Over the last couple of days, this country has been discussing, dissecting and commenting vehemently about two stories: deflate-gate and the killing of a lion.  We seem to be enthralled by the pounds per square inch of a football and the pounds of an animal that lie dead in Africa (personally, humans hunting animals for any other purpose besides food makes no sense to me and doing it for sport seems a bit much, but I'll get over it).  The media, politicians, and even our friends have told us in 144 characters on Twitter or posts on Facebook or Instagram pictures to be careful what you say or you will be vilified through any and all social media outlets.  In other words, be on our side or risk the fear of public and social media retaliation. 

My sense is that stories like these capture the fancy of society because they allow it to voice its opinion without the fear of offending someone. Doesn't everyone hate the Patriots?  Who really is for the senseless murder of a lion anyway?  Moreover, I believe that that the reason that these two aforementioned stories are so very popular is because they allow us to escape our reality for a time-being.  And after that short time passes and we move onto another story, these two stories will have zero effect on our lives – that is the attraction.  We become passionate about an issue and doing little to solve the problem other than voicing our opinion to stoke the fire of other like-minded individuals' minds.  Does strength in numbers come to mind?

Take our own Pennsylvania government.  Thirty days have gone by and no budget.  On a side note, please tell me why we need a budget if the government still is operating?  All the D’s and R’s do is send out propaganda vilifying the other.  To my own legislators – please stop telling me how bad the governor is and instead, give me sound solutions to the important issues facing us, like paying the unfunded pension debt. And, please stop boring me on why the privatization of the state stores is a deal breaker.  I’m digressing here, but did you know that the state of PA has not contributed their share of the employee’s pension contributions since the early 2000s (both parties to blame), which has been a major contributor to the pension mess in the first place?

The killing of Cecil has turned into a battle between Planned Parenthood and the Pro Life movement. How many of the Lion lovers will actually get involved in helping to limit the illegal poaching of animals in Africa? How many of the Pro-Lifers will get down on their knees and pray (every day) to reduce abortions in this country?  Very, very little is the answer to both questions.  However, the comments and vitriol will continue to be spewed by each side at the opposition.  I am staunchly pro-life; but pro-lifers - mostly Christians - who are writing, "Americans care more about lions than babies" are doing a disservice to the movement.  Do you really think that a FB post like that will convince someone to become pro-life?  Not on your life. How about start praying for their change of heart instead -- OK, off my soap box and back to this post.  I bet donations to each cause (planned parenthood & pro-life) rose exponentially over the last several days.  Lost in everything is the lion.  No one really cares about the lion --- the lion was used as pawn by both sides to bring other issues to the forefront, just as the budget is being used as a pawn to increase donations to both political parties.

I am convinced that both sides of the budget impasse do not want to immediately solve the issue because it keeps the money flowing into their coffers.  In the end, the citizens of this Commonwealth are suffering and being held hostage by arrogant, self-absorbed toddlers who are throwing tantrums because they aren’t getting their toy in the playpen.

Moreover, citizens don’t really care about the budget issue because they can seemingly do nothing about it.  Most people reading this post will yawn at its content and will navigate to another blogger's post about shutting down the dental practice of Cecil’s killer.  When the practice is shut down, they will take pride in that they had something to do with it.   It's sexy to brag to your friends about helping to crucify an animal killer.  However, helping to solve government impasses is not sexy at all.  Who wants to brag to your friends that you helped to resolve the education funding issue even though that issue affects all of Pennsylvania's citizens? Yawn. "Bring on the next sexy story so I can escape reality for while" they say. This is why we will never escape the governmental quagmire we are stuck in today - it's not sexy.

Believe.Act.Serve.

#standwithrand

My grandfather, former mayor of Lititz, died in 1986 when I was in college.  If I were able to travel back in time to a month before his death and talk to him about 2015, I'm positive that he wouldn't believe the following:

1.  People actually spend money to buy water in tiny bottles instead of getting it from their kitchen facets.

2.  Republican politicians and candidates are attacking each other with regularity.  My grandfather used to say, "Tim, a Republican should never in public speak ill of any Republican because it leads to disunity."


3.  The rise and sustaining of reality TV.  I mean really...no where in the animal kingdom do animals watch other animals for entertainment other than humans.  

4.  That I would not live in Lititz (I live in Brickerville) and not be able to be mayor of Lititz -- something he wanted me to be.

5.  Two women would be listed on a child's birth certificate as the mothers of their new baby and no mention of a father (see recent federal judge's ruling from Utah).


6.  On a college application (see Univ of CA), the applicant can identify themselves as 6 genders and not two: male; female; trans gender male; trans gender female; gender queer; and my favorite (catch-all) -- different identity.


7.  Carrying cash to pay for things would be considered outdated and not the preferred method.


8.  The average salary of a major league baseball player would be over $4 million (in 1986, it was $421,000) and yet, baseball would be the third most popular sport behind football and basketball.


9.  People could own a movie and view it at any time on many formats (DVD, iPod, tablet) without ever setting foot in a theater to see it for the first time.


10.  We voluntarily will tell the world our innermost thoughts as well as what we had for breakfast and people hearing it would beg for more (see Facebook, Twitter and blog sites). 


Believe.Act. Serve...like Jesus did

1.       “We are never told to be the final judge, but rather to live as Jesus lived.   Christians should stop trying to make the call of heaven or hell, in or out, dirty or clean, and instead model our humanity after Jesus’ humanity. If every Christian actually followed Jesus’ lead, the Christian movement would be the least judgmental but most influential movement the world has ever seen.” – Jonathan Merritt

2.       From the “people you never heard of, but significantly helped America gain its independence category”- #1 - comes the story of Haym Solomon.  Mr. Solomon arranged financing to keep the Continental Army alive during its darkest days. Besides funding the army, he extended no-interest loans to Madison, Monroe and Jefferson among others. At the time of his death at the age of 44 in 1785, he was owed $600,000.  Without his contributions, the USA might never have won their independence.

3.       Today, July 07, is national Strawberry Sundae Day.

4.       “We are facing all kinds of trouble in our country and in the world…we are the front line. We are the last line of defense, and if we fail, liberty will be lost.  It is only through God that we will pull our family, our nation out of the grasp and the jaws of hell and bring it back to a Christ-centered nation where we need to be.”  Glenn Beck

5.       While I won’t be at the US Women’s Open at the Lancaster Country Club, it is nonetheless going to be pretty cool to watch the tourney on Fox Sports knowing that the event is taking place so close to where we live. 

6.       From the “people you never heard of, but significantly helped America gain its independence category”- #2 - comes the story of Christopher Ludwick.  Mr. Ludwick was commissioned as the superintendent of bakers in 1777.  Before Ludwick took over, the bread used to feed the army was hard enough to stop bullets.  Because of his contribution of baking bread, the army had adequate provisions, even at Valley Forge.

7.       We are less than 2 months away from the first Penn State Football game.  The Lions travel to Philadelphia on September 05 to take on the Temple Owls.  PSU’s first home game is against Buffalo on Sept. 12.  #GoNits

8.       So I read a story about a guy recently who ripped a confederate flag off of the back of a semi-truck.  Nothing unusual until you hear the rest of the story --- he did it when the truck was moving in traffic.  I know people are passionate about removing those flags, but doing it while running after a truck on a highway?

9.       Oil forecasters believe that the price of a gallon of gasoline may drop to $2.00 this fall. 

10.   The following are the general fund expenditures from the Pennsylvania $29.4 billion ’14-’15 budget:

a.       PreK-12 Education 35%

b.      Medical Assistance & Long Term Elderly Care 22.8%

c.       Welfare 16%

d.      Corrections 7.5%

e.      Higher Education 5.5%

11.   By reviewing the expenditures above, you can see why education funding is so very important to both political parties.  The Dems say that it is not enough and the Reps say that it is too much.  Where is Goldilocks when you need her.

BELIEVE.ACT.SERVE