letter not published

Bucks County when it had dirt roads, character, Virtue!

Langhorne Middletown High School which became Neshaminy High School for many years had a rifle club.

Langhorne as it was when growing up here in the forties and fifties:

Below are only a few of many e-mail responses I've received

Nearby Neighbor: Interesting, isn't it that once they took prayer out of school, school began to change for the worse. Without the 10 commandments we have no basis for a moral foundation in our schools or in our court rooms. Our constitution gives us the freedom of religion not from religion. It should be noted that last month in Philadelphia they instituted gay pride week in the public schools. In New Jersey each morning they announce on the loud speaker a gay American to lift up and honor. They continue to ignore the problem of school violence and focus instead on agenda pushing. Most boys between 13-16 are still afraid of girls. It seems that this is forcing the issue don't you!?

If only the columbine killers had been forced, yes I said forced to have a moment of silence before starting school maybe, just maybe conscious or God would have kicked in and prevented those deaths.

Here is an interesting one for you: My daughter as you know goes to a private Christian school. Think about this, we are being forced to pay 4000 + additional dollars per year so my daughter will not be forced to learn a liberal agenda. This is fact.

Texas classmate:

Yes, I read it - thought that it was "right on". But, unfortunately, also understand why many won't print it without severe editing.

I will be on the highest rated local "morning drive time" radio station (one of the CBS Radio stations in Dallas) both Thursday and Friday. The DJ is a good friend - approx. 20 years younger than you and I - and he was a "wild man" during his teenage years on into his late 20's - but he maintains values of the 60's and 70's. I will give him a copy and will be interested in his reaction.

Youngster that grew up next door:

Hello Charles,
I wrote an almost identical letter to the editors of several Washington papers almost ten years ago with the same results. Modern Liberalism is all about feeling better, results do not matter. Oh, don't concern yourself about diversity of thought or free speech. You can only speak out if you are promoting perversion or irresponsibility. I have hope for the future in so much as the libs are not reproducing. Children require too much responsibility. There is that word again.
Hope you are well. I hold many fond memories of you from my childhood. In spite of the "RICK-A-THEE" tag. Life here on the left coast is much like it is there, however, if you can get more than 50 miles from salt water the people become very conservative and independent. I believe all we can really do is teach our grandchildren our values to the best of our ability and pray a lot.
Thank you for sharing your letter with me.

Neshaminy classmate: Thank you for thinking of me, I appreciate it. Letter is great and is how we grew up in Langhorne together and went to school. Loved playing mumbly peg at the Friends School.

Upper Bucks friend: It's a hot potato, for sure. I put a link up on my Nockamixon site, there are lots of supporters up here in the woods.

Local Teacher: Hi Charlie, I liked what you wrote and the music is a nice touch. Drugs is a major contributor to today's lack of respect and responsibility. If I knew how to prevent young people from doing them I would. The one person in the 1960's photo looks like Frank Farry.

Centre County, Pa. : There is much truth in your letter. I used to run home to change into hunting cloths and ride the school bus from a longer stop at the elementary school to about two more miles into the country and hunt back home during deer season, with the bus driver's OK. Also I was casework supervisor at a state prison until 1985. From the early 1970,s on there was a rapid incline in drug related violent crime and a definite increase in the inclination toward just doing time, manipulating the system and getting out to return to the same lifestyle rather than doing anything related to self improvement.

Blair County, Pa. : Hi Charles, This needs to be short since I need to leave soon for an appointment. Thank you for sending me the unprinted editorial. Freedom of speech!!!!!! Yet the liberal media only wants that freedom to extend to those supporting the liberal agenda. I remember Rush Limbaugh when President Clinton was in office many times saying that administration would start each day thinking "how can we fool them (the people) today!" I'm 58. I'm a life long resident of this area. But our area is not immune to the things you are talking about. It is nation wide. We are not as badly off as you are. But I've witnessed a significant moral decline nationally and locally. In the 60's we might have had one murder in 10 years. Now it is two or three a year. You listen to the news and hear numerous instances of sexually assault here, primarily among the college population. Altoona has drug raids and arrests it seems every few weeks. I agree with your editorial completely. It is a crime they haven't printed it.

Middletown Township older resident: Clauble: No one values more the right to bear arms then I do. The Founders (particularly Jefferson) believed strongly that individuals need to be able to defend themselves even against their own government. "Shake the tree of liberty" is how Jefferson expressed it. There are however differences from the eighteenth century and the twenty-first century. Now in order to defend ourselves we could justify owning armored vehicles, jet fighters and AK47's. We need to be practical about this. I support everyone over 21 years to be allowed to have a reasonable number of personal firearms eg hunting rifles or shotguns or single shot pistols. But conditional on licensing and annual re-certification for ability to handle same, criminal activity and mental stability.

The current state of affairs in our cities requires exercising some form of marshal law to get the guns off the streets. The power should be time limited and supervised by the Federal Government. It should be carried out by local and State law enforcement . Search and seizure laws should be suspended for a period of 90 days during which guns taken from unlicensed carriers are confiscated. If this happens during the commission of a crime the current laws should be enforced. I believe we could get 70 t0 80 % of illegal weapons off the street.

I know this is extreme but the continued slaughter of our youths needs to be stopped.

The letter to the editor content below was sent to over 50 Pennsylvania and local near-by newspapers. The Philadelphia Inquirer, Doylestown Intelligencer, Trentonian and all over the state. How many were willing to publish it? Eight so far!! Here is a link to one > Times News article about me rifle clubs mentioned> B.C.C.T.

Reading the local newspapers and watching Television over the past few weeks has been very depressing. The hundreds of Murders in Philadelphia and the call for more gun control in Harrisburg, then the devastating tragedy in Lancaster County taking the lives of young Amish Girls. The Amish are a sect that I admire.

The most depressing part is that few if any of the mostly liberal politicians and their cohorts the media have the courage to address the real problems; we only want to deal with symptoms. Dealing with only the symptoms, allows us and them to be the comfortable cowardly enablers that we've all become for perversion and evil.

What is the real problem? Till the mid to late 1960’s when the moral, ethical and virtuous decline started in this area and lots of the country, incidents like all that have occurred were the exception and not the almost commonality. The break down of families has also added to the decline.

Being a 66 year life-long resident of Lower Bucks County, I can relate how this area has declined. Years ago there were actually Rifle Clubs in the local schools and the students brought them to school. Were the local police and SWAT Teams ever needed? NO! The schools at that time weren’t infested with drugs, violence, suicide, and rationalizing a socially maladjusted student’s behavior and lack of self discipline. As teenagers 22 caliber rifles would be carried through Langhorne, we stopped at the Hardware Store, got our rifle ammunition and headed north to the railroad by the Neshaminy Creek for target practice. Anyone one in town calls the police because they felt threatened or hearing so many rifle shots? NO! Very few homes in the rural area back then didn’t have fire arms in them.

Back then our teachers and parents were role models who taught us too namely: know thyself, control thyself and sacrifice thyself. They also taught us that freedom and rights bear with them corresponding duties and responsibilities. They spoke eloquently of freedom and rights, but stressed that the undisciplined exercise of them leads to violence, anarchy and destruction. Back then in elementary school, some of the most popular Christmas presents were pen knives for carving and cap pistols, we actually took them to school with us to play at recess. With our knives we would play Mumbly Peg or carve whistles or figures from branches that would fall on the play grounds. Did our teachers fear us? No, we feared and respected them even to this day!

The Niebauer Bus Lines ran from the Harriman section of Bristol to Newtown. It was in service from the 1930’s to the late 1950’s. Hunters would ride the bus to their hunting location in the up country carrying their fire arms, and then get back on the bus to go home carrying their catch of the day. Was anyone scared or in fear of their life back then? NO! Why? Because the decline in our culture and the perverted traits that are rationalized and defended by liberalism and their cohorts, the media today, didn’t exist. Did our parents demand we not get on the bus to go to the Newtown Hobby Shop fearing for our safety? NO!

Today in Washington, Harrisburg, and some of our local communities, these liberals who are mostly democrat and some republican, comes up with pabulum for idiot’s solutions that don’t deal with the real problem of our cultures decline. If you care about your children and grandchildren’s future and safety, WAKE UP and reverse our cultural decline!

Today in Harrisburg and our local municipalities and school boards we have some role models that contribute to our growing problems. One was mayor of Philadelphia for eight years. Did the drug traffic in the city come under control? No, and it spread to the suburbs and thrives. Did the decline from a population of 2.5 million to 1.5 million cease? NO! Did the culture improve to eliminate or reduce all the murders and thievery? NO! Why? Because being a good politician and cowering to your liberal voting bass you can be helped by the media and be elected. Being a leader with common sense, wisdom, character, courage, virtue, and caring enough to have a backbone to challenge the masses to morally improve and eliminate our problems of today, you come under attack from liberals and their cohorts the media who distort our historic fundamentals that made us a great, “FREE”, safe to live in country and you have a tough time getting elected.

Below are only a few of many e-mail responses I've received

Fellow Rohm & Haas employee:

Charlie
I loved it.
It was great!
I grew up in the Big City NY but some things ring true.
Don't lose heart, the newspapers are too "sophisticated" to publish this. (They think that they know more than you!)

Nashville, Tennessee, nephew:

Well, I guess I feel kind of proud....I also sent a letter to our "liberal rag", which they have failed to print.....the problem was, it's the truth--which they want NOTHING to do with!......

Langhorne Kid : "Local Teacher" was right. That is Frank Farry in the one photo -- he is the one with the very dark hair. He was a '65 classmate of mine and we were both in the rifle club our Jr. year.

You made a good point, Charles. Thanks for sharing that with me.

Lancaster Farming reporter: Dear Charles.....excellent, right on the mark....I have sent it to my county newspaper here in Cortland County, New York....and to some of my friends.....we do need to say it like it is and I commend you.....for taking the time....do write...

Neshaminy 1954 Graduate: I have said that for the most, for a long time... Like you are trying, it almost seams useless ... it is almost to the point you can not trust your young friends ... I agree with you and maybe you should send a copy to the president and mention that no newspaper will print it... Good luck

Short comments: Amen brother / I'm awake, today's liberals sleeping