OTHERWISE A MODEL OF GOOD BEHAVIOR

I apologize for some repeat comments that follow.

A friend of mine sent along a press release recently about something that took place in Bloomsburg, a rural Central Pennsylvania community to which I had been "promoted'" in the mid-eighties.

It reads as follows:

Bloomsburg, Pa -"A Pennsylvania man who admitted having sex with 10 horses and a cow must spend a weekend in jail after having his probation revoked because he told a counselor 'I done it again'
(ed).

Prosecutors said 44 year old Paul Ganter was nearly finished with court supervision when he was ordered Tuesday by a Columbia County judge to serve time instead.

Ganter was sentenced to a year of probation last January when he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. The Press Enterprise of Bloomsburg reports Ganter was charged after having sex with the animals and filming some of the activity at a farm in Main Township.

Probation officials say Ganter was "otherwise a model of good behavior", paying fines and meeting his probation officer as scheduled.

A phone message to Ganter's attorney wasn't immediately returned Wednesday."

I'm going to repeat some of my previous blog comments about living and working in the area only for the purpose of trying to explain (but definitely not accept) what to most of us is viewed as aberrant behavior.

Here I'm referencing (once more) 'The Jerry Sandusky Affair' ("Soon to be playing in a neighborhood theatre near you.") and some local Central Pennsylvania culture.

I have written a few times about my personal shock in 1986 after leaving Pittsburgh when confronted by the Bloomsburg store with a large hanging sign proclaiming it to be "Eudora's Corset Shop."

My immediatge reaction was to question whether or not I truly had been promoted to the area, or shifted like a New York City cop whose new assignment was checking parking meters in "Faraway Rockaway".

Being the new guy in town, one of the Bloomsburg insurance claim representatives I supervised volunteered to take me on a tour of a neighborhood community - so "I could become accustomed to the area."

When we returned to the office after a long ride he came back from his desk - closed the door to my rear office - sat down and asked me for any observations I may have made during our trip.

I hesitated as I felt was necessary. I had been cautioned to demonstrate in my new supervisory role that I was indeed politically correct,long before the term became fashionable.

A former boss had even forewarned me that the difference between Bloomsburg and Penicillin was that the latter was cultured.

Becoming impatient by the absence of my response, my new colleague continued with his probe - which apparently was a local custom in the area.

Finally, in exasperation, I expressed my observation that the residents of the town just down the road from our office appeared sightly backward. I added they were never in any danger of being confused with the bulk of the population in Pittsburgh.

Not being too bright, I did this in spite of being repeatedly warned never to say, "Well, this isn't the way we did things back in Pittsburgh."

The C/R smiled and said, "OK, you saw some pretty homely people - right?"

I nodded. He proceeded to explain the reason for the lack of Miss America talent, at least as he professed to know based upon being a semi-native.

"This is your first visit to our area and I wanted you to get some idea of the difference between the people you will be dealing with as customers here versus those you may have previously serviced or supervised back in Pittsburgh."

He continued his explanaation, "An extreme amount of intermarriage within the same families is responsible for the results you observed. You might even say it's a custom that is inbred." (pun intended).

He then smiled, left me with my mouth hanging open, and quietly closed the door as he headed back to what was no doubt a hurriedly organized men's room conversation with his co-workers.

I never forgot that discussion, even after meeting several really great folks in the area who had not succumbed to the attraction of "sticking with those you know".

This was just one of the many lessons I learned while assigned to the area. I had a similar "culture" experience when moving to a rental home in another rural area close to Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

I observed the moving process into my rental was proceeding extremely slow. So,I went down to the local 7/11 to pick up sodas's and sandwiches for the movers.I figured the caffeine in the drinks might encourage them to work with a little more enthusiasm and vigor based upon my act of hospitality.

Before I could check out of the store, the cashier/clerk proceeded to put me through a third degree that would have made Kyra Sedgwick's Deputy Chief Johnson extremely proud.

I wondered if this bombardment of questions was part of a local hazing. They were starting to sound like a well practiced ruse, much more than a "need to know" question and answer session, or even an over zealous Welcome Wagon representative..

And then it happened. The clerk proudly proceeded to tell me: the new location and address where I was living, the name of my landlord, why I was in the area, the length of my lease and the identity and location of my employer.

At first, I thought perhaps I had discovered rural Pennsyvania's own version of "The Amazing Kreskin". Later, I realized, actually, it was pretty much business as usual for any newcomer to the region.
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Despite that I can recall hurrying out of that store - perhaps leaving some of my purchases behind- as I recalled specific scenes from the movie "Deliverance."

There's a reason I go through all of this "local" history.

It has much to do with my prior blog comments regarding how so many of the Central PA.citizens reacted to the Sandusky matter. Those blogs also covered how the citizens were so quick in their defense of Penn State University and Joe Paterno's actions - or lack thereof.

It has been my experience in my travels to observe that many folks, upon moving into a new environment, unconsciously adopt some of the speech patterns and actions of the natives - or almost natives - despite still mispronouncing the names of most of the local towns and rivers.

Even as a new Floridian I realized it is not unusual to find yourself slowing down both your own speech patterns and your movements - and, of course, forgetting to use your turn signals.

I used to laugh at a former friend from Pittsburgh who,after residing in Jacksonville, Fla, for less than 6 months, quickly adopted the "you-all" affect in almost every other sentence.

In review: As before, I can find no defense for anybody protecting someone whom they genuinely believed - or even suspected - was the perpetrator of the pedophilia for which Sandusky is accused.

But, I can understand why this alleged vile offense could be curiously overlooked by some in deeply rural sections of Central Pennsylvania, much to the chagrin of the "big city" media - who have conveniently forgotten their own small town roots and customs.

In some strange distorted way, it might be as easy to understand the response of Central Pa folks as we were apparently willing to "understand" the actions of many of the so-called sophisticated folks in Chicago when they concluded that an Illinois Governor attempting to sell a Senate seat was just "politics as usual."

The above sentence reflects no attempt here to compare one action with the other - just to make an observation as to the creative rationalizations that take place in almost every area of our country.

There is an old story about a rural man who was caught having sexual intercourse with a sheep. He sought legal representation from a local attorney and friend.

The friend opted not to represent him. However,he did recommend two top notch local attorneys. One of them was good but very expensive. The accused chose the other attorney who, while not as sophisticated, was cheaper and reputed to have great success in picking juries.

When the voir dire was completed - jury selected - and trial begun -the accused was eventually put on the stand by his counsel.

The attorney asked him what could have compelled him to attempt to do what he did. The client said, "Well, as I was backing up to her, all quiet like, she turned and planted a big kiss right on my mouth."

One juror turned to the guy beside him and whispered, "You know, if you get a good one, they'll do that sometimes."

The accused was acquitted by the jury, presumably because he also was "otherwise a model of good behavior."

I believe it's important to understand that a reaction to the alleged commission of a heinous act may be one based on acclimation rather than affirmation.