As I read the headline in the July 30 Mirror pertaining to the PIAA decision to not allow spectators at high school football games this fall, I was forced to think hard about what is going on in our society. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 issue in March, we have been told by our ...

As Americans, we grow up believing that everyone is entitled to their opinion. That isn’t always true. Sure, it’s fine to have any opinion in your head, or your home or among friends. But when your beliefs in some way threaten public health, it turns out that you might have to follow ...

Perhaps history can forgive those who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016. Trump made many grandiose promises of actions that would shake up the status quo and benefit the common man: steps that certainly have a populist appeal. And previously not having been in the political ...

We have been relying on data from the Center for Disease Control for our information on the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s look at it closely. In Pennsylvania, as of Aug. 1, there have been 7,204 deaths attributed to COVID-19. The number of deaths of children from COVID-19 from Feb. 1 through ...

I recently came back to Altoona to look after my father. Sadly, he passed away, and now I am dealing with all his apartment belongings. Being disabled and close to 80 years old, it is difficult to get around. I went to We Sell Your Furniture Store to see if they could help. I was also ...

No matter your political persuasion, you must be saddened by the recent events in many cities around our country. If you are not, but are instead encouraged by the wanton destruction, then you must be a true anarchist and will not like what I am about to say. We are witnessing many acts of ...

Times are changing in America, and the original borders of states often no longer make sense. Frequently large rural regions are compelled to accept laws, policies and directives designed for smaller and more densely populated urban areas. What makes sense for one often does not make sense ...

I am 19 years old and have been a resident of Altoona all of my life. I live near Calvary Cemetery and run for exercise through there nearly every day. I have walked and run there countless times throughout my life, as have each member of my family, and I know many other people do as well, ...

It astounds me how rude and ignorant the public is to those of us they assume are rude, selfish and ignorant. What about you ask? Disability. You mock us, give snide remarks and attack. You assume people don’t want to wear the masks, or are selfishly wanting to “kill everyone” (yes ...

Why is it that those seeking the opportunity to be free and make the most of themselves come from other countries to the United States when they get the chance? Why do the oppressed and downtrodden often risk their lives to come to our great country? Is it because we are a racist, homophobic ...

I am an area resident trying to support local businesses during this pandemic, but I’m finding this to be very difficult. During the past week, I visited a local hardware store, and none of the employees were wearing masks. I went to a local boutique and heard the manager tell customers to ...

In the July 20 Mirror, an article appeared titled “GOP mounts effort to curb Wolf.” Once again, three of our state lawmakers — Sen. Judy Ward, Rep. Lou Schmitt and Rep. Jim Gregory — attempt to draw attention away from the crisis, the pandemic and their unwillingness to address them. ...

Perhaps history can forgive those who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016. Trump made many grandiose promises of actions that would shake up the status quo and benefit the common man: steps that certainly have a populist appeal. And previously not having been in the political ...

I would just like to add my voice to the many, many others in honor and praise of John Robert Lewis. I am not a brave person, so I stand in awe of those who literally put their lives on the line for what they believe in. I believe John Lewis was of the same caliber of such men as Nelson ...

This is to all Americans who believe in God and country — the hard-working patriotic men and women across the USA who believe in the constitution as it was written. When we look at the American flag, we just don’t see stars and stripes. We see the faces of millions of men and women, past ...

I know there’s a lot of controversy over the Confederate statues and flags, but we have to look at their history and their purpose. The vast majority of the statues were built between the 1890s and 1950s. That was the height of the Jim Crow Era. Jim Crow laws were a collection of state ...

Gail Nedimyer had an opinion in the July 17 edition of the Mirror regarding the wearing of face masks, and I agree with her l00%. As to those shoppers who say they have a medical condition that keeps them from wearing a mask, who knows if they are telling the truth? Maybe they’re telling a ...

So when November comes around, remember that the buck must stop somewhere. Someone needs to take responsibility for the state of the country. As Nero plays golf, the country burns with a pandemic. What you see is under Nero’s watch. The chaos we see in the streets is occurring under his ...

A political ad blames Joe Biden for jobs leaving America and factories closing. President Richard Nixon opened trade between the U.S. and China. China exported and imported little before this deal. Nixon said, “This will create millions of jobs,” it did — in China. Rich companies and ...

I strongly urge all residents/voters to ask your state and national representatives to support and vote to approve vote-by-mail for the November’s election. There is no validity to President Donald Trump’s and others’ claims that vote-by-mail would result in election fraud — not to ...