Opinion category, Page 17
Letter to the editor: Keep Pa.’s Supreme Court justices
The writer of the letter “Reject liberal Pa. Supreme Court judges” (Oct. 19, TribLive) seems to have swallowed the state Supreme Court retention blather hook, line and sinker. The “anti-retention” campaign is being spearheaded by Commonwealth Partners and financed by Jeffrey Yass. Yass is purported to be Pennsylvania’s richest citizen....
Editorial: Will promises ever be kept in the Hill District?
There was a time in the early part of the 20th century when a handful of Black neighborhoods in America blossomed in a celebration of culture, economy and expression. One of those was Pittsburgh’s Hill District. This month, the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame honored its inaugural class of regional history-makers....
Bruce Cooper: McCormick must support the Fix Our Forests Act
In recent years, summer in the U.S. has been blighted by wildfires. And as megafires grow, so does air pollution. Just this summer, we experienced air quality alerts in Western Pennsylvania because of the wildfires in Canada. Seeing our beautiful forests ravaged by wildfires is devastating and then there’s the...
David M. Drucker: We’ve reached peak whataboutism. It was a long time coming.
President Donald Trump commuted the seven-year federal prison sentence of acknowledged criminal George Santos because, as he explained in a Truth Social post, the disgraced former New York congressman “had the Courage, Conviction and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” Democrats are sticking by Jay Jones despite revelations that their nominee...
Joshua Pederson: Sam Altman’s terrible reason for letting ChatGPT talk to teens about suicide
Last month, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism held a hearing on what many consider to be an unfolding mental health crisis among teens. Two of the witnesses were parents of children who’d committed suicide in the last year, and both believed that AI chatbots played a significant...
Letter to the editor: The Trump hole gets deeper every day
In most cases I use this monthly allotment of space to rebut the people that support President Trump and his policies and actions. Not this month. Within Congress, those seated there who support Trump for their own good must be recalled at midterm elections. Trump himself must be handcuffed by...
Letter to the editor: Good luck, protesters
Thanks to the Trib’s pre-coverage of the No Kings rally — worth thousands in free advertising — I was able to attend the Oct. 18 event. While the crowd seemed pretty evenly split, the racist-fascist-Nazi-rapist-Hitler-deplorable signs definitely were the majority. I did my best to convince my fellow believers in...
Letter to the editor: Transparency, accountability matter in West Leechburg
Our community deserves transparency. Time and again, residents of West Leechburg have watched as decisions are made without full consideration of resident comment, discussions are cut short and legitimate concerns are brushed aside. Council meetings — which should be open, honest spaces for community dialogue — have instead become predictable...
Editorial: Most Americans don’t think Democrats or Republicans care about them
We spend a lot of time talking about the problem of polarization in today’s politics. If you get down to it, however, most of that happens, well, at the fringes — either end of the pole, if you will. What’s more normal, in our experience, is for the average American...
Letter to the editor: Pittsburgh could learn from Bannon’s strategy
Psychiatrists and people, alike, have asked the questions “What is sanity?” and “How do professionals in the field of mental health determine insanity?” Opinions are vague and many, but one thing is certain: Only a nut would explain to other people, lucid or otherwise, the substance of Steve Bannon’s strategy....
Editorial cartoons for the weekend of Oct. 27
Editorial cartoons for the weekend of Oct. 27....
Letter to the editor: Supporting rape crisis centers
I’m struggling to find the right words to thank you for your editorial “Rape crisis centers must be supported” (Oct. 18, TribLive). I think most survivors would agree that our stories are often doubted or dismissed. I had braced myself for that reaction again. So to see your editorial board...
Letter to the editor: Don’t be fooled by ads — vote to retain our justices
I object to the deceptive political ads being run to “term limit” three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices by voting “No” on their retention. Ads say the justices set free an unnamed convicted sex offender. The case was against Bill Cosby, and was overturned for denial of due process. District Attorney...
Editorial: Pa. Supreme Court retention is historically brutal fight
People talk a lot about “election years.” When they use that term, they usually mean the presidential elections that roll around every four years. Perhaps they mean the midterms — the largely legislative elections that come up every two years. Maybe they mean the years when gubernatorial elections are held...
Letter to the editor: Words still matter — especially for our kids
As a dad of three beautiful and bright children, I’m always amazed when I hear one of them say a new word. Whether it’s their first “dadda” or “momma” or something more sophisticated, it’s always a reminder: Language is learned through influence. Our children are influenced every day — by...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: What can we do in the face of hate? Look to Roosevelt.
According to a recent report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups in America has declined, but the influence of those that remain continues to grow. It seems that hate is more openly popular than ever, and no one has shown that better than President Donald...
Lionel Laurent: Louvre robbery gang used a brazen new criminal blueprintVideo
A ladder truck, an angle-grinder, a maxi-scooter and seven minutes. That appears to be all it took for thieves to nab priceless jewelry from the Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum. The vulnerability of this cornerstone of French soft power adds to the country’s sense of malaise, and fingers are being...
Counterpoint: Trump’s compact would cripple universities
Among the many dangerous actions President Donald Trump has taken, his push to force some of the country’s best universities into signing a sweeping federal “compact” ranks just behind his pardons for the Jan. 6 insurrectionists. The 10-part compact is a bizarre mix of bombast, authoritarianism and a few unremarkable...
Point: Trump to universities — olive branch compact or prosecution and defunding
American universities are at a crossroads. Their business model, which is overwhelmingly dependent on the twin pillars of federal grants and taxpayer-backed student loans, is failing in the face of declining public trust, financial malfeasance, a looming demographic cliff, and their publicly acknowledged discrimination, contrary to civil rights law. The...
Letter to the editor: Are we now OK with white supremacy?
I do not in any way believe that it is right to take someone’s life simply because they hold different views from mine. I believe our government officials should have a responsibility not only to uphold our Constitution but also to honor only those who support the fundamental principles and...
Letter to the editor: No Kings? No thanks.
I’m an advocate for the First Amendment with no holds barred, and I support the right to peacefully protest. But lately I need a whiteboard to follow the diversity of protests. The “No Kings” protests are now the hot ticket. Although I don’t remember a king being coronated, only a...
Editorial: The people have a right to know about government settlements
Legal settlements can be a locked box of information. In September, Reuters reported Tesla settled two cases regarding California crashes involving Autopilot software weeks after a $243 million award in a Florida case. Details in the California settlements were confidential. When it comes to a corporation, keeping details quiet can be...
Letter to the editor: Netanhayu and Trump
Israeli President Netanyahu sent the Israeli army into Gaza; President Trump sends troops into Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Memphis, Portland and Chicago. Netanyahu tried to starve out the Palestinians; Trump throws 500,000 Americans off food stamps. Netanyahu bombed hospitals, killing health care workers; Trump takes away health insurance from over...
Letter to the editor: Why I’ll never vote for a Democrat
I rarely respond directly to those on the political left who attack conservatives with childish, personal insults; I always try to offer factual information to explain my political views. So, instead of juvenile insults, I will proffer several reasons why I refuse to vote for Democrats; I could cite dozens,...
S.E. Cupp: Trump’s excesses enrich only him, not Americans
The White House is full of so much rich history and tradition — it helps tell the story of America itself. And it’s an incredibly impressive and intimidating venue for facilitating international diplomacy. President Trump understands the value of first impressions, even (and especially) if they’re not painting an accurate...
