By Robert Field
It is painful to read most of the comments that follow NewsLanc articles re-published on its Facebook page, because they reflect a lack of education or an unwillingness to pay attention to what is actually said.
We have come to ignore just about all such comments, except when we happen to stumble upon the most blatant misstatements of the facts or inappropriate personal attacks. Alas, we don’t get to monitor enough.
But about 20% of the comments do have value, and some are very insightful and informative. That’s the reward for spending a lot of money on Facebook to bring important articles to the attention of sometimes local (the publisher), often the state (Bill Keisling, Dick Morris, and the publisher) and the nation (Slava Tsukerman).
Keisling’s articles attract the largest immediate audiences; Tsukerman, the largest over the long term. From time to time, the publisher’s articles have also proven very popular. Of course the history of the convention center, written in most parts by Chris Hart-Nibbrig, remains a Lancaster classic, albeit only in a second draft and never published as a book. (Chris now resides in Southern California, not far from Big Sur Country.)
In no place else can one find so lucid and detailed an examination of Lancaster’s establishment in the early 21st Century. Perhaps we will yet find time for a final edit and printing, so it is not to local posterity when NewsLanc disappears.
ADDITION: Here is a well meaning but a bit wide of the mark comment from NewsLanc’s Facebook page.
“I’ve disagreed with Realreporting on a few opinions but the point here is well taken, Pa is a blatantly corrupt state with a justice system in need of a complete cleansing. Few could pay for the advance motions that Cosby has and will use, the system is broken but the people hurt most speak least.”
The problem isn’t too much justice for Cosby. It is too little justice for others, not the least the tax payers .
Think in terms of the ‘slow walking’ of Jerry Sandusky and the scapegoating Coach Joe Paterno. The ripoff of Penn State by NCAA with the acquiescence of Tom Corbett.
Think of the the way the politicians bled the Hershey Trust for their financial benefit.
Locally witness the creation at public expense and against overwhelming public objection of the Lancaster Convention Center. This was followed by Senator Lloyd Smucker’s CRIZ project, a give away of future tax payer tax money to special interests..
Think also of the the likely thousands of disadvantaged improperly prosecuted and the unfair verdicts on litigation by a corrupt ‘ole boy’ criminal justice system.
Think of how an overwhelmingly elected Democrat for Attorney General has been neutered by unproven and relatively petty charges and her Republican holdovers allowed to take over prosecutions.
PLEASE find time soon to accomplish the final editing and publishing. This is vitally important information that every other ‘news outlet’ has either ignored, or swept under the rug. In addition to my own copy; I will gladly pay for complimentary copies to be sent to the state’s Attorney general’s office, along with copies to Harrisburg, York and Philadelphia newspapers, all of whom may decide to do their own little investigation as well.
EDITOR: Given the time and the energy we may try to do that. We celebrate our 79th birthday this week.
But let’s not count on other newspapers investigating. As we have seen with the Kathleen Kane matter, the media ‘hang’ together…lest they hang separately.