(In this column, Opinion Editor Kevin Aldridge briefly recaps the most-read letters to the editor and guest columns on Cincinnati.com this week in case you missed them. You can read all these opinions in their entirety by clicking on the links.)
When Coney Island’s amusement park and iconic swimming pool shut down last year, Greater Cincinnati lost more than just a landmark. It lost one of the few affordable entertainment options left for working families.
Mount Washington resident Jess Ebert called it “class warfare” in a widely read 2024 op-ed, arguing that Sunlite Pool served countless low- and middle-income families who relied on it for recreation and swim lessons.
That same frustration showed up again this week. A July 14 letter from Pierce Township’s Lee Eyerman struck a nerve with more than 25,000 readers − the most-read opinion of the week. In it, Eyerman took aim at the steep costs of parks like Kings Island and Cedar Point. Read his full letter here.
“Thirty dollars to park, Fast Lane prices to bypass those waiting to get on a ride, overpriced food – no wonder kids fight in the parking lots,” Eyerman wrote. “Once again, corporate America has ruined a family outing for all and has priced inner-city kids and regular middle-class people out of the park…You do know that charging $1,000 on your credit card for Kings Island still has to be paid?”
He reminisced about simpler times at Coney Island and LeSourdsville Lake, mourning that “Most kids today will never know our childhood joy on these kinds of outings.”
His letter took me back to my own summers at Americana (formerly LeSourdsville), the affordable alternative to Kings Island for my working-class parents and their four boys. Back then, you could even bring your own food for a picnic – a far cry from today’s $13 slice of pizza and soda.
What do you think? Are amusement parks now priced out of reach for the average family? Or is the fun still worth the cost? I’d love to hear from you – send me a letter to the editor or an op-ed with your take.
History won’t forget Portman’s inaction
After the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and then-Senator Rob Portman’s vote against impeaching Donald Trump, I wrote: “The Trump years won’t define Portman’s legacy, but they will almost certainly be a stain on it.” I argued that despite a long, honorable career, history would remember his silence in a moment that demanded courage.
Four years later, Greg Taylor of Loveland echoed that sentiment in one of the most-read op-eds this week.
Portman, he wrote, had power, respect and a reputation for being principled. What he lacked was the courage to stand up to Trump − or stand up for the Constitution.
“Senator Portman chose silence. Not out of malice. Not out of agreement with extremism,” Taylor wrote. “But out of calculation, or fear, or the misguided hope that the threat would pass on its own… He had the chance to be a voice of conscience in a party that was losing its way. He chose instead to play the game of institutional preservation while the institutions themselves were crumbling.”
Taylor concluded: “Portman didn’t fail because he was extreme, but because he stayed quiet. Silence is not neutrality in the face of a threat this grave. It’s permission. And that, more than anything, is what defines his legacy now.”
I felt that. Portman once told our Enquirer editorial board that if Trump ever endangered the country, he would act. But he never did – no matter how low Trump went. And in retirement, when he has even less to lose, Portman has stayed silent still.
What do you think? How will Rob Portman be remembered – as a man of principle or a leader who flinched when it counted most? Send us a letter or op-ed with your thoughts.
Did Covington police go too far?
Video of Covington police clashing with demonstrators was disturbing. Officers were seen punching, using Tasers, firing pepper spray and forcing multiple people to the ground after protesters marching across the Roebling Bridge refused orders to disperse.
The protest followed a vigil demanding the release of Ayman Soliman, a former Cincinnati Children’s chaplain detained by ICE. Covington’s police chief said a “thorough investigation” is underway, claiming protesters “obstructed traffic” and “jeopardized public safety.” Fifteen people were arrested. One officer is now on administrative duty.
The Rev. Nelson Pierce Jr., senior pastor of Beloved Community Church in Mt. Airy, was there and called the police response “an assertion of power meant to make us sit down and shut up.”
“I watched a man near me get punched in the head and neck. I saw people peacefully resisting, only to be dragged from railings and thrown to the ground. I have heard that an officer told one of our organizers, “On this side of the river, we do not f— around,” Pierce wrote. “That wasn’t just about crowd control; it was a message.”
Do you agree with Rev. Pierce? Did the Covington police use reasonable force, or cross the line? Did protesters have a First Amendment right to march across the bridge, or were they creating a public safety threat? I want to hear your thoughts.
Where does Joe Burrow rank?
If you’re a Bengals fan like me, you’ve probably seen the debates: Who’s the best quarterback behind Patrick Mahomes? Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson are always in the mix.
For Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, it’s Burrow − no question. Despite a historic season, Burrow still faces criticism for not having a Super Bowl ring. Enquirer contributor Andy Furman argued that without one, Burrow risks ending up in the “Hall of Almost.” You can read his full commentary here.
“Oh yeah, you can have a lot of success and still not win a championship ring. But winning a Super Bowl is what every great professional football player works for at the end of the day,” Furman wrote. “Maybe this is the year that Joe Burrow starts hanging with a new crowd – the one with all the Super Bowl and league MVPs.”
Where do you think, Bengals Nation? Is Burrow the second-best QB in the NFL? Does he need a ring to be considered one of the all-time greats? Will this finally be the Bengals’ year? Let me know.
In case you missed them
In case you missed them, here’s a chance to catch up on a couple more of the most-read opinions this week:
Op-ed: A sidewalk dispute shouldn’t kill the $150M Hyde Park Square project.
Op-ed: Buzz built the brand, but it couldn’t save Taste of Belgium.
Your thoughts on my hot (or not so hot) takes
My column this week about Butler County Commissioner T.C. Rogers finally seeing through Donald Trump’s immigration lies struck a nerve. It was the fifth most-read opinion piece of the week, and my inbox lit up.
Frank wrote:
“I have seen him (Trump) on videos from the get-go say he was getting rid of illegals and those who were the worst of the worst first. He and Tom Homan never stated they were going to allow those identified as illegal, when discovered, to stay. When they search for the worst of the worst, they will find others of lesser offenses. Being against his policies is OK in my book, but misrepresenting the execution of his policies as lies is not.”
Paul also chimed in:
“If you read the national news, you would see the number of violent criminals/gang members who have been caught by ICE. That said, you are wrong to say Trump voters have been hoodwinked. Every illegal immigrant has broken the law. They are here in the US ILLEGALLY. As a result of our current immigration laws, they can be returned to their home country. If you don’t like the laws, change them, but over 11 million people entered our country in the Biden administration, many with no idea who they are and where they went. They are here illegally. Period.”
Not everyone was upset, though.
Mark wrote:
“Kevin, today’s craftsmanship borrows a little style from (USA TODAY columnist) Rex Huppke but packs a great Middletown (my hometown) punch. Many of us are so tired of our own neighbors in this Trump state. Their complacency, hypocrisy, denial, sorry lack of any empathy and downright hate. You delivered once again today, telling it like it is.”
And from down in Austin, Texas, Ola Owoputi added:
“We need more potent, seasoned, and curt journalists like you in the U.S., particularly at this time where truth is scarce, where the majority of Americans are being brainwashed with MAGA lies and lack basic decency of humanity. The damage has been done like you stipulated, and it would take decades before the world, not just America, to recover from it.”
And about that Dave Chappelle piece…
Last week, I asked for your thoughts on contributor Dennis Doyle’s op-ed about Dave Chappelle’s comedy, particularly jokes about trans people that some say cross a line. Doug Wamble of the Bronx, N.Y. came through with this:
“While I am certainly a fan of edgy comedy and freedom of speech, I do believe that it’s fair to question the motives of people who command a lot of attention and have great influence. Chappelle, like Joe Rogan and Bill Maher, and the like, seem to be trying to stake out this ‘Hey, I’m just telling it like it is’ position, when what’s actually happening is that they are old men getting swallowed up by a new reality.
Doug continued:
“I’m a cis, hetero, white dude… (and) a proud parent of a trans woman. I don’t think she’s so fragile that she can’t take a joke, and that she is overly offended by anti-trans bigots like Chappelle and J.K. Rowling. She mocks them both… But when it comes to comedians and free speech? Let them say what they want. We want to know who they are. If you’re a racist or an anti-Semite or someone who thinks a Palestinian life has a different value than another, speak up and speak loudly so you can be easily identified!”
Mic. Dropped.
Keep the feedback coming − the cheers, the jeers and everything in between.
Join the conversation
As always, you can join the conversation on these and other topics by sending your thoughts to letters@enquirer.com. Letters of up to 200 words may be submitted and must include name, address, community and daytime phone number. Op-eds are submitted the same way, except they should be 500-600 words and also include a one-sentence bio and headshot. Submissions may be edited for space and clarity.
If you need some tips on how to write an op-ed, click here.
Opinion and Engagement Editor Kevin S. Aldridge can be reached at kaldridge@enquirer.com. On X: @kevaldrid.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kings Island is pricing out the middle class and other opinions you read most this week
Reporting by Kevin S. Aldridge, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
