A RETURN TO A YULETIDE OF JOY

In 2020 and 2021, our holiday season was bleak on many levels. Because memories are short and gratitude fleeting, this commentary will review what we have survived. Moreover, it will make a case that December 2022 should mark a time for reaffirming yuletide joy.  I will also relate two occurrences that reestablished my faith in the holiday spirit.

The Pandemic.  In December of 2020, the first vaccines were slow to reach the arms of citizens as the Trump administration focused on the election loss and left the final steps of mass vaccination to the beleaguered states. The overall picture was grim with understaffed hospitals, community lockdowns and school closures. January 2021 became the deadliest month of the pandemic with more than 95,000 virus related deaths reported in America.

In December of 2021, the country was eager to get back to a normal holiday season. However, the omicron variant was spreading faster than the delta strain.  Public health officials urged all Americans to scale back their Christmas plans and stay home to protect themselves and others.  

For this holiday season, festive events, travel and family gatherings have returned. While numerous sub-lineages of the omicron variant are circulating, none has been designated as a new variant of concern. Public health services have upgraded the capabilities for quick detection and information sharing.  In December 2022, while indoor masking is recommended for the vulnerable, the impact of the virus on our lives is greatly reduced.

The Political Climate. On January 6, 2021, a mob of Donald Trump supporters attacked the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.  The mob was seeking to keep Trump in power by preventing a joint session of Congress from counting the Electoral College votes to formalize the results of the November election.   More than 2,000 rioters entered the building, many of whom vandalized, looted and assaulted Capitol Police officers. Five people died either during or after the event.

By December of 2021, 19 Republican state legislatures had passed 34 new laws that made it harder to vote.  Lawmakers in four additional states had pre-filed at least 13 bills for the 2022 legislative sessions that would make it harder to cast a ballot. Donald Trump’s Republican allies doubled down on their allegiance to the former president.  Many political observers placed the United States on a list of democratic countries that were quickly backsliding into an “illiberal democracy.”    

This year, following the November 2022 midterm elections, there is a new optimism concerning the vitality of America’s democratic republic. The voters worked around voting limitations and rejected extreme contenders. Moderate candidates were elected to hold the line against election deniers and authoritarian government. 

This December, the losses, legal setbacks and embarrassments to the former president are piling up. At the end of the month, the January 6 Committee will release its detailed report explaining Trump’s insurrection to the American people. Many of the January 6 insurrectionists have been tried, convicted and sentenced to jail.

Commissioner Larry Maggi’s Christmas Party.  The first of my personal holiday shout-out goes to Commissioner Larry Maggi. As with many other traditional events, the Maggi Christmas Party returned this year after a two-year absence. Make no mistake; this is a political event, filled with Democrats and other individuals who have supported the Commissioner over the years.

What makes the celebration unique and heartwarming is that Republicans are invited to share the holiday spirit along with Democrats. The two Republican Commissioners were in attendance along with many other reputable Republicans from around Washington County. In Maggi’s remarks to the crowd, he stressed the importance of the County’s political adversaries celebrating the joy of the season as one community dedicated to good government. If only this seasonal bright spot could flourish and be replicated around the country.

My Observer Reporter Newspaper Carrier.  Newspaper carrier, Willard Smith, has earned my gratitude and a special acknowledgment this holiday season. I am sure that his job description (if he even has one) is very basic and does not include making his customers happy every time they open the front door to begin a new day. Previous carriers would deliver the paper sometime during the day, somewhere on my property, often requiring a search under porches and shrubbery.

Willard Smith delivers the paper in a timely fashion and on my front porch no matter the weather or time of year. No wet newspapers that are impossible to read. No long searches on a cold morning. No phone calls to the OR to get a replacement paper.

For Willard “delivery” is not what is most convenient for him. He has formulated his own job description to do the right thing so that he can do his job well. His example could form the basis for a study on how to improve customer satisfaction by learning the purpose of a job, not simply the mechanics. We all know workers like Willard who make a point to go the extra mile. Remember to acknowledge them this holiday season.

There is always the possibility that another virus will send us back to the deepest days of the pandemic. American politics remain fraught with an ugly strain of cultural nativism and unwarranted conspiracy theories. However, we will learn from our past public health and political missteps. In the meantime, individuals from a Commissioner to a newspaper carrier give us gratitude. Enjoy the season.

 

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UNIVERSAL BROADBAND IS THE NEW POST OFFICE

 

Certain historical benchmarks have made American democracy unique in the world.  Two of the most important that explain our rapid rise as a nation were the build-out of a nationwide public education system and the post office. Both were treated as necessities in a young democracy. 

In the case of the post office, the mission was to provide the growing American public with affordable and universal mail service. Early on, Congress recognized the role of the post office in expanding commerce and in binding the nation together. A series of statutes mandated post office obligations that included geographic scope, range of mail products, access to service, frequency of delivery and uniform pricing.

In today’s modern society, universal broadband connectivity has become the newest mandate that a democratic republic must provide for its people.  This means that anyone, anywhere, regardless of geographic location, socio-economic status, race, or gender has access to affordable internet services and devices. Federal, state and local governments have recently begun working together to institute this important project. The following commentary will explain why universal broadband deserves our support. It will also describe successful efforts to implement this goal in Washington County.

The post office was never about turning a profit. In 1860, $600,000 was spent to carry mail and newspapers to a developing California, but the agency collected only $119,000 in fees. The payoff in postal delivery to isolated communities was measured through improved literacy and civic spirit. In 2021, the post office may have reported a $4.9 billion dollar loss, but everyone gets their mail.

Today, more information is exchanged electronically than by paper. While broadband is replacing the post office in importance, recent research has found that as many as 42 million Americans are still without access to high-speed broadband internet. Moreover, only 72 percent of households in rural communities reported having access to broadband at home, compared to 79 percent in urban areas. 

The “last mile” problem is significant.  Private internet providers often refuse to extend service to sparsely populated areas where user fees cannot cover the cost. Moreover, before the pandemic there was an ongoing political debate over whether the necessity of broadband justified government spending in a private market.

Following the pandemic, which caused unprecedented death, isolation and economic damage, the eyes of elected leaders were opened to the need for universal broadband. First, it was clear that broadband provided easy access to governmental and financial services with no need to visit a brick and mortar facility. Second, vital emergency services were available online. Third, when businesses were closed, broadband video conferencing expanded opportunities in the work place. Fourth, on-line medical appointments (telehealth) became indispensable in providing healthcare for rural and elderly populations. Fifth, universal connectivity fostered equality by providing information sources to everyone. Lastly, broadband provided the means for isolated students to access ongoing learning opportunities.

In May of 2022, the Biden administration launched a $45 billion dollar “Internet for All” initiative to bring affordable high-speed broadband to everyone in America by the end of this decade.  The President called for a “whole-of-government” approach.  To participate in the program, states were required to submit a letter of intent to unlock planning funds.  Each participating state was guaranteed a minimum $100 million allocation.

Shortly after the federal program was publicized, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced the state’s readiness to deploy more than $100 million in federal funds to bring broadband to underserved areas.  In a rare act of cooperation, the Governor and the State General Assembly worked together to create the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority to distribute the funds.

As reported in the Observer Reporter in June of this year, the Washington County Commissioners approved separate contracts totaling nearly $5.4 million to bring high-speed internet to West Finley Township and Bentleyville. These actions will provide internet services to nearly 1,000 new customers in those areas within the next two years. In October, the commissioners disclosed another phase of the initiative. Ten separate projects will connect 5,000 new customers in southern and western parts of the county.  

Commissioner Chairman Diana Irey Vaughan announced, “The focus of our initiative is to offer equitable access to broadband in underserved regions of Washington County,” Commissioner Larry Maggi added, “Community growth, economic development and broadband expansion are all positively linked.”

It is noteworthy that Washington County did not wait several years for the new federal and state broadband funding to filter its way down to the county level. To their credit, the Commissioners immediately earmarked $30 million for broadband projects. The county received these funds in pandemic allotments from the Federal American Rescue Plan Act. This will permit Washington County to be in the vanguard of providing internet service to its citizens. 

The success of broadband implementation in Washington County is another example of competent civil servants working with visionary elected leaders to achieve positive results. The commissioners have praised the  efforts of John Timney, Executive Director of the Washington County Authority. Mr. Timney has demonstrated that a well-organized local government can respond to a challenge much faster than federal and state agencies.

Thanks to Timney’s well-laid plans and the support of the commissioners, Washington County will become a national model in providing universal broadband to the residents and businesses that need it the most.

GET READY FOR THE 2023 ELECTIONS IN WASHINGTON COUNTY

 

“Your day-to-day involvement with local government matters far more than a referendum on the White House every four years.” Michelle Wu

Next year will permit most of the country to recover from a demanding 2022 midterm election season. Pennsylvanians will be spared another eleven months of continuous campaign ads.  However, there will be little time to turn away from politics in Washington County. In 2023, the Commissioners and a majority of the other county officials will be standing for election. What makes the 2023 election season of special interest to local voters is the subject of this commentary.

To understand what is at stake, four groups of election players must be considered. First are the traditional Democrats, led by minority Commissioner Larry Maggi.  His position in winning reelection next November is the most secure. However, if his party is unable to elect another Democrat to serve with him, his influence will remain limited, outflanked by two Republican Commissioners. The Republican majority in  voter registration makes a Democratic sweep highly unlikely, unless Democrats are able to reverse recent trends.

Second are the traditional Republicans, led by Commissioner Chairman Diana Irey Vaughan. Four years ago her party gained control of county government for the first time in decades. Her political future appeared secure. Diana Irey Vaughan is a stanch conservative, but she believes in practical leadership over right wing ideology. Today, an insurgent group of Republicans who seek to remove her from office have weakened her position.  If she runs for reelection, the Republican Primary for Commissioner will be a raucous affair.

Third are the local MAGA Republicans, self-styled as “patriots.” This group’s leaders now manage the county Row Offices. These elected officials show no allegiance to Commissioner Irey Vaughan notwithstanding that she was instrumental in placing them in office four years ago. They plan to run their own slate of candidates who favor the positions of the former president.

The insurgent complaint against Irey Vaughan is that she has not replaced many political appointments and county civil servants with MAGA Republicans. Most importantly, Irey Vaughan never supported the local “stop the steal” movement, which includes replacing all of the county’s voting machines.  Lastly, Irey Vaughan has backed the county court system and the President Judge through several contentious disputes regarding court administration.

Fourth are the individuals in key positions appointed by Irey Vaughan and other long-serving county civil servants. These employees have faithfully kept local government running like a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately, they have a short shelf life if MAGA Republicans gain majority control of the commissioner’s office. These positions include County Solicitor, Budget Director, Chief of Staff, Director of the Planning Commission, Director of Elections, Director of the Chamber of Commerce/Tourism Agency and many others. The replacement of these employees, responsible for running important functions, with inexperienced MAGA partisans would cause chaos in local government.  

Republicans in favor of good government should be careful what they wish for. If they replace Irey Vaughn and terminate other key employees, local government will implode. Voters should recall that right wing Republicans captured the Allegheny County commissioner’s office in the early 1990s and attempted similar radical changes. Without dedicated non-partisan employees in key positions, Allegheny County’s municipal bond rating went down and surplus county funds disappeared.  Businesses lost confidence, and basic services could not be delivered. Living and working under such conditions became undesirable.

Another historical example when zealotry was permitted to trump local government will emphasize my point. It takes us to Florence, Italy near the end of the Renaissance. Jerome Savonarola was a Dominican Friar who denounced what he and other religious extremists considered corruption and despotic rule.

In 1494 with the help of the French King, he was able to expel the long ruling Medici family from Florence.  The friar instituted a scorched earth, puritanically Christian campaign to reverse all of the secular beauty that Renaissance artists had brought to Florence. In his famous “bonfire of the vanities”, priceless manuscripts, paintings and sculptures that Savonarola deemed immoral were burned in the public square.

Savonarola's divine mandate soon became a fiasco, and popular opinion turned against him.  Citizens came to understand that the Medici family knew how to govern and that the friar, steeped in religious fervor, but with no leadership abilities, did not. Within five years, it was Savonarola who was burned at the stake and the Medici’s were welcomed back into power.

This tale of those with extreme political views gaining power in local government could easily be repeated in Washington County.  MAGA supporters were recently elected to lead the local Republican Party.  The new Party leadership immediately announced plans to “clean up Washington County” and to “dismantle the Democrat cabal.” These goals are head scratchers in that Republicans have controlled county government for the past four years.

One of the first acts promised by MAGA Republicans, if their commissioner candidates win in November, is to "metaphorically burn” all of the county voting machines on the courthouse steps and return to paper ballots. Local MAGA Republicans have other current policies they are against with few positive plans for governing Washington County.  Like the Florentine friar and his supporters, our local MAGA Republicans are a radical political experiment that we should avoid at all costs.

 

 

 

 

REFORMING CRIMINAL JUSTICE

“Our criminal justice system treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent.”

Bryan Stevenson

Fear of criminals and being soft on crime has been a Republican go-to- election issue since the race-baiting “Willie Horton” H.W. Bush commercials during the 1988 presidential campaign. Famously, Republican Bush attacked Democrat Michael Dukakis for permitting convicted murders to receive weekend furloughs from prison.

The campaign use of the criminal justice system again reappeared in the most recent Senate race between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz.  Lt. Governor Fetterman served as chairman of Pennsylvania’s Board of Pardons and called for prison reform.  Oz repeatedly claimed, in attack ads and statements to the press, that his opponent wanted to release criminals from prison making Pennsylvania less safe.

It is interesting how contradictory Republican positions have been when it comes to proposing legislation on criminal justice or in taking actions while in office. During the 2016 presidential primaries, many Republican candidates advanced positions on criminal justice. Their conservative proposals were designed to save taxpayers from paying for expensive prison systems by limiting prison time.

Former President Donald Trump weighed in with prison reform signing into law the 2018 First Step Act. This legislation reduced penalties for crack cocaine offenses and afforded prisoners more opportunities to obtain an earlier release by participating in programs designed to reduce recidivism.

At the end of his term, Trump pardoned a woman sentenced to life after her conviction for cocaine trafficking. (The President’s friend, Kim Kardashian championed her cause.)  In addition, Trump pardoned numerous close allies whom committed crimes in support of his presidency.

Politics aside, criminal justice in America suffers from major systemic problems that require the attention of both political parties. The truth is that it was a concerted bipartisan effort that built our out-of-control prison-industrial-complex in the first place. For several decades, both political parties championed long sentences for minor drug offenses. The over-building of prisons in rural areas became a common pork-barrel project.  How the damage might be repaired is the subject of this commentary.

There is a general consensus that America imprisons too many people for far too long when compared to the rest of the world or even our own history. There are now more people serving life sentences than the total number of prisoners held in U.S. prisons in the early 1970s. Blacks represent 35% of those in state prison for drug possession even though Blacks make up only 13% of the population and use drugs in the same numbers as other racial groups.

High unemployment and government assistance rates, loss of tax revenues and decreased job mobility among former prisoners results in a loss of $87 billion to our annual GNP. The total cost of the American criminal justice system is nearly $1.2 trillion each year. Children of parents who are incarcerated are more likely to live in poverty and suffer from mental health issues.  As an example of the cost to society, states spend more on those sentenced to 10 or more years in prison than they do on K-12 students over 13 school years. 

What is to be done? Experts agree that there are four possible justifications for putting people in prison.  First, is “punishment,” the price for ignoring society’s rules. Second is “incapacitation” or removing from society those who would do us harm. Third is “deterrence,” making would-be criminals think twice before breaking the law. To address these three goals reformers are now examining what the lawbreakers deserve. They ask the question what is a proper criminal sentence. Many beleive that mandatory sentencing laws often do not fit the crime and are out of proportion to the criminal offense.

The fourth justification for jailing individuals, “rehabilitation”, has drawn the most attention of criminal justice advocates. Correctional institutions have done a poor job of “correcting” their populations. The Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics establishes that following release, two-thirds of prisoners are rearrested. While in-prison programs need improvement with updated social science models to reorient those with criminal intent, many believe that preemptive childhood programs are the true answer.  This would include heavy investment in education, housing, health care and jobs.

To combat criminal justice abuses, there is a vocal, progressive contingent that has called for the abolition of much of the criminal justice system. However, most Americans are not in favor of emptying the prisons or defunding the police. In fact, minorities living in urban areas have often called for more police as gun violence escalates.  

There is still much that can be accomplished. The criminal justice system can double-down on rehabilitation efforts. Jail sentences for petty crimes and small-scale drug dealing can be eliminated and replaced with diversionary programs like special drug and mental health courts. Solitary confinement can be eliminated as a punishment tool. The present system of cash bail, which insures that many low-income defendants will languish in jail before having their day in court, can be reformed. Public safety involving the mentally ill can be shifted from the police to qualified mental health professionals. Violence intervention programs to deal with urban gangs can receive more adequate funding.

President Biden has proposed numerous criminal justice reforms.  These programs have little chance of gaining traction in the upcoming divided Congress. It will be left to state and local governments to enact improvements that will make a difference.

 

 

 

 

IN SEARCH OF FELLOWSHIP AND RECONCILIATION

 

“A country is the sense of fellowship, which binds together all the citizens of that territory”

Giuseppe Mazzini

Following a trip to Italy, the celebration of my father-in-law’s 100th birthday and the midterm elections, my thoughts have focused on the importance of fellowship and reconciliation. Fellowship is defined as a community of interest, activity, feeling or experience. It entails the quality of being sociable toward others. Reconciliation is defined as the restoration of friendly relations. When viewed in a political setting, both terms sharply contrast with our present state of engrained tribalism.

Fellowship and reconciliation are established tools for improving social relationships with others. With the holidays approaching and COVID on the wane, Americans will be engaging each other within the larger context of a perilous and bleak world. Rather than anger, fatalism and increasing violence, there is an opportunity to reset the parameters of social interaction. Moving toward fellowship and reconciliation will increase our tolerance of others and place the focus on understanding others rather than being right.

My approach in addressing fellowship and reconciliation will be to discuss several personal encounters. I believe both of these positive ideas were covered up by the social isolation of the pandemic and by misinformation. As a result, there has been the tendency for people to favor information that confirms their personal beliefs, without investigation. If encouraged, human nature is just as likely to favor a return to fellowship and reconciliation.

The Battle of Monte Cassino. My recent trip to Italy included a visit to the historic Benedictine Monastery on the towering hill of Monte Cassino. The monastery was the parent house of Western monasticism and a valuable center of the arts and of learning.

During WWII, the steep hill was located in a strategic position, defended by the Germans. Despite an agreement not to destroy the ancient buildings with their valuable artwork, carpet-bombing by the Allies decimated the monastery. Following four attempts to take the high ground, losses for the Allied forces numbered 105,000, and the Germans suffered 80,000 casualties.

After the war, the abbey was rebuilt as a symbol of peace, following an international appeal.  Contributions were received from all nations that fought in the battle. New stain glass windows were designed to honor each nation that lost combatants, including one non christian window dedicated to Jewish Allied soldiers. The word PAX, inscribed over the main gate, is a reminder that in war “all is lost, in peace, all is gained”.

It is impossible to walk above the clouds of Monte Cassino and not feel the power of fellowship and reconciliation that exists in the face of so much death and destruction. Surely, even the extremes in the American political system can focus on the democratic nation we all want without encouraging the violence that took place on this Italian hilltop.

The American Cemetery in Florence. We visited the American WWII Cemetery and Memorial in Florence, Italy. While much smaller than Normandy, it is a moving tribute. Between the two entrance buildings, a bridge leads to the burial area where the headstones of 4,392 of our military dead are arrayed in symmetrical curved rows upon the hillside. Simple crosses next to those with the Star of David mark the graves. Solders from South Dakota are buried next to comrades from New York, Georgia natives next to those from California.

The feeling of fellowship, of diverse Americans giving their all for a shared purpose to save democracy, is overwhelming. At the next contentious holiday gathering, consider these soldiers before expressing what you oppose and before condemning the positions of others. Take time to listen rather than post angry missives on the internet.

A Family Spiritual Discussion. As we celebrate my father-In-law’s 100^th birthday, I often recall a family gathering at my home when he was in his eighties. Before dinner one evening, this evangelical pastor sat down with my catholic cousin, my Hindu sister-in law and my agnostic self to discuss all things spiritual.

The ideas put forward by each of us found common ground with which we could all agree. I often wish the conversation were recorded. The experience taught me that religious beliefs and political orientation do not need to be all or nothing propositions. Rather than defend individual religions or philosophies, our discussion went deeper into how spirituality could make our lives better. Each of us was rewarded with new ways of looking at the world.

The Midterm Elections. Lastly, the recent elections and their aftermath deserve attention when discussing the possibilities for fellowship and reconciliation. Only weeks ago, the outlook was grim. Trust in national institutions, including our voting system, was at rock bottom. Populist nativism and extreme progressive views dominated the national mood.

The midterm elections have produced some sorely needed fresh air. According to voter polling, sixty percent of Americans believe that the MAGA movement was threatening America’s democratic foundations. Practical, moderate candidates were elected to office from both political parties. The electorate has shifted from favoring media-attention-grabbers to those who want to get stuff done. In the words of columnist, David Brooks: “The fever is breaking.”

To move forward we must all learn to think for ourselves. We must pursue civility and promote good citizenship. We must take part in civic activities that benefit everyone and celebrate elections. Only then will fellowship and reconciliation return to referee our inevitable disagreements.

THE ALLEGORY OF GOOD AND BAD GOVERNMENT

 

“Art is a lie that makes us realize truth” Picasso.

We recently returned from a whirlwind trip to Italy that touched on many of the unique sights this country has to offer. Late October weather delivered cool evenings and warm cloudless days. Our tour group trekked from the Amalfi coast along the Mediterranean Sea to Venice on the Adriatic. All bucket lists were satisfied. Those searching for history, artwork, other worldly photographs, religious imagery, ever-changing regional food and wine, or simply seeking to be enveloped in the homeland of their grandparents were all well rewarded.

On this trip, I looked forward to returning to Siena in Tuscany where I planned to search out a series of three fresco panels painted by Ambrogio Lorenzetti in 1338-1339. This magnificent work located in Siena’s governmental council hall has become known as the “Allegory of Good and Bad Government.” It was commissioned to remind the nine magistrates who governed the Medieval Siena Republic of what constituted proper conduct as they made their executive and legal decisions.  My goal was to determine whether this ancient allegory held lessons for our modern democratic society following a tumultuous election.

As luck would have it, the fresco panels were under renovation and off exhibit. Nonetheless, I learned a great deal about the paintings and the governance of Siena in the fourteenth century. For hundreds of years, this small city-state was able to maintain its status as a democratic republic in the shadow of larger principalities who sought to dominate Siena’s politics, banking and trade. The Battle of Montaperti fought on September 4, 1260 between Florence and Siena saw the more powerful Florentines routed. It was the bloodiest battle fought in Medieval Italy with more than 10,000 fatalities. Each year, Siena commemorates this victory as an important holiday.

Lorenzetti’s “Allegory of Good and Bad Government” is a reminder that good government is characterized by Justice, Concord, Peace and Wisdom while bad government is animated by Division, Avarice, Fury, Vainglory and Tyranny. When good government reigns, all is well. When bad government plagues society, the Tyrant usurps the power of the people, and the citizens suffer.

The majestic figure in the middle of the “good government” panel, dressed in Siena’s colors, personifies the republic itself. Lorenzetti labels him Commune. He is telling the Siena citizens that they, not a king or tyrant, must rule themselves. Justice is enthroned and looking up at the figure of Wisdom, who actually supports her impartial scales.

Concord (or harmony) holds a rope that originates from the scales of Justice that binds her to the citizens, making them all compatriots of the republic. The republic is safeguarded by Security, whose banner reads: “Everyone shall go forth freely without fear.” Finally, we see Peace. She looks serene and confident that the republic is safe. The painting demonstrates the fragile nature of liberty. The precarious balance between state and society, between the political elites and the citizens.

Bad government is displayed on another panel. The Tyrant, not the Commune, rules over the people. He has horns, tusks and crossed eyes. Justice now lies helpless at his feet, in chains. Her equitable scales are destroyed and unable to keep government fair and accountable. 

Around the Tyrant, Lorenzetti paints the vices that animate bad government. Avarice is the old woman behind him, clutching her strongbox and a fisherman’s hook to pull in her fortune. Vainglory carries a mirror. Lorenzetti warns us against narcissistic leaders guided by ego and vanity. On the tyrant’s right, we find Cruelty.

Treason is represented as half lamb, half scorpion. It lulls the people into a false sense of security and then poisons the republic. Fraud is painted  with the flighty wings of a bat. On the Tyrant’s left, Division, who is clothed in Siena’s colors, chops her body in half with a carpenter’s saw. Fury attacks with the weapons of the mob: the stone and knife.

In the remainder of the fresco, Lorenzetti shows us the inevitable effects of bad government. The civic ideals celebrated elsewhere in the room have now been destroyed. The once beautiful city is falling to pieces. The countryside is barren; its farms are abandoned and in flames. In the sky above, the winged figure is not Security, but Fear. Her banner reads: “None shall pass along this road without fear of Death.”

Words cannot do justice to these amazing paintings. They can easily be viewed online to contemplate the power of the allegory.  These 800-year-old images are familiar to us today and bind us to history. We see what  democracy looks like. We experience the effects of good and of bad government in our world, just as Lorenzetti did in his life.

There are lessons here for American democracy that should be considered. Preserving liberty through many generations comes at a price.  Citizens must do more than simply vote once a year. We have to disrupt our own lives with civic activism so that we can prevent the amoral accumulation of power by those who would betray our values.

Last Tuesday, the American people were challenged to raise justice up and to support a constitutional republic over ongoing political tribalism and violence. On November 8, voters chose the path taken by Siena. They rejected the tyranny of election deniers and authoritarian government. Democracy is now on track to achieve a balanced recovery.

   

 

LOCAL WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORY IS FASCINATING

 

As we face the vicissitudes of daily living, it is easy to lose sight of the rich history that surrounds us in Washington County. It is true that our community has gained some well-deserved notoriety from the Whiskey Rebellion and from the archeological rock shelter at Meadowcroft with its colonial village. There is much more to consider. 

Recalling local history and local traditions based on the past help to strengthen our community connections. Numerous local individuals who helped to facilitate the modern transformation of southwestern Pennsylvania reflect the grand scheme of historical change.

Southwestern Pennsylvania was critical to the founding of Colonial America. The area played an important role in the French and Indian War, American Revolution and Civil War. It was an indispensable gateway to the opening of the western frontier. Decades later, the glass works, steel mills, railroads and coal mines were ushered in during the industrial revolution.  These new industries offered employment to thousands of immigrants seeking to live the American dream.

Several fascinating examples of local history have struck me as having national, historical importance in the development of America. This commentary will discuss these events.

The National Road.  I never grow tired of driving Route 40, the original National Road, with its abundance of old homes, taverns, tollbooths and historical battlegrounds. The National Road was built between 1811 and 1834 to reach the western settlements. It was the first federally funded road in U.S. history, built to connect the Potomac and Ohio Rivers. Thomas Jefferson believed that a trans-Appalachian road was necessary for unifying the young country. In 1806, Congress authorized construction, and by 1818 the road was completed from Cumberland to Wheeling. Wagons hauled produce from frontier farms to the East Coast, returning with staples such as coffee and sugar.

To avoid difficulties in construction, the original route proposed by surveyors bypassed established towns such as Uniontown and Washington. Local residents were angered by the choice of route. Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin, as a former representative in the Pennsylvania Legislature, exchanged letters with local politicians and President Madison. Eventually, Madison decided on a route that included both Washington and Uniontown.  

Forts & Blockhouses.  One of my favorite pastimes as a child in rural New Jersey was going into the woods to build forts with my friends. Local county residents may not be aware that the locations of dozens of frontier forts and blockhouses surround them.  The forts provided protection for settlers from attacks by hostile Native Americans when Washington County was the western frontier.  

Known locations include the following: Dillow’s Blockhouse (Hanover Twp.), Beeler’s Fort (Robinson Twp), McDonald’s Stations/Fort (Robinson Twp.), Burgett’s Blockhouse (Burgettstown), Vance’s Fort (near Cross Creek Village), Hoagland’s Blockhouse (southern Smith Twp.), Cherry’s Fort (Mt. Pleasant), Reynold’s Blockhouse (north of Cross Creek Village), William’s Blockhouse (Mt. Pleasant Twp.), Rice’s Fort (13 miles from Ohio River), Miller’s Blockhouse (Donegal Twp.), Wolf’s Blockhouse (5 miles west of Washington,  Rt 40), Roney’s Fort (Findley Twp.), Ryerson’s Fort (near Green County), Campbell’s Blockhouse (east of Ryerson), Lindley’s Fort (north branch of Ten Mile Creek).

The large number of facilities tells us that before the Revolutionary War, community defense on our frontier was serious business. Pitched battles were documented at several of the locations.

The Underground Railroad.  The efforts of my Quaker abolitionist ancestors have always drawn me to the history of the Underground Railroad. Luckily, Thomas Mainwaring, a local professor and historian, has written an excellent study of the Underground Railroad in Washington County. (Abandoned Tracks, 2018, University of Notre Dame)

Professor Mainwaring establishes that the Scots-Irish Presbyterians of Washington County were among the first in western Pennsylvania to establish an antislavery society. Washington County views on slavery were in sharp contrast with those of Fayette and Greene Counties where sympathies were with the South. Because of Washington’s location, the local flow of escaping slaves was minimal compared with central Pennsylvania where Maryland provided a steady stream of slaves seeking freedom.

Washington County’s most famous abolitionist was Dr. Julius LeMoyne. By 1840 he had become a nationally known figure in the movement to aid escaping slaves. When the first national anti-slavery party formed in 1839 (the Liberty Party), Lemoyne was recruited to run as Vice President in the 1840 election. He refused with the reasoning that the movement was a religious enterprise and should abstain from politics.

Mainwaring identifies sixty Underground Railroad sites in Washington County ranging from the extremely well documented to the highly unlikely. Separating the myths and legends from the historically accurate proved to be a colossal task. The book’s appendix examines each of the possible local Underground Railroad sites in scholarly detail. Fourteen sites earned five stars for convincing proof from several independent sources.  Eleven sites were graded with four stars for only one primary source.

Civil War Generals. A friend who comes to Washington County by way of Belmont County, Ohio (St. Clairsville) recently provided my last item of local history with national significance. He shared with me a self-published book on the Civil War generals of Belmont County that I found fascinating.  No less than eleven generals, ten Union and one Confederate, were born in Belmont County. Perhaps this should not be surprising in that more than 300,000 Ohioans served in the Union Army, more per capita than any other state. In addition, Generals Ulysses Grant, William T. Sherman and Philip Sheridan were from Ohio.