Opinion category, Page 647
Joseph Sabino Mistick: One more Civil War battle
The death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer has sparked a national examination of conscience that has Americans marching in our streets and demanding an end to systemic racism. Criminal justice and police practices are the top candidates for immediate change. But so much has...
Editorial: Modern fatherhood may have a new look, but the bond endures
Fatherhood isn’t what it once was, people say. In days gone by, a father was the man of the family who went away to war or spent the day working the fields or left in the morning for some other job. At home he was the decision-maker and the disciplinarian....
Sounding off: Stop being selfish and wear your mask
This is a reminder to those of you who seem to have forgotten your masks since “going green” to continue wearing your face covering into the store and not below your nose — or even worse, not at all. The Centers for Disease Control recommends wearing a cloth face covering...
Letter to the editor: Mask-wearers listen to experts, not politicians
Letter-writer Kathleen Bollinger (“Health care and mask mandates,” June 11, TribLIVE) referred to those of us who wear masks as “sheep.” Ms. Bollinger, the only real sheep in this country are those who blindly follow President Trump to the edge of the cliff, no matter what he says or does....
Letter to the editor: Politics, not racism, is to blame
I don’t blame innercity communities for their anger, outrage and hopelessness. I’d be angry, too, if my children were forced into failing public schools. I’d be outraged, too, if my community had rampant crime and criminal cops. I’d be hopeless, too, if I were stuck on welfare because of the...
Letter to the editor: Let’s reform our citizens, too
Regarding the article “Community activists outline demands for police reform in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County” (June 15, TribLIVE): This talk about defunding police and reform makes me wonder why isn’t there a call for citizens reform as well. Maybe it’s time to examine how citizens commit crimes, assault officers, swear at...
Editorial: Summer fun is up to us
Ah, summer. The start of the season is officially here, although that might seem hard to believe. When Pennsylvania went into coronavirus lockdowns back in March, it was still winter. Spring hadn’t yet sprung and that whole season passed while we sat behind closed doors, hoarding toilet paper and baking...
Walter Williams: Black people bear ultimate cost of rioting
No decent person can support George Floyd’s mistreatment, or the mistreatment of anyone else, at the hands of police officers with the sworn duty to uphold the law. The Minneapolis authorities moved quickly, and Derek Chauvin was fired from the Minneapolis police department, placed under arrest and charged with second-degree...
John Stossel: Police unions and bad cops
For my internet video this week, my staff showed me clips of violent cops. It’s not just Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes — it’s the other cops who just watch. It’s the Buffalo cops who floored a protester and simply walked by as he...
Letter to the editor: Gov. Wolf should open all of Pa.
There she stood as beautiful as the day she was born. Her long brown hair flowing down her back. Her eyes glistening in the fluorescent light. A smile lighting up her face as the long, shiny, coral gown touched the floor and accentuated her lovely figure. That was March 3,...
Letter to the editor: Joe Biden will unite us
Joe Biden knows that Americans want the truth. Abraham Lincoln and FDR led our country through our darkest days by telling the truth and explaining their plans to see us through. Leaders tell the truth. As the covid-19 global pandemic continues without treatments or vaccines on the horizon, President Trump...
Letter to the editor: Trump gets things done
Talk, talk, talk. That is all we have heard from politicians for decades. They mimic whatever is being said by the loudest citizens. The louder the shouting, right or wrong, the louder the political talk becomes. Of course, when all is said and done, the politicians don’t really believe what...
Devin Reaves: We can’t have black liberation without ending War on Drugs
As a black man in America, I live in constant fear, and as a leader of an organization that aims to end the war on drugs in Pennsylvania, I also have tremendous fear for people who use drugs — especially those of us who are black and brown. What we...
Laurels & lances: Kids, jobs, parks and options
Laurel: To students making noise. They say kids should be seen and not heard, but Greensburg-Salem students recently raised their voices (and instruments) in protest of cuts to the district’s elementary music program. First, it’s great that the kids are sticking up for role the arts plays in education. Good...
Lori Falce: Why keep Facebook friends you don’t agree with?
I know a lot of people who measure the people they know on social media by the company they keep. It is easy to be accused of guilt by association if someone doesn’t believe the same things you do in a cyber landscape where everyone seems to be wearing gang...
Michael Krancer: Clarifications to EPA’s cost-benefit analysis will protect Pa.’s environment and businesses
Recent history in Pennsylvania has shown that it’s possible to grow our energy economy and make important environmental gains. During my time as secretary of our state’s Department of Environmental Protection, for example, Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry grew significantly, created unprecedented job growth and lowered costs for consumers, while harmful...
Letter to the editor: Senior drivers should be tested every year
How many more people are going to be hurt or killed by elderly drivers before something is done? Untold damage is done because they thought they were in drive, or couldn’t tell the brake pedal from the gas pedal. As a senior citizen myself, I would have no problem with...
Letter to the editor: Remembering a brother veteran
The name of U.S. Marine Corps veteran Tom Watkins of Jeannette was not listed in the Memorial Day paid advertisement honoring veterans who died in the past year. Tom, who died Jan. 3, served honorably and faithfully during the Korean War. RIP, brother. Semper fi. Don Tasser Unity...
Letter to the editor: Murrysville police devoted, professional
Being new to the Murrysville area, I was surprised to see the Black Lives Matter march organized by Aryanna Hunter that shut down Old William Penn Highway on June 14 (“More than 100 turn out for Murrysville Black Lives Matter support walk,” June 14, TribLIVE). It is unfortunate, indeed, when...
Letter to the editor: Gov. Tom Wolf’s actions are warranted
I find it hilarious that Don Walzack wrote in his letter “Gov. Wolf ignores citizens’ wishes” that the governor should abide by primarily Republican representatives’ call to drop his emergency declaration on enforcing public health safety rules for the pandemic. Does Walczak not see the gradual decline of new cases...
Letter to the editor: We must end Trump nightmare
One of the most important duties of a president is to set an example for all to see. The sight of President Trump refusing to wear a mask should be an insult to all Americans, who are supposed to put one on every time they go into a business or...
Letter to the editor: Why Trump succeeds
The supercilious media owners and their sycophant reporters who spout left-wing, Ivy League diatribe cannot believe a brazen plutocrat was elected president. He has proposed legislation and enacted policies that coincide with the desires of his electorate. They are tired of smiling, supercilious sycophants who spout cliches such as “They...
Editorial: Voluntary layoffs seem smart for ATI
Layoffs are never easy. Whether they are about a company closing down entirely, stepping back from the size and scope it once had or just going through a temporary downturn, layoffs are tough on everyone. They hit with the iron fist of being fired but wrapped in the velvet glove...
Colin McNickle: Addressing Pa.’s ‘lasting economic scars’
Pennsylvania’s general fund coffers took a major hit because of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. But the full scope might not be evident until next year, and state government must take serious steps to facilitate recovery, concludes a new analysis by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. “The pandemic of 2020...
Letter to the editor: Kindness to ducks a light in darkness
The story “South Greensburg firefighters, public works crew rescue 8 ducklings from storm drain” (June 10, TribLIVE) brought a smile to my lips and a lump to my throat. Kudos to those who went out of their way to rescue these helpless creatures. Their act of kindness is a bright...
