Sounding off: U.S. debt, lying politicians, kids' future, 'gender insanity,' 'getting tough' among week's topics

We’ll go to war or go broke

The U.S. has the largest debt burden of all the countries in the world, over $31 trillion and growing. We have the largest military budget in the world. The U.S. spends more than the next 10 countries combined on its military.

We have borrowed and spent all this money, but for the average taxpayer they have not received much. About 60% of adults live paycheck to paycheck. Our lives have not improved, yet we borrow more to help whom?

This will continue on, until it will be impossible to pay back. At that time, we will either go to war, or go bankrupt.

Barry Light

Squirrel Hill

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Look past politicians’ spin

Q: How can you tell when politicians are lying?

A: Their lips are moving.

Rep. Summer Lee and Sen. John Fetterman’s statements justifying their votes against the debt deal lend credence to this truism.

Lee said work requirements for able-bodied food-aid recipients 54 and under with no dependents (up from 49 currently), is part of a “cruel (Republican) agenda” that places “budget priorities over the poorest and most vulnerable.” It would, she said in a statement, make it “even harder for many of my constituents to access food … assistance they need to survive.”

Fetterman agreed, calling Republicans “obsessed with hurting poor people” (“Western Pa.’s Fetterman, Lee explain votes against debt ceiling bill,” June 2, TribLIVE).

The problem? It isn’t true.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that, under the debt deal, an average 78,000 more people per month would qualify for food aid. Program spending would increase by $2.1 billion over the life of the legislation.

Of course, more would know this if the sycophantic press stopped acting like nestlings, eagerly swallowing whatever the far left feeds them.

Aren’t journalists supposed to be skeptical and inquisitive? When did it become a best practice to source a story entirely from an elected official’s statement, particularly in these hyper-partisan times?

Here’s an idea: Subject the far left to the same scrutiny the mainstream media uses to challenge far right statements. Present both sides. Let your readers determine what to believe. In other words, the reason the framers embedded press freedom in the Bill of Rights.

Peter Busowski

Jeannette

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Let’s work together for our children’s future

This graduation season, I reflect on the roller coaster this last decade has been.

In 2009, I graduated — a child psychiatrist, a medical doctor, ready to serve my community and raise my children in Westmoreland County. In 2007 and 2010, I was fortunate to become a mother. I was ready.

But it has been a turbulent ride. Our kids’ motivation and emotion regulation and interpersonal relational skills have been challenged by rising social and financial pressures, a global pandemic and an uncertain future.

Blessed are the high-achieving children.

Blessed are the families with bank rolls to pay for the education of their young.

Thanks be to those who raise their children to believe that, in hard work, there will be success.

Thanks be to the community who recognizes that the emotional and cognitive well-being of their children is the key to future health and prosperity for us all.

May we work, together, to support the kids and families in our county; to grow our next generation of teachers and professionals, tradespeople and entrepreneurs. For in them is our future, our hope and the promise that success in this beautiful United States of America is available to one and all.

Susan Wilson

Greensburg

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Math and white supremacy

To those of you in the intellectual elite who argue that math is now a form of white supremacy, here is an experiment for you: design a building using construction calculations based on your belief that getting the correct answer is some kind of white microaggression. Now, construct the building and see what happens.

Jeff Novotny

Mesa, Ariz.

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Rail still safest way to transport freight

The editorial “Pennsylvania has real role in regulating rail” (May 8, TribLIVE) rightfully conveyed the importance of railroads to Pennsylvania’s businesses and industry. But the safety discussion could use additional context and a look at the data.

Rail is still the safest way to move freight over land — despite understandable public scrutiny following the East Palestine derailment. Fewer than one percent of all train accidents over the last two decades involved the release of hazardous materials. And recent data from the Federal Railroad Administration shows that the rail safety record is consistently improving, with the last decade being the safest yet.

When tragedies do occur, the vast majority involve grade crossing collisions or people on the tracks. In fact, over 95% of rail-related deaths fall into this category. It is a challenge area that railroads and public safety groups like Operation Lifesaver (and its Pennsylvania chapter) are working to build awareness around.

Finally, it is worth noting that the rail network is the nation’s top-rated infrastructure system according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. This is good news for Pennsylvania, which has more railroads than any other state. Our communities and state economy benefit from a bustling rail network.

Michael Gaynor

Columbus, Ohio

The writer is Pennsylvania state director for GoRail.

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Our society needs to toughen up

The letter “We need to help young people learn to deal with stress” (May 28, TribLIVE) was a wonderful piece about how we in the mental health profession need to teach our clients how to handle stress. I could not agree more.

In an effort to shield our kids from failure and disappointment, well- intentioned parents, educators and therapists have done a great disservice to our youth. The “every kid gets a participation trophy” mindset has shielded our kids from learning how to handle the stressors of life.

In my generation, 18-year-olds were drafted into military service and shipped off to fight in Vietnam; today’s 18-year-old needs a therapy dog on a college campus during finals week in order to handle test- taking stress. And please do not get me started on the “emotional support” animal craze that has taken over our country. Though occasionally asked, I refuse to write a letter stating that one of my clients cannot function without bringing along a living, breathing “teddy bear” for comfort and emotional support as they undertake the activities of everyday life.

We need to toughen up. As one client told me in a session, “I was never allowed to fail at anything as a kid. We all got participation trophies. Now, here I am in my mid-20s, and I don’t know how to handle life.” Those of us in the mental health field must shoulder some of the blame.

Lisa Pope

Latrobe

The writer is a licensed clinical social worker.

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Gender insanity

Let’s be honest. You can only be a male or female. Or so I thought. With how society is becoming, forms you fill out will change from “What’s your sex?” to “How do you identify?” Or my new favorite, “Are you binary or nonbinary?” I also have never heard of pronouns being discussed so much. We are being given an English lesson every day. What in the world?

The political landscape couldn’t be more polarized on this subject. Democratic-run states support any and all people choosing to identify as whatever they choose and at any age, apparently. Republicans have severely restricted people in engaging in this behavior. For example, I don’t think a 15-year-old boy, who has gone through puberty, should be allowed at age 17-18 to compete against girls.

I can never get the image of Lia Thomas, a biological male with everything still intact, wearing a women’s swimsuit and celebrating beating women out of my head. How can any rational thinking person agree with what’s going on?

Russell C. Fenton

Ligonier