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Unintended consequence of summer of ’19

At least three score years ago, my savvy precinct committeewoman impressed upon me an immutable political truth: Every election is not about the candidate(s); no, every election is about the voters ... and about the future. I’m relieved that my precinct committeewoman was not around to hear the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates spend four hours of network TV time talking about each other and about themselves and very little about the voters. But while the Democrats were swapping boasts and brickbats in Miami, the man whose job they all covet was in Japan at the G-20 Summit, ...

Unwelcome kindnesses of aging

Dear Annie: I find that I have a real problem with aging. When a flight attendant nicely says, “This way, young lady,” I want to punch him. I can’t stand the condescension! I hate being old. I am 76 and, while I still maintain an active life — teaching elementary school music and dance part time, and directing plays and musicals — I have found that I have finally begun to look my age. This causes people in the Czech Republic, for example (where I am humiliatingly able to travel free on the trains and buses), to try to give me their seats and for people who don’t know me to ...

Censoring the census

The notion of history repeating itself is usually viewed as a negative statement, but some history is worth repeating because we might learn and be guided by it. In last week’s 5-4 ruling by the Supreme Court rejecting the Trump administration’s claim that adding a question about whether a person is a U.S. citizen was for the purpose of helping to enforce the Voting Rights Act, Chief Justice John Roberts left the door open for the administration to come up with a more compelling reason. Whether this can be done in time for the 2020 Census is doubtful without an extension for ...

Advice to be patient

Dear Annie: I just read the letter from “Missing My Son” and felt compelled to write a response. I, too, was in a bad marriage for 17 years. We only had one child, a son. I was trying to stay in the marriage for the sake of our son, but after many months of therapy, and the therapist making a comment that the longer our son remained in the volatile environment, the more likely he would be to treat women the same as I was being treated, I filed for divorce. Our son was 9. My ex continued to treat me (and our son) horribly for the next nine years, until our son was headed to ...

To construe the Constitution, look to the Declaration

WASHINGTON — On this 243rd anniversary of the beginning of the best thing that ever happened — “The Great Republic” was Winston Churchill’s tribute — many of today’s most interesting arguments about America’s nature and meaning are among conservatives. One concerns the relevance of the Declaration of Independence to the contested question of how to construe the Constitution. The crucial question is: What did the Founders intend — what was their foundational purpose? Mark Pulliam, who might disagree that this is the crucial question, certainly thinks the Declaration is ...

Celebrating Independence Day

Dear Annie: This is to the woman whose 81-year-old mother was about to be scammed out of $10,000. I would suggest that you get your mother’s bank involved. If she will go with you, see if you can get your mom to sit down with an account representative for some advice. Banks see this kind of thing happen all the time and usually try to do everything they can to prevent their customers from being taken in by con artists. Even if your mom won’t listen to you, she might listen to her bankers. Good luck. — A Bank Employee Dear Bank Employee: Another great suggestion. Thank you for ...