Now there would be some truth to such replies. We are blessed with some of the best farmland in the world. There are areas of the county which have Amish and Mennonites and spectacular farms. We have good schools, many churches, plenty of shopping areas, fine restaurants and good entertainment sources. But things are changing and we are no longer untouched by the problems of today's society. And safety and security are growing concerns.
We now have only one daily newspaper and it is a shadow of what we used to have with two competing daily papers. It is loaded with ads and many useless features and news articles are short and limited. But last Thursday's issue highlights some of the changes we are facing in this county.
On the front page was an article about an incident in Columbia involving the Confederate Flag. A man, his daughter, her friend, and his girlfriend where recently attacked by a group at Walmart. He was chased and followed by ten to 15 people carrying knives and yelling racist terms and making threats. His truck was keyed and dented by fists.
All of this action was apparently related to "rebel runs", the practice of flying a Confederate flag in the back of your truck and then driving through town. These runs are organized informally. 250 trucks recently participated in a run in Ephrata and 50 took part in the one in Columbia. They have also happened in other local towns. Good old quiet Lancaster County!
A second article talked about an Ephrata Township man who was charged with aggravated assault and making terroristic threats. He is said to have punched and kicked a woman in a Walmart parking lot. He reportedly confronted the woman because she had cut him off on the WalMart access road. He pulled her unto the ground by her hair and punched and kicked her "numerous " times, injuring her. Good old safe, quiet Lancaster County.
A third article, hidden on page three, told about bullets which struck the home of a military recruiter in Mountville. Several shots were fired in a drive-by shooting. Two rounds pierced the front window and entered the living room. Fortunately the U.S. marine recruiter who lives there was not injured. Good old safe Lancaster County.
Now the good news is what was not in Thursday's publication. The usual police report was not included, possibly because there was not enough space in this limited newspaper. There were no reports of anyone actually getting shot - there is an average of one shooting per week in Lancaster City. No news of drug busts. No Turkey Hills or minute marts robbed. No bank robberies. No pedestrians hit by a hit and run driver. No prostitution arrests. No homes broken into. Actually, unless LNP just had no room to include them, this was an unusually quiet day in Lancaster County.
Now I have lived here most of my life. It has been a good area in which to raise my children and I doubt that there are too many places left that are safe and quiet. Sinful man has been successful in ruining many of the things that humans long for. And, unfortunately, it will only get worse. And I am not being a pessimist, just a realist.
But, as folks often say, I have read the end of the book and I know how life as we know it now will end. There is a day when Christ will return and rule the world. Only then will we who are His children experience true peace and the lives that we long for. And that is the hope that we live with as things all around us get worse and worse.
Marantha!
A second article talked about an Ephrata Township man who was charged with aggravated assault and making terroristic threats. He is said to have punched and kicked a woman in a Walmart parking lot. He reportedly confronted the woman because she had cut him off on the WalMart access road. He pulled her unto the ground by her hair and punched and kicked her "numerous " times, injuring her. Good old safe, quiet Lancaster County.
A third article, hidden on page three, told about bullets which struck the home of a military recruiter in Mountville. Several shots were fired in a drive-by shooting. Two rounds pierced the front window and entered the living room. Fortunately the U.S. marine recruiter who lives there was not injured. Good old safe Lancaster County.
Now the good news is what was not in Thursday's publication. The usual police report was not included, possibly because there was not enough space in this limited newspaper. There were no reports of anyone actually getting shot - there is an average of one shooting per week in Lancaster City. No news of drug busts. No Turkey Hills or minute marts robbed. No bank robberies. No pedestrians hit by a hit and run driver. No prostitution arrests. No homes broken into. Actually, unless LNP just had no room to include them, this was an unusually quiet day in Lancaster County.
Now I have lived here most of my life. It has been a good area in which to raise my children and I doubt that there are too many places left that are safe and quiet. Sinful man has been successful in ruining many of the things that humans long for. And, unfortunately, it will only get worse. And I am not being a pessimist, just a realist.
But, as folks often say, I have read the end of the book and I know how life as we know it now will end. There is a day when Christ will return and rule the world. Only then will we who are His children experience true peace and the lives that we long for. And that is the hope that we live with as things all around us get worse and worse.
Marantha!
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