Opinion

At the end of a very hot day the temperature was still in the high eighties when I started my walk on River Road north of the post office. A layer of fog had formed and was clinging to the Delaware River. Rock islands I often admired from the riverbank could barely be seen this evening.

Since 1992, 45% of the plastic recycling materials generated by the planet and about 70% of the recyclable plastic waste generated in the United States have been sent to China.

I have given much thought recently about the meaning of our national anthem and the American flag (as I am sure many of you have) and what they stand for. They both stand for freedom. They both stand for valor (great courage), honor, respect, tradition, perseverance and justice.

Working through my anger and sadness about the obscene attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, I couldn’t help being struck and even comforted by the constant invocation of the temple’s potently life-affirming name.

For some weeks now, we have received so many election-related letters that we have not been able to print them all. This week, to maximize our readers’ opportunities to share their election views with their neighbors, we are dedicating both of our editorial pages to your voices.

Why I vote

As November Election Day and soon after, Veterans Day, approaches, my thoughts turn to why I vote.

Leave it to my mother, the daughter of Irish Catholic Republicans from Pittsburgh, to move our small family to Squirrel Hill in the 1950s.

Some analysts say the coming midterm election is a referendum on President Donald Trump. But judging from the political television ads this season the election is also about healthcare. The Wesleyan Media Project said it this way: “It’s official: the 2018 midterms are about healthcare.