Don’t ruin our view with a zip line
Pittsburgh is truly one of the most beautiful cities in America, and one of the pleasures of being a Pittsburgher is showing it off to first-time visitors. The gasps and wows when you pop out of the Fort Pitt Tunnel, the many stunning views from the North Side and West End and Mount Washington, and of course the wonderful Duquesne Incline. Plus the Gateway Clipper evening sightseeing cruise when the boat turns and you can see our beautiful city rising from the rivers bathed in the golden sunset. Breathtaking.
Now imagine Pittsburgh’s beautiful views bisected by screaming, flailing woo-hooing people five-abreast riding a zip line. All day. All night. Everyday.
Want to show your visitors the fountain at Point Park? Oops, there’s a zip line in the background. The view from Heinz Field ? Awww. Zip line in the end zone. Night out on Mount Washington? Guess what you get to see with that $500 dinner? That’s right ... a zip line.
I’m all for zip lines in the right locations. They can be a lot of fun. But Pittsburgh is the city of steel, the city of science and culture and stunning natural beauty. Please don’t let it become the city with an amusement park ride Downtown.
C. A. KELLY North Side
Energy agenda
Joe Biden doesn’t fool me. All of the flip-flopping with his energy agenda doesn’t hide the fact that he plans on overhauling America’s energy sector with a disastrous $2 trillion plan that would eliminate oil, gas and coal from the United States power grid by 2035.
Mr. Biden tries to win over the Pennsylvania energy workers by flip-flopping on fracking and hoping Pennsylvanians forget his clear and definitive primary debate pledge to shut down all fracking, coal and fossil fuels, which would lead to complete devastation for our state and hundreds of thousands of our people.
This is nothing new, Mr. Biden has been flip-flopping on major issues for the past halfcentury as a career politician. America wants a leader like President Donald Trump who keeps his word and doesn’t give lip service. Come Nov. 3, Pennsylvanians will not forget Mr. Biden’s true intentions to fully decimate our oil, gas and coal industries that have made this state great.
SUZY PSYCK Cranberry
Hardly a sacrifice
By chance, this afternoon, I happened upon a PBS documentary about America and and the average American’s involvement in World War II. This documentary addressed the Bataan Death March, and the battles of Midway and Guadalcanal, to name a few.
Perhaps all of those who can’t seem to get their act together and wear a mask, social distance, not have large gatherings and have an alcoholic beverage at home, or forgo a summer vacation, should watch this documentary and take note of what the young men and their families, as well as the average citizen, of that time truly sacrificed. Think about those young men, their families or perhaps the Japanese Americans interred in camps the next time you put someone else at risk with your selfish behavior.
This is all hardly a sacrifice. Annoying? Mind-numbing? Lonely? Absolutely. But a sacrifice? Not even close.
ELIZABETH SHANNON North Fayette