Opinion category, Page 759
Editorial: Why do we demand apologies?
We need to stop demanding that people apologize. Every day, people in the public eye say things that are mean or stupid or wrong. They are sexist, racist, anti-Semitic, ableist, partisan, homophobic, classist and varieties of discriminatory for which we have no “ist” words. They may be vague microaggressions that...
Letter to the editor: Look to locals for Greensburg planning
Regarding the letter “Greensburg needs competent planning director” (March 3, TribLIVE): As a graduate architect, the importance of the planning director position is not lost on me. City Council would be remiss to not search close to home to find their new candidate. Highly educated, skilled and talented young people...
Letter to the editor: Let’s cancel cable
I really enjoyed Tom Purcell’s column “Living the cord-cutting dream” (Feb. 18, TribLIVE). He hit the nail on the head when he wrote that the average cost for cable TV is $1,848 yearly and will go up again this year. Purcell writes of cancelling cable and getting an antenna to...
Letter to the editor: Pope’s words on sex abuse misinterpreted
After reading the editorial “Pope lowers sex abuse expectations” (Jan. 29, TribLIVE), I am left somewhat disillusioned by the writer’s interpretation of the Pope Francis’ words. While I agree that sexual abuse is a major problem in the Catholic Church and powerful action must be taken, the “inflated expectations” the...
Letter to the editor: Debunking ‘gateway drug’ argument
Letter-writer Susan Jones worries that legalizing marijuana could potentially lead to an increased usage of cocaine, crack or heroin (“Legalized pot a gateway drug,” Feb. 16, TribLIVE). The “gateway drug” argument is an example of assuming that correlation is evidence of causation. Studies do show that the majority of people...
Letter to the editor: Reform the cash bail system
Hundreds of thousands of people in the United States — people who have not been tried or convicted of any crime — are held in jail simply because they cannot afford bail. They may spend days, weeks or months in jail awaiting trial. And in the process, they may lose...
Helaine Olen: Alabama tornadoes another opportunity for Trump to reward supporters and punish opponents
It’s good when a majority of voters in your state back Donald Trump. Just ask the residents of Alabama, who discovered Monday morning that the president of the United States is going to make sure they receive VIP treatment following the devastating tornadoes that swept across a rural part of...
Thomas Botzman: Simplifying student loans
The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 was part of the Great Society campaign of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration. Part of its noble goal was to create opportunities for students who dreamed of earning college degrees and advancing their careers by providing financial aid to students in need. By...
Tom Purcell: Why ‘springing forward’ takes my dad weeks
Nobody dreads daylight saving time more than my father. He has his work cut out for him this coming weekend, when we “spring forward” by setting clocks ahead by an hour before going to bed Saturday night. You see, my mother loves clocks — so much that he has 14...
Editorial: Pittsburgh schools reduced pot penalties puzzling
Pennsylvania has yet to decide on the future of marijuana. Yes, it’s legal for medicinal purposes. Yes, the possibility of recreational use is being explored. There are very real reasons why that should be on the table. Why should alcohol be OK for frivolous consumption but marijuana isn’t? Valid question....
Letter to the editor: Bigoted letter
Letter-writer Robin Hammonds (“Time’s up for Trump,” Feb. 13, TribLIVE) managed — in three short paragraphs — to spout hatred, sexism, ageism, classism and racism toward rich, old, white men. Impressive, if it wasn’t so bigoted. I guess Democrats truly are the party of tolerance and inclusion. Thomas Wagner Murrysville...
Letter to the editor: We need a wall
Letter-writer Keith Vacula (“No walls,” Feb 17, TribLIVE) is sadly mistaken on there not being a wall between North and South Korea. They may not have a “wall,” but they have a mine field in a wide no-man zone. Also, the Vatican has a wall, as does Jerusalem. Tthe Roman...
Letter to the editor: Uncovering human trafficking
Regarding “Robert Kraft charges no reason for celebration” (Feb. 25, TribLIVE): Come on, what a shallow editorial. Kraft’s charges are all about human trafficking. He has had a girlfriend, Ricki Noel Lander, 39, since 2012, one year after his wife died. Kraft is worth $6 billion, so put that money...
Letter to the editor: Details on the Clintons
There is speculation that Hillary Clinton will run again for president. That would definitely liven up the contest. She has the strong support of her husband, and she has many loyal followers who suffered extreme mental anguish when she lost the last election. It would seem prudent and timely to...
Editorial cartoons for the week of March 4
Editorial cartoons for the week of March 4....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of March 4.
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of March 4....
Michelle Malkin: I’ve been Silicon Valley sharia’d
Last month, the little birdies in Twitter’s legal department notified me that one of my tweets from 2015 is “in violation of Pakistan law.” It seems like ancient history, but Islamic supremacists never forget — or forgive. My innocuous tweet featured a compilation image of the 12 Muhammad cartoons published...
Aaron Bernstine: Pa. budget proposal hurts local environmental projects, bipartisan consensus
One of the things that gets forgotten in Harrisburg is how powerful it can be to work across the aisle to move Pennsylvania forward. While bipartisan agreement is rare right now, one of the few programs my colleagues on both sides of the aisle support are environmental funds that drive...
Editorial: Virtual infrastructure critical in Pennsylvania
Infrastructure. It’s not just for roads and bridges anymore. For years, when people talked about access and connection, it was about roads. We wanted our small towns to be able to reach our bigger towns, and our suburbs to be able to glide gracefully into our cities. We wanted to...
Letter to the editor: Greensburg needs competent planning director
An open letter to Greensburg’s city leaders: The planning director is a strategic position that is as critical to Greensburg’s future health as any in the city. It is my hope that City Council will conduct a thoughtful nationwide search for a great person to serve in that position (“Greensburg...
Letter to the editor: Vaccines are safe?
I find it deplorable that some doctors refuse to see unvaccinated kids (“Doctors’ dilemma: To see or not to see unvaccinated kids,”). This discrimination is feeding into vilification and outright hate increasingly directed at vaccine-free children and their parents, many of whom do not vaccinate after diligent research convinced them...
Letter to the editor: Silence on scandal
Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe goes on “60 Minutes” and admits that the FBI and DOJ conspired to try and remove a duly elected, sitting American president. McCabe tries to limit these actions to the two agencies, but logic suggests they got their orders from higher-ups. This could be...
Tori Koerbler: A plan to pay teachers what they’re worth
When I was in fifth grade, the kickball game at recess was the best part of the school day. My teacher, Mr. Mettler, would lace up his white New Balance sneakers, take the ball from the closet and get the game going in the school yard. He could have taken...
Thomas Mullane: Indoctrination in higher education
During a career teaching social sciences — anthropology, psychology and sociology — at local colleges and universities in the Pittsburgh area, I have made it clear to students that what I was teaching was not my personal view. My aim was to introduce students to critical thinking, theories of history...
Editorial: Methodists might lose people with LGBTQ decision
Homosexuality will not go away by voting it off the island. This week, the United Methodist Church took a vote on whether or not it would permit a church in Pittsburgh or Poughkeepsie, Portland, Ore., or Paris to celebrate a same-sex wedding or hire a minister who is openly gay....
