Letters to the Editor category, Page 265

I believe social distancing is an experiment on our emotional health. Humans need physical contact for our mental health, from babyhood through our adult lives. I fear social distancing will cause increases in spousal and child abuse, suicide, murders and other crimes. When scientists studied babies in Romanian orphanages whose...

I only wanted to be a cashier. Now I’m deemed essential. So I work, exhausted, on the “front lines,” praying I won’t bring covid-19 home. I only wanted to be a cashier. Now I must enforce social distancing. “Can you please step back?” I only wanted to be a cashier....

I, like most people, am becoming a shaggy dog. In watching news programs and political ads, I noticed that none of those people seems to need a haircut. I would really like to know where they are getting hair care. In a short time, I won’t be able to identify...

Considering the New Jersey Democratic Party once allowed a last-minute substitution on its 2002 Senate ballot because Robert Torricelli was involved in an ethics scandal and trailing badly to Republican Douglas Forrester, does anyone not believe that the Democratic National Committee will attempt the same malarkey due to grave concerns...

One of Pennsylvania’s best-kept secrets is a 9% tax on leased vehicles (in some counties it may be 10%). Having leased three vehicles in the last five years, it wasn’t until I returned my Nissan Rogue to the dealership and received a final disposition fee of $395 plus a tax...

The run for the White House is sealed. Until coronavirus arrived, things in the government were unsettled. As soon as politicians were aware of its seriousness, they started doing what they had to do. Our country was locked down, then the flow of money began to help with food, business...

To be or not to be, that is the question. This line of Shakespeare is the one that first comes to mind for most people. Prince Hamlet is musing on the comparison between the pain of life and the fear of the uncertainty of death and of possible damnation of...

Reading Deb Erdley’s article “State lawmakers say there is pain ahead as coronavirus restrictions begin to ease,” the following thoughts came into my mind: Before Pennsylvania politicians inflict any more pain on us in the form of more or higher taxes, they first must sell the turnpike and retail liquor...

Churches, schools, many stores and restaurants, car dealers, liquor stores,barber and beauty shops, and casinos were all closed for two months; there were no weddings or funerals with more than 10 people allowed. As of May 15, some but not all places are allowed to reopen. But life as we...

I was raised to believe God is everywhere. My mother always told me to say my prayers before I went to bed. My father was on his knees before he went to bed. Our home was not a church. You can thank God for your healthy parents or children and...

Before we offer up our “thoughts and prayers” for Ahmaud Arbery and his family (“Law enforcement ties, long delay complicate Ahmaud Arbery case”), perhaps we should think and pray about the fact that we live in a country where heavily armed white men storm state capitol buildings and are hailed...

The current school closures have created many challenges. Fortunately, with proper planning and a willingness to try new things, both students and teachers can succeed. I have been teaching online for almost 18 years. Teaching within the virtual environment has many benefits. Mostly, I enjoy teaching students from all across...

There are a number of extremely pertinent omissions in the article “Long-term care residents, employees to be tested weekly for covid-19, Gov. Wolf says” (May 12, TribLIVE). 1. Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine’s mother moved out of a personal care facility in January. This move should raise red...

China has a Great Wall but it is unfinished. The wall needs to continue until China is enclosed. Nothing in, nothing out. Let this communist country wither and die. Make no mistake: China is our No. 1 enemy, just as Germany and Japan were during World War II. If the...

The criticism of Gov. Tom Wolf by legislators, district attorneys and state representatives exposes the hypocrisy behind their “live free or die” recommendations that counties open businesses earlier than considered safe. We need to support leaders of courage who risk threats when they make unpopular, necessarily restrictive decisions. This virus...

Viruses are apolitical. They are only looking for a warm host. For those who insist on playing the red team/blue team card, claiming that Gov. Tom Wolf’s responses to the virus are part of a “vast left-wing conspiracy,” let’s look at how neighboring states led by Republican governors responded to...

Once this crazy time in our history stabilizes, the word “normal” will take on a radical, and sometimes alarming, new meaning. Consider this: The real estate industry will take a huge hit. Companies, realizing how efficient their operations run by everybody working from home, will reconsider why they lease so...

If the sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden has any truth to it, then maybe the right thing to do would be to nominate Nancy Pelosi for president and Andrew Cuomo for vice president. She is not at all intimidated by President Trump and would not let him get away...

Gov. Wolf arbitrarily shut down businesses and hence cut income to many Pennsylvanians, but true to the complete and ridiculous hypocrisy of the management of the crisis, the state never stopped running Pennsylvania Lottery TV ads. The new tag could be, “We know you don’t have a job or much...

For years Congress has taken its responsibility of being prepared for a pandemic like a game of hot potato. They have been kicking the can down the road to the next administration without any second thought of the consequences. This president found himself in the unenviable position of having to...

Regarding the editorial “Falling oil price shows high Pennsylvania gas tax” (April 21, TribLIVE): We all know gas tax and turnpike fees are outrageous in Pennsylvania. That’s not even in the equation. I filled up in Westmoreland County Easter Sunday for $1.59 on Interstate 70, then came back to Latrobe...

It is time for we the people of Pennsylvania to speak up. Tom Wolf has overstepped his role as governor. Our legislators, who write the laws of this state, have not written any laws for the closing of “non-essential” businesses. Our governor seems to have decided that he is the...

We must obey our governor or he will punish us. It would be for our own good. For our own safety. It matters not that the governor ordered thousands of businesses to close and forced over a million healthy workers out of jobs. It was for our own safety, and...

I believe there is a silver lining that resulted from the virus pandemic. Us soft, pampered Americans have had the benefit of actually living with some of the ills associated with socialism. • Politicians asking fellow citizens to snitch on each other for not complying with unconstitutional rules. • Long...

Spending time outdoors and walking in Dormont Park is a crucial part of the day to my household during this very difficult time. It’s important that we all have space to reset. We head outside to refresh, de-stress, and go for a run or a walk after being stuck in...