Changes

          Three of my favorite years growing up were the years that we lived in downtown Lancaster - 48 N. Queen St.  Those years may have been hard for my father since parking was rather difficult, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.
We lived in a row home and for the first year there we shared our home with my aunt and uncle and cousin.  We lived upstairs and they lived downstairs.  When they moved out we had the entire house to ourselves and we enjoyed having loads of room.  We didn't have much of a yard, but that didn't matter since the large house and the whole town were our playground.
My brother and I walked several blocks to school at George Ross Elementary.  After school I would often walk downtown, by myself, and explore the stores and the city.  I learned to love the city.  I was only a youngster, but I felt entirely safe.  My parents and I never had any fears about my safety.  It was great.
           During the summer, when our new church held tent meetings, we often had Bible school students who were helping with the meetings stay in our house.  That was a great experience.  When our new church met in a hall downtown, our family often walked to church, Sunday mornings and evenings and Wednesday evenings.  We had friends in that area that we would go to visit.  No fears.  Great memories.
Now fast forward  60 years - times in Lancaster have changed drastically.  Today I would never consider walking in my old neighborhood at night.  Even during the day I would be careful and concerned.  I would not ever let my children walk to school unattended.  Crime, fights, shootings and drugs are now common.  It's so sad.
          In the last three months there were at least ten shootings in Lancaster.  Three of them were fatal.  And one elementary school teacher was brutally killed in her home in an attempted burglary.  The majority of these were in the northeast section of town, an area recently thought to be very "safe".  In 2012 there were 26 shootings.  In 2013 there were 29.  In the first eleven months of 2014 there were 34 shootings.  Not too comforting.  Some were drive by shootings.  Some shot were innocent bystanders.
          The mayor blames it on the state which he says "refuses to do everything it can to keep guns out of the hands of people who use them unlawfully."  He says that the shootings do not indicate that the general public is at high risk.  He says drunken drivers pose a bigger danger to law abiding citizens.   Really?
The police chief said that residents, visitors and downtown merchants should know that most such incidents arise from personal disputes - not drug or turf wars involving gangs.  Is that comforting?  Tell that to the 54 year old man who was fatally wounded and the 60 year old woman and 25 year old man who were all wounded in the same incident.  All three  were described as innocent bystanders.
           But no matter what they do, the cause of this is man's sin.  They can try stricter laws, tougher prosecution, more police, wars on drugs, or whatever, but until the hearts of men are changed, violence like this will just increase.  The cure for the world's ills is Jesus, but He has become politically incorrect in today's society.  Instead of depending upon Him, society has tried to remove Him from all aspects of today's life and what we are facing today is the sad and dangerous result.
           Unfortunately this problem is not just Lancaster's.  Almost every night the local news reports shootings in York or Harrisburg as well as Lancaster.  Now many residents say they don't fear the city.  Good for them.  Let them live, walk, and shop there.  As for me, I will still spend limited time there, but only when I have to.
I guess we've come a long way ... but change isn't always good.  In this case I'd rather have the "good old days".