November is a tale of two months.
Early on, there’s Election Day, which is supposed to unite us as a country, but often has the opposite effect, as crass politicians try to win power by setting us against each other.
Later in the month, there’s Thanksgiving, when we come together both as individual families and as an American family. I can’t think of another occasion when most Americans are doing, essentially, the same thing, on the same day.
On Nov. 28, in almost any neighborhood, you could go from house to house and witness an uncannily similar scene: a family gathering, a huge turkey dinner, football. When you think about it, it’s both kind of weird and incredibly wonderful.
You might think that TheBurg, as a news organization, would prefer the Election Day vibe—the drama, the dispute, the division. But, nope, that’s not our jam. We’re not in the conflict-for-clicks game and never will be.
We prefer the Thanksgiving sensibility of people uniting and cooperating for a common cause, whether that cause is politics or poultry. Sure, disputes arise, but we believe those can be, and should be, settled in a civilized, cooperative and honest way, without burning down the family house or the national house.
Do we often feel like we’re screaming into the void? Yup, but so be it. These principles guide us personally, so they also guide our approach to our business and to the news.
In that spirit, our November issue continues our long tradition of choosing community over conflict. In it, you’ll find a variety of news, features and events, with an expanded section devoted to local business. As you begin your holiday gift-buying, we hope you’ll choose to “Shop Local,” as locally owned, independent businesses are a vital part of the fabric of our community in south-central Pa.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Lawrance Binda
Publisher/Editor
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