Tables Turned On Scam Artist Salvation Army Woes Obamacare Success Story Windstream Outage Christmas Wishes Spiritual Vacuum Umc And Politics

Recently, I received a phone call from a young man claiming to be my grandson in great distress.

He started his conversation saying, "Grandpa, do you know who this is?" His voice sounded sincere enough and in sufficient turmoil that he could have passed for either of my two oldest grandsons, who are in their mid-20s. (I also have three younger ones ranging from ages three to seven.)

Before I could guess which one it might be, he pleaded with me not to tell anyone else in the family of his plight.

His story was that he had gone to Cancun, Mexico for a bachelor party for one of his buddies, and he had too much to drink and was in an accident with his rental car and needed immediate financial help.

A red caution flag went up for me since I read recently read about scams using this scenario, so I decided to parry a bit. I said, "Golly, Josh, I am really surprised to hear about this. What do you need?"

He stated that he needed $3,325 sent to him immediately since "they do not mess around with this stuff down here." He said he would give me instructions on how to wire the money, which would need to be done right away.

I said, "Wow, congratulations on your being able to get involved in this situation. I don't know how you could pull this off. You are sharper than I gave you credit for."

There was a puzzled pause on his end of the line and he asked if I was actually pleased with his situation. Didn't I realize his predicament?

I responded by saying, "No, I'm not complimenting you on your plight I am simply amazed that you were able to secure a valid driver's license, travel to Mexico, rent a car and have a buddy at the age of getting married. Even if you had been served alcohol and gotten behind the wheel of a car, you could not even see over the dashboard to drive. Josh, you are only seven years old!"

The caller immediately hung up uttering a word that I can't repeat here. I purposely chose one of the younger kids instead of the ones in their 20s, figuring he would correct me if the name was wrong.

I might be an old geezer, but I'm cautious and guarded when someone with a convoluted story is after my money.

Ed Guion

Manheim

This letter is in response to the article, "Bells go unanswered," Dec 19. The article discusses the lack of donations to the Salvation Army bell ringers who stand outside stores to collect money.

The collectors blame the shortfall on the recent snow, but in general, I think that the public is not as informed about the charity as they should be. People donate money to organizations that they understand or can relate to in some way shape or form.

I do believe that the older generations are very well informed about the Salvation Army, but when it comes to the younger generation, speaking from a teenager's point of view, we are not as informed as we could be.

Now that my generation is growing up, we are the ones driving and going shopping, etc. So, we do make up a large part of the customers at stores.

I know that, sometimes, schools have speakers come in to talk about charities or organizations, but Salvation Army has not been one of them. If we knew more about the organization itself, there might be more of an increase in yearly donations.

Laura Supnik

Manheim Township

We don't hear many success stories about Obamacare, so I thought I'd share mine.

I have been buying my own health insurance for almost 40 years. It has gotten increasingly expensive, even with a high deductible ($5,000).

And with that high a deductible, it doesn't cover much. The only benefit that I was getting was the reduced negotiated rates, which are sometimes a third to a half lower.

I recently enrolled in a health care plan through the health care marketplace that will reduce my monthly premium to less than one- fourth of my old one, and I will have only a $100 deductible.

I was surprised and pleased to learn that the deductible is lower, the lower your income. That was never mentioned in anything I read about Obamacare (But then again, there hasn't been much on the positive side reported about it in the media.)

The other thing that I was pleased to find out (which I had not heard about either) was that you can get an affordable dental plan when you enroll.

The website was clear and easy to navigate. I had no problems at all with my enrollment process.

Many people are being helped with this health care act, and the legislators and groups against it are doing us all a disfavor by badmouthing it and spewing lots of misinformation. It's not going to go away, so why not all just stand behind it and try to make it even better?

I am grateful for this opportunity to have affordable health care. Now maybe my hard-earned dollars can go back into the economy rather than the pockets of my insurance company.

Debby Spence

Lancaster

Windstream's Internet outage is still an issue for me.

Technicians on the phone were unsuccessful at restoring my service and I was told not to expect it back for days due to "excessive noise in the lines."

What started as a "router and software" problem that took the service away for me has turned into an extended outage.

Am I the only one?

Larry C. Fox

Warwick Township

My sister and brother-in-law are both healthy and successful in their respective careers. Health and happiness also grace my best friend's family while another friend who was deployed to Afghanistan returned unscathed. My new family doctor diagnosed and solved a debilitating health issue I'd dealt with for half the year. I'm a pet person, and my oldest one suffered near organ failure this year but was cured by my veterinarian and is fine.

It's been cold some days this winter, but when I look out the window I'm toasty warm where I live and, if hungry, I can go to the kitchen and make something to eat. Looking back on the year, I'm confident I regularly helped, gave and showed my appreciation to others encountered in the course of my daily life on a regular basis, for no reason other than I felt like doing so.

Overall, I feel like I got more Christmas gifts to be grateful for than one single man deserves.

So, for Wednesday morning, I'm afraid I honestly can't think of a single thing I need or want to put on a wish list for Santa to bring.

Mark Yerger

Manheim Township

After this Christmas season, a number of folks might feel a bit deflated.

It won't be the usual post-holidays blues, but it will involve a certain sense of loss of purpose.

These are the people who have fought valiantly against the "War on Christmas," apparently a plot to drive secularism deep into our collective subconscious by assaulting us with brainwashing tools, such as "Happy Holidays." With Christmas past, there's nothing to fulminate against until next year.

However, here's a spiritual/linguistic outrage that can be battled continuously, regardless of season. It lurks in the seemingly innocuous expression: "Good-bye."

Good-bye, originally a devout wish that the other person be accompanied by the Almighty - "God be with ye." But the forces of secularism were already awake and working. As early as 1659, it had been corrupted to "God b'wy," and the moral slide had begun. It has degenerated into a ritual phrase muttered when parting. This simple daily expression has now been changed to exclude God.

Let all those outraged by the war on Christmas take on this previously unacknowledged threat to faith in daily life. However familiar, this corruption of the language creates a dangerously corrosive spiritual vacuum.

Barbara McGraw

Lancaster

I am saddened that the face our church is showing to the world is one of politics - factions, liberals, conservatives, judicial proceedings.

It would be so much better to display the wonderfully inclusive unity possible as the body of Christ. "The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you" (1 Corinthians 12:21).

When we, as United Methodists, are able to move this conversation from the paradigm of division and conflict to one of unity and spirit, we will show the world the real love that we have for each other and that God has for all people.

Douglas Hill

Pastor, Ludwig UMC

Bainbridge

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