Editorial rekindles old memory

It's amazing how the brain works, isn't it? Remembering something you read 20 years ago is almost miraculous. That's true, especially for me, since I have a hard time remembering the name of a person I've been introduced to 20 minutes ago, to say nothing of last week.

We've all experienced memory lapses, haven't we? Remembering names of people has always been a problem for me and yet I can recall faces of persons from my childhood years. Those of you who have similar problems with your recall mechanism can probably relate a little bit.

This 'cuff is to introduce an editorial which appeared in the May 15 issue of the Democrat-Gazette. It triggered a memory of something I read 20 or more years ago.

I enjoy the two editorial pages of the newspaper which each day include political or social cartoons that prompt some thinking and which often challenge self-evaluation. There are also numerous letters to the editor which pique the thought process, either wondering how the writer could come up with an almost silly assumption or other letters which offer solutions to problems which have stumped philosophers, to say nothing of politicians, for many years.

Besides the newspaper editorials, there are columns which address the authors' ideas concerning political and economic issues that affect our nation and state as well as other columns which touch on various subjects. I even enjoy reading an opinion column by an author whose words often make me mad, which at the same time cause me to marvel at his ability to write anything nice or good, particularly if the person's name begins with an "H" or if his topic is considering a particular political party. His writings do cause one to think while, at the same time, try to rationalize how he is able to come up with some of his nuanced conclusions which draw approval of some readers and disgust from others.

The occasional column by the newspaper's editor is always enjoyable. He touches on various moral and social issues, introducing the reader to unexplored areas of thought. Of particular interest are his columns of reminiscence which capture the value system that helped our nation reach its lofty status. His columns, though sometimes subtly pithy, are not blasphemous or personally finger-pointing. They are models for upcoming journalists, as well as those talking heads on the boob tube and their guests, as well as those who pull the various network strings.

But enough about the editorial pages in general, which I hope will nudge readers to reading them. This 'cuff was to be titled "Ever Deeper In Debt," which is an eye catcher, particularly because of the volatile economic problems facing, not only the world in general, but also states, countries and our nation ... and even businesses, as well as individuals and families.

The editorial went to great length to describe how a particular family dealt with a "debt" problem and how, after someone helped them find an answer, the family took off for a vacation in Cancun ... "leaving it to others to clean up the mess, then going off to run up still more bills," the editorial read. It proceeded to compare the family's problem with the problem Greece is facing with its debt and how it has become a problem in the European financial markets and, in fact, for the world.

It was in the last few paragraphs of the editorial that the name of a world-famous economist was mentioned and how his book related how debt problems of countries so often begin small and then grow to enormous amounts, say 18 trillion dollars, which is the U.S. debt today, more than $50,000 for every man, woman and child in the nation.

There is a lot more to the editorial and how it rekindled a 20-year-old memory which I hope to be able to address in a later 'cuff. If I can remember!

In the meantime, as Memorial Day approaches, remember and give thanks to those who gave so much, and who are today giving so much, so we may enjoy the freedom their sacrifices bought, including the freedom of the press, our freedom of speech and religion and the freedom to pursue those individual dreams which are so much a part of our individual lives.

Dodie Evans is editor emeritus of the Westside Eagle Observer.

Editorial on 05/27/2015