Sounding off: Election, abortion on people's minds

Time for a new political party

As we inch closer to the election, we are being bombarded with political ads by the candidates and political interest groups to tell us what is wrong with the other candidate. I see things with both sides that I like and don’t like, but we have to pick one or the other and only get maybe half of what we like.

Well, we can change this. Start a commonsense new political party. Maybe call it just that, the Commonsense Party. I know there are other parties, but they are not effective. When you look at the congressional leaders in Washington, do they represent your ideas? We have bickering inside each, and of course across the aisle. We could promote things like term limits for elected officials, and judges. Promote balanced budgets, and line-item vetoes, and outlaw the pork in all bills. Stop the pay of legislators when the budget is not passed on time and make them part-time employees again.

I know we all discuss what is wrong with Washington, but the two-party system has our hands tied. This would give the commonsense members of both parties a landing place. It is time for a change. Who is with me?

Ron Giuliana

North Huntingdon

Questions to answer before voting

Mid-terms are just around the corner. Here is a shortened version of a much longer list of things to think about before casting your vote.

Do you believe that the right to an abortion transcends the higher moral authority? Do you consider the right to an abortion an inalienable right granted in the Constitution? Do you favor permitting biological males to compete with biological females in competitive sports? Do you believe that a child’s gender can be other than male or female?

Do you believe that the country can be carbon neutral by 2050? Do you agree that the country’s policy toward resourcing the Ukraine war should be whatever it takes for as long as it takes? Do you agree that our country should provide boots on the ground if China invades Taiwan?

Do you agree student loan debt should be forgiven? Do you accept our southern border is closed and secured? Do you think reimagining law enforcement by defunding the police is a successful policy? Do you consider showing an ID an unfair suppression of the privilege to vote?

Do you favor depressing the production of fossil fuels to accelerate the transition to renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar? Do you buy into the plan to build a massive network of 2,100 wind turbines off the east coast?

If your answer to most of these is in the affirmative, you should probably vote Democrat. On the other hand, if you’re coming down mostly on the negative side, cast your lot with the Republicans. In either case, vote!

Ken Mowl

Derry Township

Fetterman fights for communities like mine

Braddock, like many of our towns right here in rural Pennsylvania, was wholly abandoned by Washington and Harrisburg politicians. John Fetterman, an Americorps volunteer, was inspired to run for mayor of Braddock after two of his students were gunned down. He flipped abandoned properties into usable spaces. He built community gardens and new playgrounds. He created summer work programs for local teens. He brought in a new health care facility after UPMC packed their bags and left. New businesses were able to move in and succeed. Most importantly, Braddock went over 5½ years without a murder under his leadership

I have known Fetterman for a long time and have seen him in action. This change happened because he was always present and never afraid to get his hands dirty. This is who Fetterman is, and it’s what we can expect from him as a senator.

The Election Day choice couldn’t be more clear: We can elect Dr. Oz, who can’t even spell the township where he is pretending to live, or we can elect John Fetterman, an authentic Pennsylvanian who has spent his entire life showing up and fighting for communities like ours.

Braxton White

Shippenville

The writer is a Clarion Area School District director and a veteran of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

Why would we vote for Fetterman?

I’m hearing and seeing that over 70% of Americans are worried about crime and inflation. If that’s really so, why would Pennsylvanians want to put someone in office who thinks it’s a good idea to let at least a third of Pennsylvania’s criminals out of prison, including murderers?

I’m speaking of John Fetterman. He also wants to legalize drugs and create safe places for people to do them; maybe you want one next to your home. I can see why socialists like him — it’s because they like free handouts like he’s been getting from Mom and Dad and now from the taxpayers.

Have any of you seen the minimal time he spent actually doing his job? He didn’t do anything special in Braddock. Half of the people moved away; he bought their houses and neglected to pay his taxes for years. Now he seems to want to be another Bernie Sanders and give people who don’t want to work free stuff, including illegals.

Do you really want Fetterman running Pennsylvania? Isn’t President Biden crushing our country bad enough? No, Dr. Oz is not a politician, but that may be exactly what we need — someone who doesn’t live in the swamp letting the world sponge off working Americans.

Debbie Buffer

Youngwood

Try the post office for dropping off ballot

There are 80 ballot drop boxes in Westmoreland County. They are called post offices. If you are concerned about when your ballot will be date stamped, do your due diligence. Talk to a postal official and/or your mail carrier. Seems pretty simple to me.

Karen Townsend

Latrobe

GOP’s abortion exception — when they need them

Republicans claim to be against abortions and are now eager in the wake of the Roe v. Wade reversal to institute the most draconian bans they can get away with. But there is one exception to an abortion ban that Republicans seem pretty comfortable with: not rape, not incest, not life of the mother … no, Republicans are OK with abortions when their girlfriends/mistresses need them.

The most recent example is Herschel Walker, running for Senate in Georgia, who allegedly gave his girlfriend $700 and a “get-well card” to abort his child (he apparently told her to abort a second pregnancy, but she chose not to). Republicans are still embracing Walker’s candidacy, and hypocrisy by Republicans is hardly the exception. Let’s not forget Western Pennsylvania’s own Tim Murphy (Republican representative to Congress), a leading anti-abortionist, who in 2017 urged his mistress to abort his child.

Scott Lloyd, Republican head of the Office of Refuge Resettlement under President Trump, is vocally, fervently anti-abortion, yet paid for half (only half) of his ex-girlfriend’s abortion. Elliot Broidy, a Republican National Committee finance chair and Trump supporter, gave his Playboy Playmate mistress money to have an abortion. Clearly, these Republicans believe in reproductive freedom … but only for themselves.

Sarah Gaffen

Mt. Lebanon

Abortion is the ‘second sin’

Another perspective on abortion: I call abortion the second sin. The first is adultery and/or fornication. I’m just guessing, but I think 90% of the aborted pregnancies are a result of the first sin. The “good news” is there is forgiveness through faith in Jesus.

Margaret Linderman

New Kensington