“Our criminal justice system treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent.”
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We encourage letters to the editor. Due to their timely nature, they should be submitted electronically, though letters submitted by surface mail are accepted. The writer must include his or her address and phone number for verification. We do not accept open or third-party letters. Letters are subject to editing for length, clarity, grammar and taste, and ideally should be no more than 400 words. We generally do not publish more than one letter from a single person within a two-week period. To submit a letter, click below or send letters to Editorial Page Editor, Observer-Reporter, 122 S. Main St., Washington, PA 15301.
In one stroke, all the Republican Party’s hopes to change the Pennsylvania constitution could be dashed.
In the book, “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers,” Robert Sapolsky exposes us to the concepts of stress management and biology. When addressing diet and stress management, he gives the example of a young lawyer who decides that “red meat, fried foods, and a couple of beers per dinner constitute a d…
“A country is the sense of fellowship, which binds together all the citizens of that territory.”
The 14-school Pennsylvania State System of High Education, or PASSHE, has been beset with many woes over the past dozen years.
When I started writing as my passionate hobby, things were much different. My ongoing quest for knowledge, academic credentials, and work experiences was enough to add a level of acceptance to my written opinions. I had paid my proverbial dues.
Not all new ideas are good ideas. Brilliant concepts are often snuffed out by thought and reason. Here are a few examples:
It was September of 1974 when my 57-year-old father’s cough was diagnosed as lung cancer. He had stopped smoking 14 years earlier, and none of us were totally cognizant of the ramifications of his previous environmental exposures. All we knew was that a great person and father had been given…
“Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.”– Picasso.
According to a recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, many households across the United States are likely to spend more on energy this winter compared to past years.
Early votes are rolling in to election offices, with Democratic voters making up a solid majority of mailed-in ballots.
September 30th marked the 40th anniversary of the debut of the most bar-centric sit-com in television history when “Cheers” premiered on NBC in 1982. "Cheers" went on to become one of the most beloved television shows of the modern era, and its iconic opening theme song was perfection in capturing the essence of what a neighborhood bar can mean to a community. It is a place where you feel welcomed and at home the moment you enter and where the troubles of daily life can be left on the other side of the door if only for a couple of hours.
A revenue stream once highly touted as being a double saving grace that not only helped make Pittsburgh International Airport’s (PIT) current $1.4 billion terminal modernization program possible but kept PIT from defaulting on its debt is struggling to live up to its original billing, accord…
Next Tuesday, millions of Pennsylvanians will go to the polls to cast their vote in the midterm election. In addition, the more than 1.3 million Pennsylvanians who applied to vote by mail-in or absentee ballot must return their ballots to their county election office by 8 p.m. that night.
The Supreme Court’s historically low public standing has prompted a national conversation about the court’s legitimacy. It’s even drawn rare public comment from three sitting Supreme Court justices. What’s referred to by experts as the problem of “judicial legitimacy” may seem abstract, but …
The first televised World Series, in 1947, was a sign that television's time had arrived.
The Salem witch trials may serve as a basis for tourism, but they were no laughing matter.
Between higher prices at the grocery store and rising housing costs, our state and residents are facing multiple significant economic challenges. One persistent, yet often overlooked, challenge is that many Pennsylvanians struggle to save for retirement – which also affects our state’s econo…
Recently, I saw in a local newspaper that two “hometown professionals” were selected for leadership positions in their organizations. It was nice to see two local folks being recognized and rewarded for their work and talent.
A state senator is calling for officials to throw “insurrectionists” off the ballot, in the latest effort by Democratic lawmakers to target candidates tied to anti-government activity.
Dr. Mehmet Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon, and thus, as a doctor, has sworn an oath to “first, do no harm.” However, throughout Oz’s television career, his medical advice has been widely criticized for lacking scientific credibility and harming consumers.
When I started writing as my passionate hobby, things were much different. My ongoing quest for knowledge, academic credentials, and work experiences was enough to add a level of acceptance to my written opinions. I had paid my proverbial dues.
Not all new ideas are good ideas. Brilliant concepts are often snuffed out by thought and reason. Here are a few examples:
It was September of 1974 when my 57-year-old father’s cough was diagnosed as lung cancer. He had stopped smoking 14 years earlier, and none of us were totally cognizant of the ramifications of his previous environmental exposures. All we knew was that a great person and father had been given…
“Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.”– Picasso.
According to a recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, many households across the United States are likely to spend more on energy this winter compared to past years.
Early votes are rolling in to election offices, with Democratic voters making up a solid majority of mailed-in ballots.
September 30th marked the 40th anniversary of the debut of the most bar-centric sit-com in television history when “Cheers” premiered on NBC in 1982. "Cheers" went on to become one of the most beloved television shows of the modern era, and its iconic opening theme song was perfection in capturing the essence of what a neighborhood bar can mean to a community. It is a place where you feel welcomed and at home the moment you enter and where the troubles of daily life can be left on the other side of the door if only for a couple of hours.
A revenue stream once highly touted as being a double saving grace that not only helped make Pittsburgh International Airport’s (PIT) current $1.4 billion terminal modernization program possible but kept PIT from defaulting on its debt is struggling to live up to its original billing, accord…
Next Tuesday, millions of Pennsylvanians will go to the polls to cast their vote in the midterm election. In addition, the more than 1.3 million Pennsylvanians who applied to vote by mail-in or absentee ballot must return their ballots to their county election office by 8 p.m. that night.
The Supreme Court’s historically low public standing has prompted a national conversation about the court’s legitimacy. It’s even drawn rare public comment from three sitting Supreme Court justices. What’s referred to by experts as the problem of “judicial legitimacy” may seem abstract, but …
The first televised World Series, in 1947, was a sign that television's time had arrived.
The Salem witch trials may serve as a basis for tourism, but they were no laughing matter.
Between higher prices at the grocery store and rising housing costs, our state and residents are facing multiple significant economic challenges. One persistent, yet often overlooked, challenge is that many Pennsylvanians struggle to save for retirement – which also affects our state’s econo…
Recently, I saw in a local newspaper that two “hometown professionals” were selected for leadership positions in their organizations. It was nice to see two local folks being recognized and rewarded for their work and talent.
A state senator is calling for officials to throw “insurrectionists” off the ballot, in the latest effort by Democratic lawmakers to target candidates tied to anti-government activity.
Dr. Mehmet Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon, and thus, as a doctor, has sworn an oath to “first, do no harm.” However, throughout Oz’s television career, his medical advice has been widely criticized for lacking scientific credibility and harming consumers.
As we face the vicissitudes of daily living, it is easy to lose sight of the rich history that surrounds us in Washington County. It is true that our community has gained some well-deserved notoriety from the Whiskey Rebellion and from the archaeological rock shelter at Meadowcroft with its …
ASTANA, Kazakhstan – Tens of thousands of Russian soldiers have died in the war with Ukraine and hundreds of thousands of men are fleeing Russia to avoid the same fate. But many countries have closed their borders to them.
This year we have been inundated with constant “breaking news” regarding many of the candidates who are currently running for office. Regardless of your political bent, some of the quotes, disclosures, and October surprises are so disconcerting, and simple-minded, they often seem unbelievable.
The latest flashpoint in the ongoing cultural wars over how and what public school students should learn is the concept of critical race theory (CRT). Critical race theory is a way of looking at our history of racism with the goal of restructuring imbedded discrimination. It is an academic c…
Dr. Wayne London, a Harvard trained medical doctor, had visited town for his 50th high school class reunion. The next day we received a call from one of his classmates suggesting that he be invited to visit Chan Soon-Shiong/Windber Medical Center. As his classmate explained, he had some very…
Local newspapers are at the heart of communities across the commonwealth. Why? They are trusted sources for news Pennsylvanians cannot get anywhere else.
The weekend of Sept. 9 to 11 offered some much-needed relief from a summer of rising inflation, revelations regarding former President Trump and the never-ending Pennsylvania campaign ads. Four weekend events, each with very different circumstances, helped to place us in a more reflective st…
From rural representatives to their candidate for governor, Pennsylvania Republicans are carrying out a full culture war over matters of gender identity and sexual orientation.
The restorative power of travel is something that never fails to amaze me. The feeling of casting off routine and being in unfamiliar surroundings is a balm that refreshes the mind and soul and recharges the psyche. This was brought back to me when I traveled recently to the outer banks of N…
The Observer-Reporter recently reprinted an editorial from the Tribune-Review discussing the need for both candidates running for U.S. Senate, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and celebrity doctor Mehment Oz, to have a debate. To date, both candidates have agreed to at least one debate to allow the v…
English composition was one of my favorite high school courses. In fact, during the first semester of my freshman year of college, my English professor pulled me aside and informed me that, he had exempted me from the next four-credit English composition course. That honor, plus a C grade in…
Conspiracy theories are still dangerous, even if few people actually believe them.
With the school year underway around the U.S., parents and caregivers are once again faced with the age-old struggle of wrangling groggy kids out of bed in the morning. For parents of preteens and teenagers, it can be particularly challenging.
Police are not the enemy, despite the current rhetoric of some Americans.
Nice try, Lindsey Graham. The senator from South Carolina has been reading the polls, clearly. After decades of railing against abortion and populating the U.S. Supreme Court with justices eager to ditch a right to an abortion, Republicans like him are discovering that the broader public nev…
Some form of compromise might be the only wy to reunite the "disunited" states of America
If you went to high school in the United States anytime since the 1960s, you were likely assigned some of the following books: Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” “Julius Caesar” and “Macbeth”; John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”; F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”; Harper Lee’s “To Kill …
Child poverty could have been even lower last year if more families had been aware that they qualified for benefits.
We live in a deeply serious time with deeply unserious leaders.
Australia and California offer different models on how to approach electric vehicles.
“All political lives, unless they are cut off at midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs.” So said the British politician Enoch Powell, whose own once-stellar career ended in spectacular failure.
King Charles III comes to the throne during a time of great change, both within Britain and in the Commonwealth nations.
A French politician has ignited a fracas, or should I say, contretemps, over men barbecuing meat. Lest you think culture wars are an exclusively American preserve, leading members of the French political establishment have been exchanging barbs over whether the French male’s attachment to hi…
Republican groups joined forces last week to sue Pennsylvania over a mail-in voting policy, in their latest offensive against the state’s election rules.
When engaged in a political campaign, it is never a good idea to insult half the people in America. Joe Biden is doing just that, repeatedly. He is calling Republicans “semi-fascists” and comparing the GOP to terrorists, Nazis and threats to our democracy. Biden’s new favorite term referring…
President Joe Biden’s decision to cancel federal student loan debt for those that meet certain income requirements is now the newest political hot potato. Progressives insist the move does not go far enough in alleviating the burden of student debt. Republicans are angry that only a minority…
About five or so years ago, I attended a retreat for a volunteer board I was serving on in California. The facilitator had us do a few exercises that have stuck with me over the years and have resulted in some deep introspection on my part. One exercise could benefit us all at some point in our lives.
Private employment in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had still not returned to pre-pandemic levels in July, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Although most of the attention on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has rightfully focused on the money spent to help transition to a green economy (as exemplified by the Aug. 29 Honda and LG Energy solution announcement of a $4.4 billion joint investment in a new battery plant), there are o…
“Everything sucks is not helpful. The relevant question is what can we do?”
Once again, we find ourselves a couple of months away from an election where every piece of logic in this universe says the Democrats will be demolished.
After completing a keynote speech on risk management in Seattle, a young man introduced himself to me and said, “I just wanted you to know that I decided to go into health-care administration after reading your blog post about that fish.” Of course, I was intrigued, flattered, but also somew…
With Pennsylvanians’ real wages in decline and the minimum hourly wage still locked at $7.25, lawmakers are set for huge inflation-tied pay increases.
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