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Real mystery
Off the Wall
Nov. 4, 2010
Last month, a
friend sent me a video of a new ad that he said was very powerful,
and suggested I view it. It was titled, "Mourning in America."
It told of the country's degradation due to the policies and
politics of the Obama administration.
The advertisement brought to people's attention the high unemployment
rate, showing people standing in line at the employment office,
home foreclosure, and the overall country's deterioration. I
have to say, it left me with an impression that can't be forgotten,
and I'm sure other viewers will also be impressed.
Recently, a good friend of mine, Mark, had a week off for vacation,
so he gave me a call to inquire if I could get out a bit and
join him on the golf course of nothing more than to see the beautiful
scenery atop a hill in Ligonier Township. I informed him that
it had been a long time since I played the sport. "Just
come with me," he said."I'm inviting you to ride along
and just enjoy the view, trees and relax." Now how can anyone
turn down an invitation like that? Here I am a retired man, and
yet, I am given the opportunity to relax? Actually, I think he
is aware that I needed to get out of the house, for I was spending
too much time there writing stories on my computer.
So, he picked me up, and we headed for the hills. I have to admit,
trees were almost at the prime stage along Route 30 on our excursion.
It was great to spend a little time with an old friend, who by
the way, just moved back to his home stomping ground, Latrobe.
When there is lots to discuss, time passes very quickly. With
that said, we had reached our destination in no time Ridgeview
Golf Course. Mark scurried to the office to inquire about a cart.
In no time flat, one was delivered to his car. We hopped aboard,
me plopping my posterior on the right side, and my chauffeur,
on the left.
As we journeyed from hole to hole, I was impressed with his techniques.
When he told me he was going to have to hit a ball over some
trees and have the it land a ways on the other side somewhere,
I said in my mind no way. I was wrong. He did it and masterfully
well, I may add.
Heading up one hill, I could sense bewilderment from his facial
expressions and tone of voice. Over on the right edge of the
course were homes recently built not small ranch style
ones or homes that may be owned by the middle class of USA towns,
but huge, well designed monstrosities, one beside another.
Rolling up the hill, he directed my attention to a hillside where
once there were tall weeds, he told me. "Look, Pee Vee,
all the grass is gone, and is cut and in its place, a lawn. On
top of the hill was a beautiful ranch, a type house structure
that was indeed rare. Behind these homes, in the distance, I
could see for sale signs where, probably, more big homes will
go up, each one given that touch of originality.
As we neared the green, he asked a common question that so many
others have asked me. "How can people afford these big homes
if we are living in a time of a bad economy?"
All one has to do is look off the major highways, and land is
being cleared for developments all containing from large to super-large
housing.
I'm beginning to ask myself, is the media in our country portraying
only one side of the seesaw of economy, that being poverty, as
was portrayed in "Mourning in America," or is this
area the only place in the USA where there is more affluence
than most other states?
You need not go far to find these homes that sell over $600,000
a piece within our town, outside of it and one town over. And
on top of that, they are all inhabited, not vacant.
As I see it, we can't be hurting, economically speaking, if one
whole section just outside of Latrobe has these huge residences,
as does Ligonier, Greensburg, and Irwin. Surely, if CEOs can
have these large houses built, then they can afford to employ
residents of our community. If this can be done, then I believe,
at least in our community, the economical woes can be lifted
and people can once again provide family support. If not, then
citizens must support the food banks so at least families can
have food to sustain them. That only makes sense to me, and I'm
sure each reader as well. Yet, I hear about children only getting
one meal a day in our schools. Something isn't right, and I sure
don't have the answer. But I do know, we have to balance the
seesaw, and it has to begin, maybe with you, the reader. Hurting
people and big homes don't go hand in hand.
Paul J. Volkmann
Written: October 14, 2010
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