My column was all but penned out in my mind; it was to be a celebration of Manager Tom O’Malley’s Lady Mountie softballers and Manager Jeremy Eck’s Montoursville Warrior baseballers. My hope was both won their way onto the cover as PIAA state champion. It was to be a lead-up for our June 25th cover, hopefully featuring a lot of smiles and a lot of gold medals; due to our deadline to the printer, Montoursville’s game versus Indiana wouldn’t have even started at press time.
As members of my Webb Weekly team and I cheered the Mounties as they passed our office — led out of borough limits courtesy of the South Williamsport police and fire departments — things were as planned. A familiar opponent would be waiting for them at Penn State, defending champ Neshannock, who defeated them in the title game last year.
Of course, you know by now the Mounties played an outstanding game and had an amazing 4-year run, which included four District championships and those two trips to the State final. However, sometimes the opponent is just a little better; congratulations to the Lady Mounties on the remarkable run. Neshannock finished 100-1 in those same four years to earn the state crowns. Timing is everything, and during another 4-year span, O’Malley’s Mounties would have probably won at least two state titles.
Win or lose, I had plenty of stats, figures, and great stories about the girls and coaches I wanted to share. I promise you it won’t go un-talked about as Scott Lowery will pick it up for me.
While I was feeling a little down about the Mounties, I still have my hopes for the Montoursville Warriors. Coach Eck had led my son’s Lancer team to two state championships, and is now back at his alma mater. A Warrior team poised to end the season with that celebratory dogpile is a great story. This may still happen.
It was the events between the games that will fill out the rest of my column.
I have written in the past that you never know where the actual beginning of World War III will occur; we may have already seen it. So, I don’t want to speculate that we had or what we are witnessing at this moment is that time. I will say the lines are clearly drawn in the sand as the battle of good versus evil rages.
I do not have enough paper to take you through the hows, what, and why of what we’re witnessing; it was inevitable that this would eventually happen. How can you possibly ever negotiate peace with the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose mission statement is death to America, death to Israel? It has been this my entire life. Iran’s commitment to developing nuclear weapons finally reached the strategic timeline that Prime Minister Netanyahu had to take action to preserve Israel’s very existence. This by eliminating Iran’s nuclear commitment and promise of death.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated he will continue what is deemed “Operation Rising Lion” as long as necessary to eliminate the threat of another Holocaust on the Israeli people. Rising Lion surgically targeted nuclear sites and scientists, military leaders, and the nuclear missile program. This executed through a series of over 200 jet fighter strikes that took place after drone strikes from within Iran limited radar detection.
As I am writing, Iran has already launched over 100 drones, which have been apparently intercepted by Israeli Defense Forces. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has promised Israel will face severe punishment. Hopefully, the situation has not escalated by the time you are reading.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump, and the Prime Minister have made it very clear that the US is not involved in this military action. They have warned Iran against targeting any US Military personnel, US interests, and retaliation.
I believe President Trump and those representing the United States did everything to avoid this situation and to reach a nuclear agreement to prevent this from happening, but the fact is, Iran just doesn’t want one. So, what does this mean for us?
A simple answer is we need Israel to be successful while our leaders walk the tightrope of not getting directly tied into the military action. This while knowing not only Iran but any other nation or terroristic group that wants death to a Judeo-Christian way of life will try to drag our Nation in. This by whatever means possible.
I pray for the safety and well-being of all our military men and women around the world, especially those in the most hostile regions. I pray for American leadership and having the knowledge and patience to find a solution for peace. I pray for the state of Israel and all its people, especially their military, to be on the front lines of possibly preventing an evil stronghold.
As I watched the events unfold last week from California to the Middle East, I only wish I knew a way to unite my fellow Americans.
May God Bless and help America.
