of the classroom, and let our teachers teach
House Republicans passed a uniquely bad bill this month, aiming to ensure than anyone, anywhere can scrutinize the educational materials used in your child’s Pennsylvania public school. The bill invites the same folks who have cast doubt on the moon landing and the 9/11 attack, the horrifying tragedy at Sandy...
John Longstreet: Restaurants still waiting for their drinks to-go
After a devastating 18 months filled with uncertainty and loss of business, Pennsylvania restaurants asked state lawmakers to throw them a lifeline. The request was simple: pass House Bill 1154, which would make cocktails to-go permanent and extend outdoor seating in the state. The bill initially garnered broad bipartisan support,...
Kliph Nesteroff: Cancel culture has always been a problem for comedy
Is freedom of speech evaporating from the world of comedy? We hear a familiar mantra whenever someone like Dave Chappelle comes under fire: You can’t joke about anything anymore. PC police. Cancel culture. People are too sensitive. But does this premise hold up to scrutiny? Studying history, it seems clear...
Letter to the editor: Nepotism in Yough must end
Yough School District voters: Our school district needs your help. As you may remember, the district’s hiring process was once corrupt with nepotism. For years, the district hired from a small group of people’s friends and family members. Growing up in the district and seeing the impact that this system...
Letter to editor: Norwin needs Republicans
In order to affect real change on the Norwin School Board and ensure public schools stay under the control of the public, we need to vote for all four Republican candidates, Christine Baverso, Alex Detschelt, Shawna Ilagan and Ray Kocak, on Nov. 2. Have you been happy with how the...
Editorial: Westmoreland County elections hiring could use some quality assurance
Westmoreland County has a new watchdog. The actual position is called quality assurance manager, but the general description of that kind of job is usually to watch what is happening and make sure it’s going according to plan. In a factory, quality assurance makes sure the computer or camera or...
Letter to the editor: In praise of judge Kevin Brobson
Judge Kevin Brobson has been on the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania since 2010. This court’s main purpose is to take government-related cases. Brobson has earned a reputation of holding the government accountable to the law. Of the judges in the Supreme Court race, Brobson has the most experience. Brobson does...
John Stossel: Hooray for the optimists
There’s so much negative news these days. I was glad to see that a new podcast, “American Optimist,” features good things that are coming. It’s hosted by Palantir founder and venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale. He interviews entrepreneurs like Sal Churi, who funds companies like Icon, which found a way to...
S.E. Cupp: Why Pete Buttigieg ought to be a hero to the right
Like so many issues corrupted by America’s increasing political extremism, the cartoonish contours of our public abortion debate belie the more benign, uncontroversial realities on the ground. For example, despite very loud attempts at turning abortions into celebratory occasions by some on the far left, most Americans do not believe...
Letter to the editor: Zappone and Mertz best for Greensburg
Understanding what’s best for Greensburg is simple. It’s voting for the two candidates from Greensburg who have spent each day talking with residents over the last four years. Much progress has been made in revitalization and clearing blight. Services have been maintained without a tax increase in very difficult times....
Letter to the editor: Ivermectin information slanted
The same misinformation being believed by some patients nationally is prevalent at home, too. They read in their trusted local newspaper slanted information which causes a thinking person to question what is going on. The article “’You can’t fix it with facts’: Doctors share patients’ excuses for covid vaccine refusal”...
