Opinion category, Page 257
Paul Kengor: Men who played — and questioned — God
The 20th century was known for some colossal figures in the sciences. One such figure is currently receiving a surge of interest: physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb. That’s because of a major new film by Christopher Nolan. The film has opened old debates about Oppenheimer’s...
Letter to the editor: Just say no to Hempfield’s high-priced high school
I read with dismay the articles involving Hempfield Area School District’s proposed new high school (“Hempfield high school project plan is millions of dollars over budget, must be revised,” Aug. 9, TribLIVE). Why does everything need to be bigger, better and beyond affordable? Help me understand. The average cost for...
Letter to the editor: Exercising rights can have consequences
Regarding the article “Norwin board member sues superintendent, district over criticism of social media post” (Aug. 9, TribLIVE): As a communications student at Clarion University, part of my graduation requirement was a class on communications and law. Granted, this was in the earlier years of social media, but one thing...
Editorial: District attorney should hold press conferences, not stage flat substitutes
There is a difference between being open to a free and transparent exchange of information and the pretense of being open. It might seem like a semantic argument — unless you have ever watched a Looney Tunes cartoon. Being open is like a train tunnel. The pretense? That is the...
Letter to the editor: Shapiro anti-choice?
I thought Gov. Josh Shapiro was for women’s choice and reproductive health? His decision to end the contract with Real Alternatives will harm tens of thousands of women and children who depend on the help they receive. A new study published in the journal Cureus found that two-thirds of women...
Jonah Goldberg: Small donors have become a destructive, dividing force in American politics
There’s an approach to political questions that the conservative in me rebels against. Let’s call it the “You can’t have too much of a good thing” fallacy. Almost every popular idea in American life has cheerleaders for this fallacy. You’ve surely heard someone say something like: “The only cure to...
Erika Strassburger and Josh Joswick: Better oversight of U.S. pipelines needed
An estimated 3 million miles of natural gas pipelines crisscross the U.S. When these pipelines leak, harmful pollutants are released that threaten our communities’ safety, exacerbate the climate crisis, and result in the loss and waste of a taxable public resource. And, as is often the case when it comes...
Letter to the editor: Missing honest news
Not so long ago, we would watch our local news programs daily (Remember Bill and Patti?). The reporting was generally honest and informative. Period. We would decide from what was reported what or what not we believed and react accordingly. Now, forget about it. We have 24/7 media, who I...
Letter to the editor: Setting record straight on Biden and his policies
There have been a few recent fact-free letters attacking President Joe Biden, as if he is the one being indicted for federal crimes, when in fact the attempts by Rep. James Comer to find fault with Biden have failed spectacularly. In the letter “Biden stinks and his policies stink” (Aug....
Editorial: Sydney Hovis should have dropped out before primary election
There are few hurdles to clear when running for a local or county office. Are you an adult? Are you a felon? With most positions, that’s about it. At the very least, that gets you to the next stage where you can circulate petitions and register your candidacy. It is...
Letter to the editor: Frackers are wasting our water
Late last month, state Sen. Kim Ward sent an email to her mailing list, urging her constituents to conserve water. “The Department of Environmental Protection declared a statewide drought watch, and is encouraging residents and businesses to voluntarily conserve water by reducing nonessential water use,” wrote Ward. One “nonessential use”...
Elwood Watson: Lizzo and the peril of celebrity culture
Voracious popular culture connoisseur that I am, I have been avidly following the drama surrounding pop icon Lizzo. As an academic who teaches race, gender and sexuality studies, for me, the story has all the intersectional elements that make for a riveting story. Over the past couple of weeks, the...
Cal Thomas: Arms or money for hostages — what’s the difference?
The Biden administration is transferring $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets in South Korea to an account in Qatar, which Iran will be able to access, in what appears to be an attempt to get Iran to release five imprisoned Americans. National Security Communications Coordinator John Kirby offered this twisted...
Chris Soriano: Ban ‘skill games’ that threaten public safety and Pa.’s gaming integrity
In my role at PENN Entertainment, I am charged with ensuring our company meets the appropriately high standards required to earn and retain a gaming license in every jurisdiction in which we operate. At our four properties across the commonwealth, we aren’t simply running casinos — we are providing an...
Letter to the editor: Letters should foster discussion
Regarding the letter “Biden stinks and his policies stink” (Aug. 7, TribLIVE): I hope that you had more interesting things to publish than this thoughtless writing. Clearly the writer has a global dislike for all things President Biden, but there are no facts there to stimulate a new way of...
Letter to the editor: Making Pittsburgh greener
As a resident of Homewood, I am passionate about Pittsburgh’s future and its impact on our community. To achieve a greener, more inclusive city, we must prioritize accessible, equitable mobility over corporate profit and private transportation. Embracing net-zero cars and buses while addressing first- and last-mile gaps in public transit...
Editorial: Plum house explosion response shows value of good neighbors
Sometimes the people who live near us are just people who happen to occupy the same street. We don’t open doors the way we once did. We don’t bring over a batch of cookies when someone moves in next door. But bad things have a way of bringing out the...
Letter to the editor: Solving the problem of expensive education
It’s no secret that college tuitions are skyrocketing. The University of Pittsburgh recently increased its tuition for in-state students by 2%, and 7% for out-of-state students. In the 2021-22 school year, tuitions ranged for public college in-state students from $10,740, to $38,070 at private colleges. The average living cost for...
Tom Purcell: Paying attention pays off
Declining attention spans have reached epidemic levels. That’s what Adam Brown, co-director of the Center for Attention, Learning and Memory at St. Bonaventure University in New York, tells Time. That’s certainly the case with me. As I struggled to write the first three paragraphs of this column, I searched autotrader.com...
E.J. Antoni: Default by another name — why U.S. debt deserved a downgrade
Trust is always harder to build than to destroy, and that’s true for financial markets, too. The U.S. has borrowed tens of trillions of dollars and promised to pay it back, but investors have become increasingly skeptical. On Aug. 1, U.S. debt received a downgrade, meaning the Treasury appears less...
Timothy J. Kunselman: Our division, extremism are costing us
I’m sure I’m not the only one who sees this — that we keep making the same mistakes, over and over again. Ours is a country in which many amazing and good things have taken place and which continue to happen. A pandemic strikes and a vaccine is developed in...
Letter to the editor: Human remains should not be used as entertainment
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s decision to remove human remains from public display is a step toward a future of peace in our world. The basis of all human culture is the primacy of human life; not just human life in present times or in technologically advanced societies, but...
Letter to the editor: Republicans, don’t back Trump
This letter is to all my fellow Republicans who have concluded that they cannot vote again for President Trump. There are many reasons why I cannot vote for him, but three come to mind: 1. He failed to take any action during the Jan. 6 mob action to keep the...
Editorial: Get budget passed before recess
The state Senate ended a needless 34-day delay in passing the state budget when Majority Leader Kim Ward, a Hempfield Republican, interrupted the chamber’s unduly long summer recess Aug. 2. Ward reconvened the chamber, which already had passed the budget, to enable Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, the Senate president, to...
Letter to the editor: Bushy Run battle disaster
I have attended many Bushy Run events where the battle reenactment was always the primary reason for my visit. When I arrived Aug. 5, I learned the first battle was scheduled for 1 p.m. At 12:30 p.m., I was at the museum parking lot. A column of British soldiers marched...
