Senator Mastriano

March 17th – Today is St. Patrick`s Day, an Irish and Irish-American holiday commemorating the death, as legend has it, of Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, on March 17, circa 492.

Gettysburg at a Crossroads: Will We Preserve Our Heritage as America Turns 250?
Sen. Doug Mastriano, PhD, Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired)

Gettysburg is one of the most powerful symbols in the American story. The fields where Union and Confederate soldiers fought in 1863 are not simply historic sites; they are sacred ground that reminds us of the terrible price paid to preserve the nation. When Abraham Lincoln stood here and spoke of a “new birth of freedom,” he placed Gettysburg permanently at the center of the American conscience.

People travel from across the country — and across the globe — to experience that history. They come to walk the battlefield, stand in the cemetery where Lincoln spoke, and reflect on sacrifice, unity and national purpose. That heritage is the engine of our local economy, bringing well over a million visitors to Gettysburg each year and sustaining the restaurants, shops and small businesses that keep this town alive.

In recent years, however, the public identity of downtown Gettysburg has taken a sharp left turn away from that historic focus. Pride festivals that close Lincoln Square, rainbow flags across storefronts and the growing prominence of activist messaging have become a defining visual feature of the town’s commercial district.

For many residents and visitors alike, the shift has gone too far.

Gettysburg’s extraordinary draw has always been its Civil War heritage. Millions visit because of what happened here in July of 1863. That identity is the foundation of our tourism economy and the reason this small borough carries such national significance.

Yet visitors who arrive expecting to be immersed in that history are increasingly confronted with displays and events centered on radical leftist activism rather than the legacy that made Gettysburg famous in the first place.

March 16th - James Madison Birthday

Tomorrow has the potential for some pretty severe weather. Please check your local weather for the most recent updates.

March 15th - Andrew Jackson Birthday

March 15 Verse - Psalm 145:9