Featured Commentary category, Page 37
Amber Bloom: Paying student teachers stipends is a win-win
As the daughter of a sixth grade teacher, I’ve grown up surrounded by educators. Ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to follow in my mom’s footsteps and become a teacher myself. I’m very clear on my purpose in life: it’s to serve my students. But as a college student...
Jess Ward and Mattias Gugel: Pa.’s swipe fee cap — more harm than good for small businesses
The latest legislative misstep in Pennsylvania, HB 2394, aims to prohibit financial institutions from charging interchange fees on the sales tax portion of credit card and debit card transactions. While the intent to lower business costs is laudable, the execution is as ineffective as a Hershey’s chocolate teapot. Lawmakers are...
Guy Ciarrocchi: Rural Pa. can thrive, not just survive
When it comes to rural Pennsylvania, reporters have focused on three issues: the pace of rural population loss, what happens when these communities hit rock bottom and if anything can be done. The last point — what can be done — is the key challenge faced by rural communities. But...
Robin Abcarian: Surgeon general acknowledged America’s gun violence emergency. Here’s why that matters.
Hey, cheer up: The news is not all bad. The federal government acknowledged for the first time last month that gun violence is an urgent public health crisis. You already knew that, of course. We all knew it. But, thanks to the gun lobby’s stranglehold on our political class, it’s...
M.K. Swartsfager: A table set for four
We can’t blame our government or the political parties, at least not entirely, for the mess we are in. Most view the government as composed of three branches, but the constitutional system requires not only the legislative, executive and judicial powers, but the constant participation of the people from whom...
Counterpoint: Extreme inequality is the real threat to free speech
I was a student in the late 2000s when I had my first brush with “cancel culture.” A campus group had invited Nick Griffin — a racist Holocaust denier and leader of a fascist British political party, among other charming things — to speak. Many shocked students, including me, called...
Point: Robust speech is necessary for a healthy democracy
Debate is healthy for a democratic society. Vigorous exchanges cause people to confront unorthodox ideas, examine their beliefs and develop informed opinions. Robust speech is akin to exercise machines in the gym: a tool to build democratic muscles and endurance. Unfortunately, in the wake of protests over the Israel-Hamas war,...
Rachel Marsden: Here’s who should replace Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket
PARIS A whopping 51 million viewers tuned into CNN for the debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, probably in many cases for the same reason that folks enjoy watching NASCAR races. There’s always a risk of a spectacular crash. But what happened here was that the...
Matthew Wilson: Supporting ‘democracy’ is hard for many who feel government and the economy are failing them
Americans, it seems, can both value the idea of democracy and not support it in practice. Since 2016, academics and journalists have expressed concerns that formerly secure democracies are becoming less democratic. Different measures of democracy, such as scores produced by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Freedom House and the Varieties...
Greg Fulton: Pirates need Roy Hobbs
It’s been a rough several years for the Pirates. Since 2015, the last time the Bucs were in the playoffs, they have had only one winning season. In two of those years, they lost more than 100 games. The Pirates are below .500, and it’s fairly likely that they won’t...
Dr. David Macpherson: The president must step aside
Last week’s presidential debate left a very hollow feeling in my gut. I am a lifelong Democrat and have been an ardent supporter of President Biden. I believe he’s done a great job. But as much as I’d like to tout his past accomplishments, the focus must be on the...
Sarika Pruthi and Arushi Parnika Kharbanda: Mass consumerism and the hypocrisy of Gen Z
California lawmakers recently approved two bills banning grocery and convenience stores statewide from offering customers reusable plastic bags. These bills are the next step in combating plastic waste, but what about the waste from mass consumerism that has come to pervade our lives? Through the past decades, we have been...
Claudine Schneider: Happy Birthday, America. Will it be happy in 2025?
When it comes to secular holidays in the United States, it’s hard to beat the Fourth of July. The country turns out for picnics, parades and mosquito bites at dusk as families await the fireworks. There is much to celebrate this week. We are 248 years old and the longest...
Commentary: The great powers are itching for another nuclear arms race. Who will stop them?
In early June, the Biden administration announced a more “competitive” nuclear weapons strategy, after Moscow and Beijing reportedly spurned U.S. efforts to discuss arms control. The new approach includes the possibility of increasing America’s deployment of strategic nuclear weapons. The administration’s more muscular stance may be only a small down...
Carl P. Leubsdorf: Expect another closely divided Congress
After two years of bitter congressional conflict, both parties are spending hundreds of millions of dollars in hopes of gaining working majorities in next year’s session. But it’s a long shot — for both. More probably, 2025 will again see divisions in both houses so slender that the party winning...
Nicole Molinaro and Josh Fleitman: Supreme Court gives Pa. way to stop domestic violence killings
Amid a deluge of decisions handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court, one recent ruling stands out as good news for those seeking to protect domestic violence survivors and others from fatal shootings. And it also shines as a beacon of hope for even stronger safety protections in the future....
Steve Lopez: How’d the grandpa debaters do? 3 experts on aging size up Biden, Trump
Not a good night for Biden. Not a proud night for Trump. A sad night for the United States. That’s my take after watching the presidential debate, but I didn’t watch alone. I enlisted three experts on aging to share their observations. I was focused on a single question while...
Chris Antypas: Only PBM reform can save Pa. pharmacies from closure crisis
We haven’t even crossed the midway point of 2024, and more than 140 pharmacies have closed in Pennsylvania since we began the year, and countless local jobs have been lost. Sadly, there aren’t any signs this trend will slow down anytime soon until Pennsylvania enacts comprehensive pharmacy benefit manager (PBM)...
Elwood Watson: The Ten Commandments and the creep of Christian nationalism
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry was brimming with pride and arrogance last week when he signed into law a requirement that every classroom in his state — from kindergarten to college chemistry labs — will be required to display a copy of the Ten Commandments. “I can’t wait to be sued,”...
Heather Visnesky: Solving our child-care crisis
As a working parent, I understand the importance of high-quality, consistent early childhood educators. When my oldest child was born, my husband and I soon realized that the cost of quality child care was nearly equal to my take-home salary. The math just was not mathing, so we made the...
Sean O’Keefe: The Reaganesque candidate in 2024 isn’t a Republican
Republicans like me, loyal to principles over individuals, are grateful to see Reaganesque qualities in a candidate running for president in 2024. It would surprise and disappoint President Reagan, however, that it’s not the candidate on the GOP ticket. It is President Biden who, like Reagan, often demonstrates moral and...
Dan DeBone: Securing funding for Pa.’s critical bridge improvements
Bridges provide crucial access between regions and cities, linking workers to jobs, goods to markets and people to essential services. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), transportation agencies need $70.9 billion to overcome the current backlog of deficient bridges. This investment would be money well spent, as poor bridge...
Joe Massaro: Shapiro’s proposed investment in Pa.’s trail system will boost economic development
As Pennsylvania competes with surrounding states to attract tourists, it’s important we remain competitive in as many areas as possible. Outdoor recreation and tourism are linked, especially in a state like Pennsylvania. And enhancements in outdoor infrastructure have far-reaching positive impacts on our communities and economies. This is why the...
Rev. Martin Bartel: Where are you, America?
The Scripture readings prescribed for worship in my faith tradition on a recent Sunday included, “The Lord God called to the man and asked him, ‘Where are you?’ ” (Gen 3:9) This is the first recorded question posed by God; it must therefore be critical. Adam answers, “I hid myself,”...
Nolan Finley: Keep the fear, give us hope
What are people looking for in their darkest hour, when they are frightened, angry, frustrated and uncertain whether the coming years will be better or worse? Hope. They want something to believe in, a message that will lift their spirits and rally them to a vision of a brighter future....
