Editorials category, Page 31
Editorial: Pennsylvania teachers should be able to wear their faith
For 74 years, Pennsylvania public school teachers could be penalized for wearing a cross or a crucifix, a Star of David or a crescent moon hanging from a necklace. There could be no symbols for any religion on clothing or jewelry because of a law passed in 1949. That will...
Editorial: John Fetterman, Summer Lee and the Israel-Hamas war
You might not think a war almost 6,000 miles away could have much of an effect on politicians in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Then again, politics is stitched into the fabric of everything these days. You cannot drink a beer, read a book or watch a football game without making a partisan...
Editorial: It’s your turn, voters
OK, we did our part. We covered the issues in the Allegheny County executive race as it will hand off to the first new person in 12 years. We have been there for the developments in the Westmoreland County commissioners’ offices as one commissioner stepped down, one of the challenging...
Editorial: The Frick makes right call rescheduling Islamic art exhibition
Exposure to other cultures is the best way to bring down the walls between them. Particularly when things are tense, learning more about the people around us can be the best bridge to peace. Being afraid of that exposure just encourages a sense of foreignness — an idea of us...
Editorial: Is Shapiro’s voluntary agreement with CNX the right move for gas well safety?
We do not trust foxes to guard henhouses. That makes sense. Foxes have a vested interest in chicken coops being as unsecured as possible. A few missing birds may occur under the best circumstances, but if the foxes are in charge, who protects the chickens from the guards? Is Pennsylvania...
Editorial: Independence has rose-colored glasses for Excela’s red-ink report
The idea was to save money while still doing the job. That was what then-Excela Health CEO John Sphon, now retired, said in June 2022 when the Greensburg-based hospital network and Butler Health System announced their merger. “We believe strongly that our new partnership will extend our intellectual and financial...
Laurels & lances: Giving back & letting go
Laurel: To a spirit of giving. Now that the Halloween candy has been eaten — what, you still have some left? — and the plastic skeletons put away, many people are turning their thoughts to the season of holidays that march from now until Jan. 1. One part of those...
Editorial: We must get the Americans out of Gaza
It’s a fundamental responsibility of government to come to the aid of American citizens in peril overseas. That’s why the U.S. traded the release from prison of the notorious Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer, for the release from Russia of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, who then revised her...
Editorial: Better support for moms helps babies
A baby is a reason to celebrate. From the moment a couple gets the good news, it can be all about looking forward to the happy event. Creative pregnancy announcements. Gender reveal parties. Showers and ultrasounds and names. But not every pregnancy ends in that kind of joy. While much...
Editorial: Rating system needs work, but so do nursing homes
“Better than nothing.” That’s the sort of halfhearted review you expect to see on an unimpressive restaurant or a serviceable but underwhelming hotel. It speaks of an experience that is, at best, the bare minimum but quite possibly far less. It is an option of last resort — the best...
Editorial: Meta lawsuit is only part of necessary actions on social media
The words “world wide web” were first used in 1989 to described the way data could be not only shared but also woven from one user to another. It was about computers being the loom that created an orderly process of connections. Perhaps the name should have been saved. It...
Editorial: Should Pennsylvania require schools to have armed security?
Whether we are talking about individual incidents or the attacks with high casualty numbers like those in Uvalde, Texas, or Newtown, Conn., everyone agrees that children should be safe at school. They just don’t agree on how to make that happen. Some want more gun control. Some want more mental...
Editorial: Is a coed Kiski School really that awful?
In fall 2024, The Kiski School will be welcoming girls. But will it really? The school administration announced the move this month, with Head of School Christopher Brueningsen saying “maintaining enrollment has been challenging.” It’s not just a Kiski problem. It’s an issue in single-sex boarding schools in general, which...
Laurels & lances: Cold cases and bag bans
Laurel: To pursuit of truth. Sometimes what you need to find the answer is a new pair of eyes. Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli is putting some cold cases in front of at least 23 pairs of eyes. On Tuesday, Ziccarelli announced the impaneling of an investigative grand jury,...
Editorial: Are later school start times really what’s best?
State Rep. Jill Cooper wants to introduce legislation that would set a minimum start time for Pennsylvania schools. The idea is grounded in science. There is plenty of research that advocates for more sleep for children, particularly high school students. “There is a consensus in the medical community that a...
Editorial: Get the info you need to make good voting choices
Pennsylvanians are in the prime political endorsement window for the general election. With the polls opening Nov. 7 and so many mail-in voters already considering their ballots, many organizations and news agencies are taking this time to put a stamp of approval on a particular candidate in this race or...
Editorial: VA needs more than a review in wake of veteran suicide at facility
Suicide is a word people dance around. There is fear that it is part contagion that can spread if given too much exposure. There can be an idea that talking about it can give people ideas. While it is tempting to dismiss these as urban legends, there is data from...
Editorial: Media not alone in questioning Aspinwall’s media policy
There is a difference between your mom’s house rules and your government’s requirements. A parent can make things up on the fly, improvising without worrying about any kind of appeal. Question the decree and you risk running into the insurmountable endgame response: “Because I said so, that’s why!” Government certainly...
Editorial: Shapiro fails on transparency with staffer harassment complaint
Quiet, private ends to potentially messy lawsuits or conflicts are common. They happen in entertainment. Nondisclosure agreements were wielded by convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein, with The New York Times documenting at least eight women. Bill Cosby accuser Andrea Constand’s NDA was a sticking point in the criminal case against the...
Editorial: Elections board owed voters a real vote on drop box
If you were planning to drop off your ballot at the Westmoreland County Courthouse for the general election this year, you are going to have to switch things up. The three-member elections board has rejected the idea of placing a drop box for mail-in ballots in the courthouse lobby. The...
Laurels & lances: Board members & big screens
Laurel: To a full board. After two months of stalemates, Norwin School Board is poised to be able to accomplish things again. On Monday, Matthew Thomas, 49, of North Huntingdon was named as the replacement for board member Joanna Jordan, who died in August. Thomas was appointed by Westmoreland County...
Editorial: Hydrogen hubs coming, and that’s a positive
A summer with record high temperatures — attributed by most experts to anthropogenic climate change — once again drove home the need for this planet to break its fossil fuel habit. While we need to make that transition as quickly as possible, we also need to be mindful — especially...
Editorial: Ghost poles bill would exorcise utility danger
Utility poles make so many things possible. The National Electrical Safety Code says the standard height of the poles is 35 feet. They serve as the intersections for the utilities supporting modern life. They can carry various kinds of electrical lines, from the highest powered transmission lines to industrial lines...
Editorial: Can courthouse be the anchor store for Downtown Greensburg?
In a mall, the little shops that dotted the wide corridors made the experience entertaining for many. The trip might not have seemed complete without a pretzel from a kiosk or browsing the cheap costume jewelry at a spot where you could also get your ears pierced. But the big...
Editorial: Is there a bad guy in PNC Bank layoffs?
Layoffs are an unfortunate reality of doing business. They happen for lots of reasons. They may be due to cash flow problems. They might stem from the seasonal nature of an industry. Sometimes they are just about trying to trim the fat as close to the bone as possible to...
