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Treatment courts a powerful tool

For three decades, there has been a growing movement to transform the way the justice system responds to substance use and mental health disorders. Rather than continuing the revolving door of addiction and related crime, treatment courts break the cycle by holding individuals accountable while connecting them with the treatment and support needed to change their lives. This approach is no longer an experiment; more than 4,000 treatment courts across the nation have proven to be the most successful justice intervention in our nation’s history. May is National Treatment Court Month and ...

Is there an answer to violence our polarized society can achieve?

I went to a large high school in Pittsburgh. The same high school that LaVar Arrington attended. It was a city/suburban school. I never saw (or heard of) any weapons being used among the students. It was a long time ago. I graduated in 1960. I was bullied, but I never, ever, considered using a gun to fight back…and I did fight back. How many of you had those kinds of experiences? Probably quite a few back in those days. Even when I was in dire need of help and very angry about being bullied, I never dreamed of shooting the bully or anyone else. It just wasn’t a choice I considered. ...

The differences between Joe Biden and Donald Trump

The biggest difference between Donald Trump and Joe Biden are things Trump supporters freely admit, things like: Donald Trump says he still believes that he won the 2020 election. The violent attack on the Capitol by his insurrectionist supporters was not a threat to anyone including Vice President Pence. The Capitol attackers hugged and kissed the police and are Patriots deserving pardons. Putin, an internationally charged war criminal, was “savvy and a genius” to invade Ukraine. Classified documents belonged to Trump when he left office. As President, Trump could do whatever he ...

Union leadership lacks accountability

In a stunning admission of incompetence, Jerry Jordan, the boss of Pennsylvania’s largest teachers’ union, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, admitted he only recently started requesting paid family leave for his members. Meanwhile, Philly teachers are left struggling to cobble together time off for maternity leave. If I were a Philly teacher having money siphoned off my paycheck to fund Jordan’s salary, I would be livid and demand more control over my union leaders. Alas, this is not what teachers and other government sector union employees are going to get if Pennsylvania ...

Reflecting on a younger self: The COVID-19 pandemic of the early ’20s

Oh...how I remember the days when layers of masks outweighed layers of clothing. The days I stayed home to protect others...rather, I should say the months I stayed home to protect others. I was in my teens when COVID-19 hit us. Looking back, I know that history is written by the victors. Even though I never got severely ill from it, the virus affected every aspect of our lives, from the way we work and socialize to the way we think about our own mortality. However, if the clock were to rewind and news had just broken, with headlines blaring “COVID-19! Why You Should Be Afraid!” my ...

Is it time to amend the Constitution of the United States?

On February 16, 2018, I wrote: “In the latest public school massacre at least 17 people were killed when a former student, armed with an AR-15 rifle opened fire at a high school on St. Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2018.” How many have died needlessly since then? Some say this is a time for grieving, not to talk about gun control. Perhaps we have grieved enough, due to the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. It is time to have a serious conversation about guns. District of Columbia v. Heller was a landmark United States Supreme Court decision decided in 2008. In a ...