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Term-limits ordinance should respect principles

Editorials

To understand where Williamsport is today, it may be helpful to reflect on where America was nearly 75 years ago. When the 22nd Amendment was passed to limit future presidents to two terms, President Harry S. Truman had not yet decided whether he would seek a third term. Nobody doubted he had the right to, or pretended he didn’t, because of what was then a deeply engrained principle of our democratic republic. Laws should not be applied retroactively. Attempting to entrap somebody who was engaged in an activity or behavior that had been legal should be recognized as an ...

My sister’s confidence boosted my self-assurance

Editorials

I would not make the trip by myself, but I also would not pass up the opportunity. I texted my sister Erica, who lives on the West Coast, “How do you feel about Montana?” Let me back up. When I started writing about conservationists protecting our American landscapes, I knew travel was part of the package. I enjoyed walk-and-talk interviews in the woods, but Montana was different. This was no three-hour excursion but a weeklong scouting trip in America’s Serengeti. It included camping in the middle of nowhere without cell reception and setting up a tent on a platform so bison ...

Louvre heist encapsulates a culture that will not defend itself

Editorials

I write from a quiet, mountainous part of Central Europe. The scenery is idyllic, and the fall air is crisp. But much as the case has been in my other recent trips to the European continent, the sights I see and the conversations I hear are all underscored by a similar haunting concern: Will there even be a Europe, in any cognizable sense of the term, a century from now? All across the continent, fertility rates have plummeted, and the Christianity that defined the civilization for two millennia is viewed as a quaint relic of a bygone era. The combination of modern European Union ...

Finding beauty in a broken world in Alaska

Local Columns

This August, my wife and I enjoyed a much-anticipated trip to Alaska for our 40th anniversary. As we sailed from Seattle, we saw Mount Rainier from our cruise ship balcony. Like many things of beauty, though, there were challenges. Weather prevented us from sailing around the Endicott Glacier. In Juneau we went to Tongass National Park and saw the stunning views of the Mendenhall Glacier and hiked in the refreshing coolness of the rain forest. The next day, it was closed because of flooding, a symbol of life filled with beauty and splendor, countered by disappointments, frustrations, and ...

We should embrace some type of covenant theology

Local Columns

Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant – II Samuel 23:5 Last week we mentioned a few of the covenants that God made with man. One that we didn’t mention was the Davidic covenant in II Samuel 23:5. The new covenant that Jesus introduced in Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, and Luke 22:20, will extend into the time of the new heavens and the new earth. Any rational person who reads the Bible will be confronted with the fact that God dealt with His creation through covenants. So I must confess that I am a believer in some type of covenant theology. I suppose I would be close to the ...

Prepare your vehicle before the first snow falls

Editorials

As the temperatures dip and the first flakes appear on the horizon, Pennsylvania motorists face an annual test of preparation and patience. Winter driving is not simply a matter of skill — it’s a matter of readiness. Every year, PennDOT reminds drivers that the best defense against snow and ice begins before a single wheel turns. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission have again outlined their preparations to keep the Commonwealth’s roads safe. Thousands of workers and vehicles stand ready to respond when winter weather hits, ...