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The right sort of nostalgia makes America’s democracy work better

BEDFORD — For a brief moment, it was like stepping back in time when a series of 1920s Bentley Roadsters chugged up along the ridge of the winding Lincoln Highway in the mountains of Somerset County. The drivers and passengers alike were wearing goggles, their scarves billowing in the wind. The smiles on their faces, so carefree and joyful, were something you wished you could bottle and save for yourself. It was only when an 18-wheeler with bright Dollar General signs on both sides came barreling up behind them that the whimsical spell was broken. What is it about seeing ...

We need to live and let live

I have long puzzled over why it is that the radical right is so obsessed with sex: abortion, birth control, IVF, homosexuality, transsexualism, drag shows. Why? Why be concerned that people are different, as long as they are not hurting someone else or infringing on the lives of others? Let’s just take one example: abortion. I get that some people may feel that this is “killing babies” but that’s not always the case. There are many cases in which women who very much want their babies are unable to give birth for medical reasons. However, the laws which many states are adopting ...

Voters aren’t buying what Shapiro’s selling

As inflation persists, Pennsylvania voters are rejecting increased government spending, according to new polling data released by the Commonwealth Foundation. Inflation and the rising cost of living remain Pennsylvanians’ chief concerns. With more than two-thirds of voters saying that high prices are eating away at their standard of living, it’s no wonder that a plurality reports their family is worse off than two years ago. Unsurprisingly, voters concerned with living costs reject proposals that would take more money from their paychecks to fund government programs and subsidize ...

The high cost of not having a lawyer

After 43 years as a trial lawyer, I became a judge in August of 2022. Because I was a practicing attorney for so long, little about this job was really new to me. One matter which was a complete surprise is the high number of litigants who choose to attend court proceedings without a lawyer. Many of them complain that “I can’t afford a lawyer,” even though they never even tried to retain an attorney, at reasonable cost. Although I must accept their decision to proceed without counsel, I am often disappointed about their complete lack of preparation, and very poor presentation of ...

Family learning can help break cycle of generational poverty

As a former educator at both the high school and college level, I have seen the stark difference in success rates between students who have the support of their families as they learn and those who unfortunately do not. By support, I don’t just mean regular reminders to study or encouragement for achieving good grades, although that undoubtedly helps. I also mean support at the life lesson level, in which students get to see how the adults in their lives engage with the same subjects they are studying in school. For example, students may be taught financial literacy in the classroom, ...

Reflections on Jesus, ‘vermin, animals and poisoning our blood’

Alright, which word above should not be associated with the others in the title? Don’t fight it. Your answer says it all. Most Christians believe that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead to bring God’s grace and mercy to ALL people. Catholics rejoice in the universality of Christ’s redemptive reach annually during Eastertide and daily by their participation in the Eucharist, as they celebrate the memorial of, the participation in and the sacramental reenactment of Christ’s victory over sin and death through his passion, death and resurrection for all peoples ...