Letters to the Editor category, Page 277

Neither the U.S. Constitution nor state constitutions provide for their own suspension. In 1866, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the still-standing Ex parte Milligan that the U.S. Constitution is the supreme law protecting all people in both war and peace and under all circumstances. It also states that none...

Does anyone really believe that this coronavirus will diminish enough by Easter to send people back to work, open churches and let our children go back to school? President Trump seems to. In my opinion, he never lets facts from his intelligence people and health officials get in his way....

I have been an Excela Health nurse for over 28 years. I am so proud of our leadership under CEO John Sphon and Dr. Carol Fox, chief medical officer. Their constant communication to their staff regarding covid-19 is proof of their dedication to our safety and well-being, as well as...

I was truly believing we were all coming together to quell this coronavirus. I was seeing less traffic and more people heeding the advice of our officials and our medical professionals. Then, the news that 200 people congregated together at Word of Life Church on March 22 (“About 200 attend...

It’s unclear what, if any, qualifications letter-writer Len Bach has to opine on the terms of the Pittsburgh Zoo’s lease with the city (“Pittsburgh Zoo’s accreditation doesn’t break lease,” March 15, TribLIVE). As a law professor, I assure you that if the lease requires accreditation by the Association of Zoos...

The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”...

The best way to get cash quickly into the hands of the people would be credit cards. This would solve the problem of having to leave the house to place an order, and the cash would get into the economy immediately. Also, it would make it impossible for anyone who...

As the world faces an unprecedented pandemic, businesses and industries struggle to cope with uncertainty and the devastating impacts of covid-19. Leaders in every state are struggling to find a careful balance between protecting public health while also protecting the financial health of state and local economies. To date, Pennsylvania...

Though it’s nearly impossible for individual citizens to have much impact on the idiotic, partisan behavior of our elected representatives in Washington, it is possible to take a moment to recognize the actions of those who, regardless of political leanings, are out doing the jobs that are truly vital to...

The coronavirus outbreak has panicked people into hoarding food, paper products and sanitizing compounds. Consumers across the country are conducting binge purchases of these products, and most supermarkets are reporting bare shelves and difficulty in restocking them. The binging activity is very un-American. There is no need for people to...

Never has our economy and day-to-day life come to a sudden and complete halt. In the coming months, we will see many of our neighbors lose their jobs and businesses. In addition to a very real fear of disease, we soon will be forced to confront the fear of being...

This coronavirus is putting a crimp in my masculine world, and my wife’s from her feminine domain, because we are not free to move about the country. The thing is, I sort of have this illusion of myself as a roaring lion. And with the loudest burps I can conjure,...

After months of lying, denying and downplaying the threat, President Trump finally admitted on March 16 that the virus is out of control (while giving himself a “10” for his handling of the crisis). He waited until it was no longer possible to deny the problem, instead at one point...

My wife always tells my children, “I would jump in front of a bus to save your life.” Westmoreland County, I want you to know that the doctors, nurses and first responders of this county will jump in front of a virus to save your lives! Every day health care...

The onset of the covid-19 virus already has brought our “normal” way of life to an abrupt halt. Our health care inadequacies will result in many more deaths than need be, if we were better prepared. Our economy will be in recession and likely a depression. Covid-19 also brings us...

I — and I’m sure those at Word of Life Church — believe and hope that letter-writer Dr. Marti Haykin is filled with love, compassion and courage as she attends to her physician duties (“For everyone’s sake, stay home!.” Those of us in attendance March 22 prayed for this nation,...

The potential growth of covid-19 should be appreciated so as to maximize the hopefully short-term public response that is badly needed. If it takes its natural course, the virus tends to infect others at a compounding rate of 30% or so. That will lead to a peak infection supposedly around...

As a mother, a physician and a Christian woman, I was truly concerned to see the number of vehicles at Word of Life Church Sunday morning. Then I was shocked to read that 200 people had gathered for a service in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic (“About 200 attend...

I am completely at a loss — am I the lone person to believe all school districts should go online ASAP? The excuse that because we can’t educate every student, we can’t educate any, is completely ridiculous to me. We are in a state of national emergency. In this situation,...

There is a question regarding the origin of a quote about remaining silent and thought to be a fool versus speaking and removing all doubt. In his haste to discredit Donald Trump, letter-writer Robert J. Reiland (“Trump’s leadership not reassuring,” March 25, TribLIVE) displays his ignorance of virology and laboratory...

We now know that the government (both federal and state) thinks we, the proletariat, are “nonessential.” They showed us this by decreeing that some of us hold non-essential jobs and shut us out of those jobs, thus destroying our livelihoods. In my life, I’ve found that if someone hates me,...

President Trump has tried to reassure the public that everything possible is being done to contain the new coronavirus, but in the absence of extensive testing, this means nothing. The government’s slow response in developing accurate testing that can be used quickly is not excusable in a nation that spends...

I must disagree in the extreme with the tone of your editorial “Wolf’s excessive attack on the Pa. economy will hurt lives.” While many (including myself) disagree with the scope and execution of Gov. Tom Wolf’s rollout of measures to help stop the spread of covid-19, you can’t actually believe...

When Communist China was “opened up” by President Richard Nixon in the 1970s, American businesses salivated at the prospect of a brand-new, billion-person market. Fifty years later it has taken a coronavirus pandemic to make it apparent that we are totally dependent upon China to provide integral components of some...

I would like to acknowledge Pastor Tom Walters of Word of Life Church for his willingness to graciously accept and respond to criticism for his decision to hold worship services this past Sunday (“Hempfield church pastor apologizes for open services on Sunday,” March 23, TribLIVE). He certainly does not deserve...