Nuclear war must never be an option

Believe it or not, the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks is approaching. Because of the catastrophic damage and immense human suffering by Hurricane Harvey, it may not get as much coverage as in past years. As viscerally painful as these two American tragedies are, there is something that would make either pale in comparison. And that something is a nuclear war.

As tensions with North Korea escalate, there is widespread agreement that there is no easy solution. It’s unsettling, however, that a nuclear option always seems to be near the top of the list, which should be no surprise considering that we have a president who has wondered aloud why we have nuclear weaponsif we don’t use them.

There has never been a nuclear war, but the general consensus of what would happen in the event of one is a searing scenario that is worse than 20 hurricane Harveys and 20 9/11s together in a tapestry of terror. Consider that millions of Americans would perish within hours and thousands more would be sickened for years from radioactive fallout. In an all-out exchange, the sun would be blotted out, temperatures woulddrop and crops would not be able to grow. We would literally starve in the darkness of nuclear winter.

The 9/11 attacks were spawned by evil from abroad. Hurricane Harvey was a wicked force of brute nature. Both were beyond our control.

But our leaders must stop talking about nuclear war as if it were a viable solution to a foreign crisis, or as if there were such a thing as a winnable one — unless you consider it a win if civilization as we know it would be over by the time you finish reading this newspaper. VIN MORABITO

Irwin Health Insurance Program) is Sept. 30.

I am currently receiving my master’s degree in public health and social work from the University of Pittsburgh. As someone who works at the intersection of public health and social work, I have witnessed the positive impact that health insurance has on families and children who depend on CHIP.

In our current political climate, we often look at shortterm solutions to solve health care’s most copious issues. However, this shortsightedness does not save money or taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars, because children with access to basic medical care are less likely to require expensive interventions as they grow up. They perform better in school and grow up safe andready for success.

I ask U.S. Reps. Mike Doyle, Tim Murphy and Keith Rothfus to support a clean, five-year extension of CHIP funding beyond the end of the current federal fiscal year.

In Pennsylvania, CHIP covers more than 170,000 kids. These children deserve representatives who care about their health and safety and who will put Western Pennsylvania families first. JULIE PLATT East Liberty

Scientific studies show how Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court justices are modern-day prophets in foretelling the negative nature of fracking, the toxic method used to recover gas from shale rock deep underground. The court in the Robinson Township, et al. v. Commonwealth case predicted that fracking the Marcellus Shale would produce “a detrimental effect on the environment, the people, their children, and future generations.”

Those “detrimental effects” are clearly being revealed in the numerous scientific studies showing the negative health effects caused by exposure to the

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poisoned water and contaminated air emanating from fracked well sites. Moreover, these ill health effects especially target infants and children whose developing bodies are so susceptible.

The studies reveal fracking’s harmful effects: birth defects, respiratory and neurological problems, asthma, small birth size and low birth weight, premature birth, impaired fetal growth and highrisk pregnancies. In addition, a new epidemiological study in the Journal of Environmental Protection by Christopher Busby and Joseph Mangano shows a strong correlation between exposure to fracking sites and the death of infants in the first 28 days of life, with deaths rising 29 percent in the most heavily fracked counties of our state.

This information revealed in such scientific studies should have the public demanding answers and accountability. Our Supreme Court’s prophetic warning cannot be ignored. Fracking is a detriment, causing sickness and even death, especially for the weakest and most vulnerable in our society — our children. And the public can no longer remain apathetic. RON SLABE Upper Burrell