Did you catch the essay on this page the other day? Two Arkansas coordinators of the Braver Angels organization, Glen White and David Childs, told of trying to reduce political polarization through promoting civil and respectful conversation between political parties.
Among their admirable points to establish effective lines of communication, I found one particularly relevant.
It was the same basic message President George Washington (a member of no party) left in his final address that warned against placing the power to govern in the hands of ideologically driven, power-mad political parties who put their interests above the nation's.
A 2021 blog post by the American Majority's Emily Baer quoted Washington, who stated that the spirit of a political party "serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection."
White and Childs agree, saying a major problem we face today lies with "politicians and government officials who are more devoted to maintaining power for themselves and their party than in solving problems for the country."
Couldn't have said it better myself, which, of course, is why I decided to cite their insightful conclusions.
On the subject of a single party's obsession with gaining sole control over our nation, we published a feature story in the same edition involving the creations and beliefs of exiled Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei.
He knows full well what life is like under a Communist dictatorship, saying: "In China there is only the party's guidance, state-controlled media and people who have been brainwashed by the media."
Endless variants
Like thousands of other Arkansans, we received our third Pfizer covid-19 vaccinations in September, believing as others did at the time that it was sufficient to protect us from the virus.
Five months later, we realize that isn't likely. Instead, we read daily that rather than preventing the virus, those shots keep the infection from becoming severe enough to require hospitalization, or worse.
With that in mind, I read the other day that protection from a severe case lasts about four months after the third vaccination and about six months overall, which is better than nothing.
Immunologist Deepta Bhattacharya at the University of Arizona was quoted saying, "I don't think it's a sustainable strategy to ask people to get boosters of the same vaccine every two months or three months. People just aren't going to do it."
The highly contagious omicron variant is a different " kettle of fish." As a result, we are seeing a shift from the original intent of preventing covid infections outright to protecting against the severest form of the disease, which is equally vital.
So what does it all boil down to? The way I read it, Jeanetta and I have about six months from our last jab until overall protection fades and we must decide whether to receive the needle a fourth time.
Unfortunately, this could become the norm each year (much like flu shots) if we hope to avoid the most serious effects.
Overturning democracy
Among public discussions I've happened across of late is a recent piece on social media attributed to former California judge Keith M. Alber, 85, who said he saved a page from his political science textbook from 68 years ago that described how best to overthrow a democracy. Alber's version strikes me as particularly relevant in this troubled and divided nation:
"Divide the nation philosophically. Foment racial strife. Cause mistrust of police authority. Swarm the nation's borders indiscriminately and unconstitutionally. Engender the military strength to weaken it. Overburden citizens with more unfair taxation. Encourage civil rioting and discourage accountability for all crime. Control all balloting. Control all media"
See anything relevant missing? I might add "normalize outright falsehoods designed to benefit one party's selfish ambitions."
Fragrances of youth
I watched a group of elementary-aged children frolicking on a playground the other day. Their exuberance without a care triggered recollections of the smells that enchanted me at that age. It's doubtful I'm alone.
We all surely recall the aroma of baby lotion, summer mud in a stagnant puddle, mimeographed tests, swimming pools, fresh-mown grass and Play-Doh.
I recall the smells of Black Jack gum, and red and black licorice stored in my grandfather's pickup glove box. There were the smells of bubble gum and Band-Aids, along with cake batter, cookies in the oven, popcorn, hot pavement following a summer shower, a newly opened box of crayons, Mom's lipstick and Pop-Tarts toasting.
Those are but several of the fragrances to which we've become accustomed to taking for granted over the decades as they became increasingly familiar.
Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist, was editor of three Arkansas dailies and headed the master's journalism program at Ohio State University. Email him at [email protected].