Where is the outrage for the loss of life to drugs?
Looking at the lifeless bodies of Romeo and Juliet, the Prince of Verona expresses outrage, knowing that he has lost “a brace of kinsmen.” Despondent, he blames himself for “winking at their discords,” for his lack of involvementin the feud between theMontagues and Capulets.
Similarly, we Americans have lost a generation of kinsmen. Last year alone, the United States lost more than 20,000 people, including many young adults, to synthetic opioids (“A Wider Drug Threat,” Oct. 16), and last year, we here in Allegheny County lost 650 of our kinsmen to drug overdoses. Whereis the outrage?
Young adults, seeking relief from the pain of sports injuries, risk addiction. Young people, wanting to appear “cool” among their peers, seek the euphoria of drug highs. Addiction happens as fast as denial. “It won’t happen to me.” It won’t, but it does: moodiness, weight loss and a near certainty of empty stamp bags next to a lifeless body.
Law enforcement, including the FBI, is trying to halt the “Opium Wars” here in America. It’s a war between law enforcement agencies, judicial action and those who victimize the addicted: pharmaceutical companies, overprescribing physiciansand drug traffickers.
The forlorn prince accepts the blame for the death of his young kinsmen. Who is taking the blame for murdering our young adult children? Not the pharmaceutical companies, not the overprescribing physicians and not the drug traffickers. No one, itseems. Nadie. Nemo. Nikt. JANE OFFUTT
Mt. Lebanon with less fanfare, even though its cuts are far worse. The budget cuts would gut Medicare and Medicaid for millions of seniors, children and disabled Pennsylvanians in order to give more tax breaks to the wealthiest 1 percent. Cuts to Pell grants would make it harder for working families to send their children to college. If holding health care and education hostage to give tax breaks to the wealthy sounds familiar, that’s because our Republican-controlled leaders in Harrisburg are doing the same thing.
Working people in Pennsylvania are getting the short end of the stick from Republicans in Washington and in Harrisburg.
This week, Sen. Pat Toomey will cast his vote for a federal budget that will decimate his state, and meanwhile Pennsylvania House Speaker Mike Turzai may shut down the government to avoid holding a vote on taxing shale. It’s time for them to stop squeezing Pennsylvania taxpayers to pay for tax breaks to the wealthy. We’ll be watching. SAM WILLIAMSON Western PA Director 32BJ SEIU Downtown
I cannot believe people are so easily duped by this pseudo president. California’s on fire; Puerto Rico is a disaster; babies and children are losing their health care; and we have a president who couldn’t care less. His biggie is whether football players kneel for the anthem. What a doofus. CYNTHIA L. SPANNUTH
Upper St. Clair
We welcome your opinion
honored. They made the ultimate sacrifice so that these athletes can make millions of dollars playing a sport. Thank God they won — or these athletes would be under a foreign power that would force them to kneel and bow before it.
Sadly, it appears that kneeling during the national anthem has not brought about changes to the important issue being protested. RICHARD MUTO McCandless
Hats off to the PG’s high school sports writer Mike White for his article on Mike Herbinko, senior at Leechburg High School and a special-needs member of its football program (“Leechburg Senior Gets Carry of a Lifetime,” Oct. 16). What a nice tribute to the athletes and administrators of Leechburg and Clairton.
At a time when we see so much divisiveness, with protests taking the headlines, it is great to recognize such a class act that cuts through racial tensions and puts a positive perspective on good people setting a good example of “doing the right thing.” If Leechburg or Clairton do not win another game, they’ve won the respect of many in the game of life. HARRY WESLEY
Monroeville