During the eight years I have been writing this column, I’ve
learned a lot. Among the things I learned are many people agree
with my opinions. I know this because I receive notes in the
mail, emails, phone calls and even had a very nice lady knock
on my door to comment. Most messages relate appreciation for
my saying something they would have said themselves.
Over
the years, I’ve had responses from readers whose
opinions differ from mine. These people also correspond by
various ways. Some enter their comment in the area following
the column provided online, others send letters to the editor
and some email me or call. I’m also often stopped on
the street or in a store while shopping.
I
enjoy all the comments, pro and con, and they reinforce my
belief that everyone has an opinion on matters. The contacts
with my readers cause me to think of the other side of
things
when I’ve made statements.
You’re probably wondering if I will ever get to the point.
I recently received a note from a young man from Bad Axe. He
felt I was out of line on my column about legislation. The
word “gun” (added to my headline during editing)
changed the focus of the column, which was not necessarily
incorrect, it simply highlighted a portion of my statements.
The writer had a valued opinion which he detailed in
his communication. I was reminded of myself as a young
man
by many of his comments.
He certainly jogged some fond memories and, although
I seldom reply to messages, I found it necessary to express
my appreciation
to him.
I
received a few comments on the legislation column from around
the county; one suggested I should “stick to fishing.” After
researching, I found no record of any mass murders
committed with a fishing rod, no matter how much monofilament
was
on the spool.
The response to my column was not surprising considering the
topic is in the news daily. The variation of feelings expressed
and age variables of those responding was unusual. As I see
it, many of my columns draw opposing responses separated by
age, but the younger generation is handicapped because they
have not seen the changes older people have witnessed.
Young people cannot remember how things used to be because
they have no knowledge of those times; times when guns were
only discussed during hunting season. Today, we hear reports
daily of gun-toting gangs and drive-by shootings. The reports
are so common, younger people just accept and expect to hear
them. Gangs are common today but were seldom heard of in the
past. Most families in the past had only one vehicle and few
high school kids had their own car. Schools often denied the
use of parking areas to students to avoid youngsters tearing
up the roadways around the school and speeding carelessly,
creating hazards.
In
the past, the majority of young people who were allowed to
use the family station wagon were older,
usually high
school graduates. Today, every youngster is driving
some type of vehicle
by age 16. Those of us with a few more years
experience, and some memory left, should remember our own
antics
however. Remember
setting up drag strips on black-topped country
roads and tearing up tires. The older tires didn’t hold up like today’s,
or maybe it was because I couldn’t get
started without laying a little rubber.
Lives being lost or cars wrecked hardly ever occurred. Remember,
there were fewer cars and a lot less horsepower. There were
also organized drag strips managed by responsible organizations
like the NHRA and local car clubs.
Writing this column weekly sometimes raises questions and comments,
but readers I hear from and their responses are rewarding.
They give me pause to consider and think things over.