Street Smart

When I first started writing this opinion column, I thought it would be fun and challenging. I was right about the challenging part but wrong about the fun! I had something completely different in mind for this week’s topic, but feel compelled to share my thoughts.

I was talking with family and friends about this whole writing process the other night. I came to the realization that it’s just not that much fun. I guess that’s probably my own fault. When I take on a project, I go full bore. I don’t know if that’s a curse or a blessing, but it is the way I do things. So, in order to stay current, I feel that I have to read all the news I can get my hands on. Contrary to what some readers believe, I’m not a “mouthpiece” for Fox News. I read news from a wide variety of sources and then try to read between the lines before doing my best to make, and then write, what I believe to be an informed opinion. What I’ve realized is that immersing myself in the news the way I have is a depressing process. There really isn’t that much to talk about that’s positive. I tried to change that, so several weeks ago, I wrote what I thought was an upbeat piece about rediscovering exercise. Instead of positive feedback, I received an e-mail insulting my granddaughter. How the author of that e-mail made that leap is beyond me, but that’s what happened. It’s kind of disheartening. I guess that’s what I get for putting my e-mail address in the byline. I thought I’d get ideas for column topics. I should have known better, but it’s too late now.

Another one of my challenges is the format. I have about a 900 to 1,000 word allocation for this column. That may seem like quite a bit (it sure was in high school!), but it’s really not when accuracy and clarity are the goals. I can’t always get everything said that I want to say. It would actually be easier to write on a daily basis than it is to do so bi-weekly. I try to have this column submitted by Monday morning (Tuesday at the latest… like this one). That can easily put me a day or two behind on many topics that change on a daily basis. As an example, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) just wrapped up and the Republican National Convention is kicking off. I’d love to share my thoughts on the DNC but by the time I do, it will be old news.

Also, I take a lot for granted. For example; I thought people understood that an “Opinion Column” was just that…an OPINION column used as a platform for my thoughts, not the editor’s. My opinions are not sanctioned by the editor, nor are they the opinion of The Ledger or its staff. To be clear, the opinions written here are mine. Also, the verbiage used is mine, not the editor’s. I try to write the way I speak and have been told by people who know me that I do that pretty effectively. I use language that is very direct (and often has to be cleaned up), but expresses what I’m thinking on a particular topic. No apology, but make no mistake that the language is mine. I believe that the editor very wisely allows the opinion writers to express their views without editorial input. An honest exchange of different opinions is critical to the political process and The Ledger allows that to occur. I believe that the ability to have, express and discuss opposing views is missing and that is a major contributing factor to the division in our country.

I often forget too that people reading this column don’t know me personally. In my last column, I wrote about the relationships I had with people of different ethnicities while growing up. While it wasn’t my intent, I guess I made it sound like my friends and I spent our time routinely insulting each other and anyone who had the misfortune of crossing our paths. If that’s the way my thoughts came across, I apologize. What I didn’t write in that column is that I am completely aware that some people don’t appreciate that sort of rough humor and I’m sensitive to that. What I was trying to express was my opinion that living/working so closely with people from different ethnicities can actually break down the barriers that separate us. I lived that and the humor that came from those relationships created a brotherhood for my friends and I. I didn’t express that effectively and my meaning was misunderstood.

Maybe I can find a way to make this fun again. Quite frankly, I’m pretty disillusioned. I always believed that opinion columns should be thought provoking and generate discussion. I enjoy constructive debate and like to see an exchange of thoughts and ideas. I don’t see that happening, so it’s hard to see the point.

Blaine Blackstone is a retired Los Angeles Police Sergeant who enjoys the simpler life in Thompson Falls. He can be reached by email at [email protected].