Laurel: To being prepared. Two Philadelphia lawmakers introduced legislation in October to require school districts to stock naloxone — a medication that reverses an opioid overdose and can save lives.
A TribLive story revealed that many Southwestern Pennsylvania districts didn’t need a law passed. They already have naloxone on hand — some of them, like Penn-Trafford, have been doing so for more than a decade.
Even Burrell School District, where Superintendent Shannon Wagner says she has reservations about the proposed legislation, have naloxone in the hands of the school resource officer.
Perhaps the best news is that the issue has been a philosophical one so far. Despite availability, it is rarely used. In a state with 500 school districts and 1.7 million students, it was only administered 32 times in the 2023-24 school year.
That small sample doesn’t say it’s unnecessary. Like an airbag in a car, it’s an emergency measure that should always be ready and ideally never called into action.
Lance: To not being there. A military funeral is the last opportunity we have to show gratitude to someone who did their duty to their country, whether they were called up to serve or volunteered.
Sadly, the honors due to veterans are becoming harder to provide, as the honor guards for organizations like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars see their ranks thin.
Some groups, like American Legion Post 472 in Manor, no longer perform graveside services. They now have the people only to provide prayer services at funeral homes.
For some honor guard members, it is a lifetime calling. Navy veteran Rocco D’Astolfo, 86, has participated in about 4,000 military funerals over the past 50 years. For younger veterans, commitments to work and family can make it harder to be there.
This is not a shaming of youth. It is the reality of generations in transition. But it is also a reminder that service does not always look like deployment. Sometimes it looks like showing up, standing in formation, and making sure no one is laid to rest without the honor they earned.
