Antonio Brown has proved his character
Narcissism is an undue fascination with oneself. The saga of Antonio Brown this past season has been a classic portrayal of this character trait.
Mr. Brown is arguably the best wide receiver in the National Football League. Yet, his excellence on the gridiron was often eclipsed by his lack of character on and off the field. We witnessed outbursts of anger when things did not go his way. Players often lose their cool, but narcissists, who can never be wrong, have to find others to blame for their behavior. Mr. Brown found his coach and quarterback to scapegoat. Were Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger perfect? No, who is? Yet, Mr. Brown played the victim card better than a blackjack dealer at a local casino.
If we allow a prima donna to go unrestrained, no matter how talented, we create a culture of selfcenteredness like a well that has no bottom. The Steelers of the 1970s have a list of people with Hall of Fame after their names, yet the team was always more important than personal accomplishment. In the long-run, his departure may be beneficial to the Steelers. Teams that have players that play as much for their teammates as they do for themselves have developed a consistent winning mentality. It’s called teamwork.
I wish Antonio Brown well as he gave us many thrills, yet if he does not learn anything from this past season, he will take his baggage with him and experience the same outcome with a different coach and quarterback.
KEN BARNES Mechanicsville, Va. The writer is a native of Brownsville.
Political obstructions
The Feb. 17 letter “Budget Problems” said “the shutdown drama is a charade invented by left-wing politicians to hide their reckless spending.”
One should understand that budget shutdowns and other obstructions are tools (right or wrong) used by both parties to forestall or push actions for their pet projects. How can one forget previous obstructions that had initiated by right wing politicians such as: Sen. Ted Cruz, R.-Texas, reading Dr. Seuss in the Senate in order to block action on the Affordable Care Cct (Obamacare); Rep. Newt Gingrich trying to hamper President Bill Clinton’s initiatives in 1990; and the illustrious Sen. Mitch McConnell, RKy., throwing roadblocks against interviewing Judge Merrick Garland as President Barack Obama’s selection for justice to the U.S. Supreme Court.
But since the letter writer decided to bring our attention to left-wing reckless spending, she conveniently overlooks the additional trillion dollar deficit foisted on us taxpayers through the right wing’s (for certain not the left’s) tax cuts, that benefited and was cheered for by big businesses.
The letter writer must be reminded that the Republicans controlled the executive, legislative and judicial branches when this was passed. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who is responsible for the “reckless spending.” Guess where the buck stops?
GEORGE THIROS
Mt. Lebanon
Serve the people
A litmus test vote took in the U. S. House posed a simple question to our representatives: Do you support the separation of powers, the Constitution and congressional power of the purse, or do you march in lockstep with a president who seeks to expand his powers to declare a national emergency over something which he acknowledged, was not an emergency (Feb. 27, “House Thwarts Trump”)?
My representative, rightwing Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, voted with the president and against the people and the Constitution, upholding the emergency declaration. This rendered him a Donald Trump stooge.
In the unlikely event that the national emergency is upheld by the courts, Mr. Reschenthaler may come to regret his vote. There will be a Democratic president someday, I pray in January 2021, and that president’s idea of what constitutes a national emergency is likely to be quite different from that of Republicans. I look forward to hearing the howls of protests from Republicans like Mr. Reschenthaler if and when the tables are turned.
Mr. Reschenthaler has spoken clearly; he serves Mr. Trump, not us.