Opinion category, Page 507
Editorial: John Woodruff, the Olympian from Connellsville who paved the way
The Olympics has a way of focusing attention on the newest crop of athletes at the forefront of their sports. Today’s winners are pushing the boundaries of speed and skill, advancing each event further than it had been stretched before. But it is just as important to remember that the...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Truth matters, and it’s worth fighting for
Not long after the end of his second term in the White House, Ulysses S. Grant left for a world tour, during which he was celebrated by kings and political leaders and common folk. In Germany, after being introduced as the man who saved the Union, Grant set the record...
Editorial: In opioid addiction battle, no room for rivalries
Pennsylvania, like the rest of the nation, has a deadly addiction problem that is getting worse. Overdose deaths rose 29.4% nationwide in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 93,331 deaths were dominated by one category of drugs. Opioids claimed 69,710 American lives. It’s the kind...
Letter to the editor: Partisan demands regarding Jan. 6
Letter-writer Leonard Stanga’s “demands” have already been met, with investigations finding no wrongdoing (“Bidens, Babbitt shooting should be investigated,” June 7, TribLIVE). Repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is a symptom of insanity. As for Jan. 6, Stanga’s “demands” are extremely partisan — investigate...
Letter to the editor: Olympian’s action shameful
Recently I watched Olympic hopeful Gwen Berry turn her back to the American flag while the national anthem was being played. The other women stood at attention with their hands over their hearts with respect for the country they represent. Here’s my take on this action: If you want to...
Letter to the editor: Media’s leftist narrative
The Associated Press article “In Trump’s Jan. 6 recast, attackers become martyrs, heroes” (July 18, TribLIVE) could be a playbook for how the AP covers all left-wing protests: “a basic formula of potent propaganda through the ages.” Last summer, while we watched newscasts in scores of American cities with buildings...
John Stossel: Politicians’ endless rules
Politicians just don’t learn. People die as police fight drug dealers. Marijuana dealers form gangs and fight among themselves. It’s so stupid. Especially because marijuana is relatively harmless. Finally, some states legalized it, hoping to put an end to the black market. But legalization hasn’t ended the violence. Why? Because...
Mona Charen: Cheney and Kinzinger may be too late
I wish I could be a Cheney fan. I really do. Rep. Liz Cheney has conducted herself honorably for the past nine months. Her courage in telling the truth about the election and the insurrection of Jan. 6 has been punished by the Republican conference, which booted her from leadership...
Jonah Goldberg: New mask requirement would be a bridge too far
The CDC wants us to go back to wearing masks indoors, even if you’ve been vaccinated. This is where I get off. If you’ll forgive a little testifying, I’ve tried hard to be reasonable throughout the pandemic. I’ve bent over backward to give public officials the benefit of the doubt...
Adam Marles: Wolf doubles down on nursing home crisis of his creation
Everyone knows America is experiencing a hiring crisis. Many local restaurants and stores are struggling to find staff to open. Now imagine running a nursing home, where the pandemic remains a real threat, and trying to retain and find new employees. Even if you could find potential candidates, nursing homes...
John Allison: Jury duty, the (possible) antidote to civic despair
American democracy has been taking a beating lately. When people are feeling lousy about their country, experts usually recommend civic pick-me-ups to alleviate the aches and pains. Attend a veterans parade. Play bingo at a volunteer fire department. Witness a Blue Angels air show. All of those are nice, and...
Letter to the editor: What God gives, he can take away
When you hear it said that “we” stole the land from the indigenous people, it’s not true. We are only sharecroppers. Read 2 Chronicles 20:6 and Deuteronomy 6:10-11. And, what God gives, he can take away, if and when a nation turns their back on him. “Let us pray.” Margaret...
Letter to the editor: NEA’s critical race theory push
In the article “Critical race theory: What it is, what it isn’t, and what it means for education in Pennsylvania” (July 15, TribLIVE), it is amazing that the National Education Association’s position on the issue was not disclosed. But it could have been. Just prior to Independence Day, the NEA...
Lori Falce: Billionaire space race short on legacy
They say money can’t buy happiness, and that might be true. I could argue not having to check my bank balance before I order pizza could make me pretty happy, but hey, I’m willing to believe the rich have their own struggles. I’ll never know the terrible pain of a...
Letter to the editor: No debate — fascism spawned by the right
Letter-writer Dr. Joel I. Last (“In defense of D’Souza,” June 15, TribLIVE) needs to give it up. He champions this wacky, revisionist theory that since Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers’ Party contains the word “socialist,” then the Nazis were creatures of the political left. This is like saying the Democratic...
Laurels & lances: Plans, a loss and green beast
Laurel: To open doors. The Greensburg YMCA will not be closing. At least not for the next year. That promise was made Tuesday when YMCA leaders announced an 18-month plan to keep the organization alive. “We’re not looking anytime soon to lose this Y. The goal is not to close...
State Sen. Dan Laughlin: ‘Audit’ the 2020 election results? Let’s be real Republicans.
The emerging spectacle of a state senator trying to audit Pennsylvania’s 2020 election absent credible evidence of fraud isn’t going to change the 2020 outcome and will only further the paranoid atmospherics, poisoning both parties. I’m a Republican. I believe in my party’s core values: personal liberty, free markets and...
Colin McNickle: A cautionary tale as Pa.’s tax collections rebound
It might be tempting to pronounce Pennsylvania’s economy as “recovered” as revenues rush into state tax coffers with the many effects of the coronavirus pandemic waning. Tempting, but not necessarily wise, concludes an analysis by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. For the impetus for “recovery” has been, in no...
S.E. Cupp: Officers’ testimony at Jan. 6 hearing exposes GOP’s shame
As anyone who lived through it can tell you, the scars of 9/11 do not fade with time. Twenty years later, I’m still angry and heartbroken over what happened that day, changed forever by what I saw. When I close my eyes and imagine the New York City skyline I...
Letter to the editor: Looking back at media coverage of Democrats
Imagine if the Democratic National Committee could go back in time a few years and rewrite every news article written and spoken by the mainstream media so they were favorable to Democrats and hostile to Republicans. Would any word need changed? Thomas Wagner Murrysville...
Editorial: Let small businesses set their own covid sick-leave policies
The last year or so has been some big trouble for small businesses. It wasn’t unexpected. When stay-at-home orders were issued and capacity restrictions put in place because of the pandemic, everyone knew businesses would be hit hard. That’s why $10 billion was included for them in the federal CARES...
Letter to the editor: Positive stories, photos lift spirits
Reading the paper can be depressing and heartbreaking at times, but two things recently lifted my spirits. First was the article about Dominic Dean (“Food passion fuels Milwaukee teen’s restaurant review success, leads to Primanti Bros. visit,” July 1, TribLIVE), and especially how his teacher recognized his interests and thought...
Letter to the editor: School taxes unfair to the elderly, childless
Dear Greater Latrobe School Board: How dare you ask for a tax increase, especially from those of us without children (“Greater Latrobe OKs 1 mill tax hike, hears more concerns about future of foreign languages” (June 16, TribLIVE)? Most elderly and childless folks received nothing in incentives this year while...
Letter to the editor: Poor suffering under Biden’s tax plans
In response to Al Duerig’s letter “Who really benefits from Biden’s tax plans” (July 12, TribLIVE): President Biden is taxing the poor right now. In lockstep coordination with the Federal Reserve, inflation is ruining the purchasing power of the poorest Americans, with senior citizens, single mothers and minorities being hit...
Letter to the editor: Not all Dems always vote Democrat
Letter-writer Bob McBride (“Useful idiots of Democratic Party,” May 27, TribLIVE) assumes that many Trib letter-writers watch CNN or other “fake” news. As I see it, Rush Limbaugh was the king of fake and trash news. Donald Trump spread fake news long before and during his presidency, and continues to...
