Opinion category, Page 626
Letter to the editor: Sentence in deer torture outrageous
Outrageous! The entire point of changing animal abuse laws is so what took place in that abhorrent deer torture video wouldn’t end exactly the way it did. The older of the two teens who tortured a deer in Brookville may as well have been given a ribbon and prize. Cruelty...
Letter to the editor: Now is the time to reduce Pa. Legislature
There is no better time to press politicians to reduce the size of the Pennsylvania Legislature. Why? Because currently the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, at 203 members, is the largest full-time state House in the country. Because the state budget is in turmoil from covid-19. Because in 2015, when House...
Letter to the editor: Protesters’ destruction just adds to problem
Here we go again. People say they are protesting the injustice of brutality, and that part is fine. Why does this make it OK to destroy property, burn buildings, loot businesses and block public highways? A protest is one thing; destruction is quite another. How about the injustice happening to...
Letter to the editor: Giant Eagle shows care for customers
I was in Giant Eagle the other day and a man was asked to leave the store if he would not wear a mask. Despite his protests of a medical condition as his reason to not wear one, the store insisted and he begrudgingly put on a mask. I applaud...
Editorial: As school days beckon, clarity is the first lesson
Schools can get back to teaching and providing activities for students starting July 1. The Pennsylvania Department of Education made that announcement Wednesday with the release of the Process to Reopen Pennsylvania — a procedure that requires schools to develop health and safety plans, implement guidelines from the Centers for...
The Rev. Randy Bush: What fills the space between us?
Dog walks are now both an excuse and a necessity. They are an excuse to get out of the house and walk around the neighborhood. And they are how we see other people during these days of “stay at home” orders and pandemic precautions. To the dog, the walks are...
Corey May: Mystery complicates Lyme disease treatment
On Sept. 22, 2015, I received a kidney transplant at Allegheny General Hospital. Ever since, I have done everything within my power to be grateful for and reverent to my new kidney, which has served me well — until now. It is under attack. Even with total clothing cover, I...
Letter to the editor: Disrespect for veterans sad
When my family went to put Memorial Day flowers and flags on my dad’s grave at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in North Versailles, we found his metal World War II flag holder was stolen from his gravesite along with my grandfather’s World War I flag holder. What has happened to this...
Letter to the editor: Coronavirus and civil disobedience
Our fellow citizens of faith were not permitted to worship God in their place of worship because of a social distancing edict being reinforced to control a pandemic virus. In some cases, in states and cities run by progressives (i.e., Democrats), law enforcement monitored and cited those who dared to...
Letter to the editor: Will America survive Trump?
I received a letter from President Trump telling me what I already knew. My economic impact payment was deposited in my bank. What I would like to know is, how much taxpayer money was wasted on this blatant attempt by Trump to toot his own horn? It is amazing he...
Letter to the editor: ‘Conventional wisdom’ on covid-19
Often when a person disagrees with the “conventional wisdom” behind popular movements, he is deemed ignorant of the “science” involved. In my opinion, most conventional wisdom is highly questionable, if not pure fantasy. For example, climate change theorists who teach young girls like Greta Thunberg that the world will end...
Letter to the editor: Proud of Greensburg’s protest for justice
Sunday was a breath of fresh air. A protest was held in downtown Greensburg, and went as smoothly as anyone could have hoped for. It was a beautiful day to share in a plea for change, for justice. Peaceful, inclusive and understanding. Standing in the center of the city, listening...
Pat Buchanan: China’s leader takes up the U.S. challenge
Is the United States up for a second Cold War — this time with China? What makes the question newly relevant is Xi Jinping’s China suddenly appears eager for a showdown with the United States for long-term supremacy in the Asia-Pacific and the world. With the United States consumed by...
Editorial: President Trump takes aim at America’s core principles
The president’s primary job is to preserve, protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. Even when it is inconvenient. Even when people are using it to say the government is wrong. Especially when they are doing that. We know that, because the framers realized immediately they left important things out of...
Jennifer Smith: Addiction an epidemic within a pandemic
For decades, people battled addiction with a shadow cast over them as the treatment and recovery community made tremendous strides in bringing the disease into the light. They are some of the most courageous people that I have ever known. In 2018, the commonwealth saw an unprecedented 18% decrease in...
Frasat Ahmad: Seek justice for George Floyd the right way — vote
“Momma, Momma!” “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” No innocent human being should have to die with these words on their lips. A police officer, tasked to protect George Floyd’s life, mercilessly crushed George’s neck for 9 long minutes. He has been charged with murder. Is George’s death an isolated...
Letter to the editor: Fighting surprise medical bills
I am writing to encourage my state representative, Mike Reese, to vote yes to House Bill 1862. This bill is to prevent surprise medical bills which can bankrupt families. Recently my 48-year-old son was diagnosed with colon cancer and had surgery to remove it. He has excellent medical coverage with...
Letter to the editor: Great turnout to honor vets in Lower Burrell
The officers, veteran members and managers of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 92 in Lower Burrell are amazed and humbled by the number of people who turned out to place flags on the graves of veterans at Greenwood Cemetery on the Saturday before Memorial Day. Members, neighbors, parents and...
Letter to the editor: We can’t take 4 more years of divisiveness
The most critical issue facing us in the 2020 election isn’t immigration or health care. It is the need to heal the deep political fractures that have formed between us over time, but never more severely than during this last presidential term. Every four years, about half of the American...
Letter to the editor: Uprising may be painful new beginning
The National Guard was sent in to control the uprising in Minneapolis, and cities across the country have joined in the protest and uprising against racial injustice and the inhumane treatment of black citizens at the hands of white law enforcement officers. Yes, I am calling it an uprising, not...
Editorial: Pandemic responses are moving targets
What if everyone just acknowledged no one has been through this before? Oh sure, this isn’t the first pandemic that has happened in history. This isn’t the first time there have been quarantines. This isn’t the first time people have gotten sick or died, and it won’t be the last....
Tom Purcell: One disruptive hand ruins work made light by many
It was a perfect late-spring Saturday. Several members of my large extended family gathered at my parents’ house to trim hedges and plant flowers. The sun was out, the skies were brilliant blue and the temperature was perfect for yard work. A wonderful old saying, “many hands make light work,”...
Donnell Drinks: I cherish the right to vote
Voting in our democracy carries different meanings for different people. For some Americans, voting is a proud exercise of a franchise they have had since this nation’s founding. For others, voting represents the culmination of generations of struggle to secure that franchise. Whatever a person’s path, I believe voting in...
Letter to the editor: Voting in a proper manner
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Every time I hear a judicial person urging people to vote by mail, I think of this old warning. My father, husband, son and two grandsons served in the armed forces so my right to vote would be protected....
Letter to the editor: Trump’s leadership on coronavirus lacking
During the Revolutionary War, Civil War and World War II, three of our most significant conflicts, we were blessed with three great presidents. Historians rank Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Franklin Roosevelt as our greatest presidents because of their outstanding leadership during the three greatest conflicts our nation has faced....
