Random, arbitrary and otherwise miscellaneous ramblings from your friendly, neighborhood editor. . .

As we get back to so-called “normal” here in the new year, a lot of folks have asked, “How were your holidays?”
Ever mindful of the biblical and moral mandate to be truthful, the answer from here has been, “I was sick.”
Yes, friends, we were tempted to compose new lyrics for a new holiday classic, “The 12 Days of Sickness.” Perhaps something like, “Four sore throats, three handkerchiefs, two cough drops and a nose running constantly. . .”
* * *
Trust everyone read the honorable Mr. Rush’s column last week. As an extension of the old-yet-restated philosophy of working for the people, the staff came up with the idea of putting the question straight to the People Poll this week.
We always welcome feedback, of course, and we trust folks won’t mind occasional feedback to the feedback.
For example, to those complaining that they weren’t provided with copies of the proposed Brandon Township noise ordinance, we humbly remind everyone that the location of Public Notices is always listed in our page 1 index box.
Recent weeks have shown that it is a good thing to read those notices. . .
* * *
Meanwhile, this week’s paper should be a good example to those who feel there is more need for reader opinions. This is an area in which readers have control.
While there are space limitations, we trust these pages will prove that citizens’ voices can be heard.
* * *
On the other hand, we will wonder why, after a 17-month debate that is now more-or-less settled, there are so many letters when there were few before. . .
* * *
Here’s another alert! Valentine’s Day is coming!
Again stressing the invitation for submissions of local news, now is the time to announce those engagements, weddings and anniversaries.
We’d also like to hear about any special romantic celebrations anyone has planned. Could make for an interesting feature story.
* * *
In another New Year’s event, some may notice that we’re starting to update the governmental contact information over there on the right column.
It’s been easy with those legislators who have contacted us with their contact information.
Those who haven’t will not be anonymous for long, we promise.
* * *
Speaking of the new year, let’s have a quick show of hands:
How many are keeping the resolutions suggested by your humble editor a couple weeks ago?
Thought so. . .
* * *
Michigan Right to Life cites a statistic of 44 million unborn babies killed in the 30 years since the U.S. Supreme Court “discovered” the “right” to abortion in the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.
Aside from the basic moral question, it’s fascinating to see how many people directly related to the fight for this “right” have changed their mind over the years.
* * *
Somebody said something about some kind of football game coming up next weekend?
Maybe we should do a news story about those who find the event to be a yawner.
* * *
That brings to mind a joke that’s been circulating among us Genesee County residents (if it’s old to you, sorry).
There was a report of Flint getting a professional football team, but the idea was quickly defeated.
Why? Because if it really happened, then Detroit would want one. . .

Copyright laws being what they are, it would be difficult to prove this, but I believe I was the first to coin the term “NIMBY.” You know, the acronym for “Not In My Back Yard?”
I was working for a newspaper chain in the Chicago suburbs in the late 1980s, covering public protests against new residential and business developments. It’s become a rather common phenomenon in places where people want to enjoy the “rural” lifestyle with thousands of their closest friends.
With a little forethought, this term could have gained your humble editor a significant side income, requiring publications to print the word either as NIMBY? or with the fine print ?1990 by Don Schelske. Used by permission. All Rights Reserved.
Woe are I, that didn’t happen. Over the years, however, have come a number of other unique observations on life. This column is an attempt to establish, for the record, that your humble editor is the originator of the following:
w “I’m too big to fit in anyone’s pocket.”
In another play on the “at large” concept, this is a way to indicate my commitment to being fair to everyone. It’s also a warning to new business acquaintances not to bother with artificial schmoozing or other tactics to gain favorable press coverage.
(Not to digress, but the best way to gain “favor” with this editor is relatively simple: submit news items with complete information, in writing, well before deadline!)
w “The right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing, and neither does the other one.”
This twist on the biblical quote came to mind while covering a local government story several years ago (not for The Citizen). It seemed to be the most effective way to deal with the frustration with multiple-level, multiple-agency, multiple-bureaucrat confusion.
It’s not limited to government, by the way. We’ve witnessed the same problem in the business world, and even with some charitable organizations.
w “Coming down firmly on both sides of the fence.”
This phrase tends to apply to your humble editor as well as others.
In the aforementioned pursuit of fairness, sometimes it may sound like a firm conviction never comes. Regular readers of this column know better, but there are times when the “on the other hand” routine is repeated ad infinitum.
Of course, this phrase may also refer to politicians for other reasons. . .
w “His heart’s in the right place; we just can’t figure out where his head is.”
You know the type: good motivation, good intent, lousy execution.
Seems we have lots of folks these days who want to do good things, but the way in which they go about it makes little sense. Worse is when the attempt, however well-intentioned, causes more long-range harm than good.
Unfortunately, an awful lot of people these days want to judge people only on their intentions. Remember that old saying about the road to hell?
w “Suspect incompetence before malfeasance.”
At the risk of coming down firmly on both sides of the fence (just seeing if everyone is paying attention), this comes from years of observation of people in government and business.
While it’s easy to embrace the stereotypes, the reality seems to be that too many people in positions of authority simply don’t know what they’re doing.
In the realm of local government, for example, we elect average citizens to positions where they must learn all sorts of legalities and technicalities that make good decision-making difficult. Mistakes, often, are not intentional.
This principle, by the way, sometimes applies to newspaper people. . .

The following is a shortened version of a story offered by Promise Keepers speaker Steve Farrar:
A man came home from work after a difficult day, looking forward to crashing. His wife reminded him, however, that they had a commitment that evening.
The man grudgingly agreed to attend, saying he needed a quick shower and shave, during which time his wife would get the car warmed up.
When the man came out, he found his forlorn wife in the driveway with the motor running, having locked the keys in the car.
With all of the day’s frustrations aimed squarely at his wife, the man exploded, “How can such an attractive woman be so stupid?”
His wife kept her composure and said, “God made me attractive so you would love me, and He made me stupid so I would love you.”
Sounds like she wasn’t so stupid, after all. . .
In a culture in which too many confuse the words love and lust, it’s good to be reminded that real love goes beyond the stereotypes of Valentine’s Day (or Sweetest Day or any of the Hallmark spinoffs).
It’s a shame not many of you folks have had a chance to meet my wife, Nancy. She’s come along on a few photo assignments, but her work schedule and other commitments don’t permit that very often.
This coming May, if the Lord tarries, we will have been married 19 years. Praise God, she hasn’t given up on me yet.
Yes, to be honest, it could be said that Cupid’s arrow did hit its mark when I met her at church in Wheaton, Ill. all those years ago. Nothing against the romantic feelings (which are still real), but we found long ago that true love goes beyond the touchy-feely.
First, we were counseled well in a concept not found in many people’s vocabulary these days: commitment. We’ve probably “fallen” in and out of love a gazillion times; most people do. We’ve never “fallen” out of our commitment to each other.
With that truth comes others. For example, it’s not true that beauty is only skin deep. The truth is that most of us have never discovered the true meaning of beauty.
I’ve found it in my wife. Nancy has developed and practices the biblical attributes of love:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (I Corinthians 13:4:8, NIV).
Contrast the above with contemporary attitudes about romantic relationships, variations which include let’s-try-it-for-awhile-and-see-if-it-works-out, you-scratch-my-back-and-I’ll-scratch-yours and the ever popular I’ll-use-you-for-a-little-while-until-I-get-tired-of-you.
On the other hand, “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing” is not always playing in the background. Marriage is work. Some people talk about the whole thing being a 50-50 proposition. It is more accurately described as a 100-100 equation, and it often requires unpaid overtime.
Ever watch A&E’s “Biography?” It’s fascinating to see how some of the world’s most famous and respected people reached their pinnacle of notoriety. It’s sad, however, when the voiceover describes how success in politics, show business or whatever “took its toll” on a marriage (or two or three).
Don’t know if the producers realize this, but the result of those stories is that admiration is replaced by pity.
Let’s enjoy the hearts and flowers (and those of you who are allowed, enjoy the candy!), but some of us will bask in the light of true love that transcends the holiday.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Nancy. . .

Have we had the discussion about how true journalistic “objectivity” is a myth? The summary: objective, impossible; fair and balanced, absolutely.
Anyway, your humble editor is hardly objective about the Boy Scouts of America, which celebrates its birthday in February.
As a former Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Explorer, I continue to view the experience as an important and enjoyable part of my growth as a person.
The feeling is not shared by all. Scouting was then, and to many still is, a rather unpopular pursuit for a young person. (The same is probably true for the Girl Scouts of the USA, who will celebrate their anniversary in March.)
Those of us who were serious about Scouting tended to be ridiculed, although many of those doing the ridiculing were Scouting “dropouts” themselves. In adult life, the stereotype is such that someone with an overt sense of moral integrity is often called “an overgrown Boy Scout.”
A radio call-in program once discussed the “image of an Eagle Scout.” While the reactions were varied, the dominant characteristic is that very few people understood the amount of work and sacrifice needed to earn the Eagle Scout award. Only about 4 percent of all Scouts achieve the honor.
(On the other hand, some professionals recommend that those of us who achieved the Eagle rank should put that on our resumes, so there is still respect in some circles.)
The image, of course, is not the most important thing. The ultimate goal of Scouting is to learn from the experiences, and I had many opportunities to learn leadership and responsibility (not just knots and firebuilding).
It should also be noted that the quality of any individual’s Scouting experience is very dependent on the quality of the adult leadership. I was fortunate to enjoy the support, participation (and patience) of both parents, and our leaders were people who knew how to let Scouts do things for themselves, even if we made mistakes in the process.
(Since coming to The Citizen, I’ve been able to renew ties with an Ortonville man who was a local Scoutmaster and an advisor to our Order of the Arrow lodge. I consider him a prime mentor during my youth, and someday I’ll persuade him to allow a feature story.)
Scouting actually gave me my first taste of working in journalism. I was a “reporter” for our troop, sending in reports of our activities every couple weeks to The Lake Orion Review (a sister publication of The Citizen). There were several active troops in the area, so even then the sense of competition to be “first and best” was impressed as an important journalistic principle.
One pet peeve in that respect is a tendency for newspapers to incorrectly identify Scouting units and personnel. Proper identifications such as Cub Scout pack and Boy Scout troop often get confused, for example, and Scoutmaster is one word. . .
One other memory stands out. When I was still a Cub Scout, looking forward to being able to be promoted to a Boy Scout troop, I visited an adult leader who had been a Scout in his younger days. I remember admiring his collection of merit badges and other insignia, and it looked “old,” reflecting the history of the organization.
With modern revisions in the Scouting program, my collection must now look “old,” but I hope it also reflects a sense of history of an organization that has done much to lead young people to adult maturity since its beginning in 1910.
Fortunately, Scouting’s ideals and morals have not changed (despite some politically activist attempts to change them), so the potential for the future looks promising for today’s youth.
We invite press releases and photos from local youth activities (remember, we want to be fair to all). We admit a special interest in local Scouts, however, so happy birthday, BSA!

Random, arbitrary and otherwise miscellaneous ramblings from your friendly, neighborhood editor. . .

It’s been awhile since we have been able to offer the shotgun approach to the news and other stuff. Hang on; it could be a bumpy ride.
w w w
So, anyone fed up with the shenanigans at Oakland Schools? Curious as to how local districts will approach the upcoming tight budgets? Concerned about curriculum, transportation or fine arts? Wondering how you can make a difference in our local children’s education?
RUN FOR SCHOOL BOARD!
We’ve provided the information. Now it’s up to patriotic citizens to make this form of government work. We need some old fashioned, level-headed, common-sense decision making, and citizens have the opportunity to do that.
We’d love to provide coverage of a healthy race with multiple qualified candidates, then we’d love to report a record turnout from voters in June.
w w w
No, I’m not looking for pigs to fly?
w w w
Speaking of governments, extra-alert readers will notice that our “Who’s In Charge” list (over there in the right column) was updated a couple weeks ago.
This was accomplished even without the help of several of the elected officials. Indeed, even the Genesee County Board of Commissioners Web site still has last year’s officials. . .
w w w
Sorry that I didn’t get to know either Edith Wright or Gordon Bachmann better.
Even though obituary stories are difficult to write, there’s gratitude toward those willing to help everyone better appreciate the loss to the community.
w w w
This may disappoint those who, not too long ago, voiced the opinion that The Citizen should abandon our South Street offices, but we really should put up a “pardon our dust” sign.
More to come on this. . .
w w w
With all due respect to the seriousness of the war on terrorism and the potential war with Iraq, ya gotta smile at the ingenuity of some “anti-protestors” who infiltrated the San Francisco peace march Saturday, Feb. 15.
Their protest signs included messages such as: “Saddam Kills His Own People: It’s None of Our Business” and “Except For Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism, War Never Solved Anything.”
w w w
A caller suggested we do a column on how to fight the lack of support of France and Germany in the fight against Saddam Hussein.
It’s certainly not original with this scribe, but how we spend our money is another way that we “vote” in this country, and other nations reap the benefit when we buy things from them.
Some of us have been trying to promote a boycott of products from Communist China because of that country’s continued human rights violations, for example, but it’s not easy. Read the labels and notice how many everyday items we Americans buy from other countries.
Meanwhile, how many of those who think the Iraq situation is merely “blood for oil” are driving slower, avoiding jack-rabbit starts from the red light, getting their cars tuned up or, even better, buying fuel cell or solar-powered cars?
w w w
For those who need a smile (and who doesn’t these days?) here’s an oldie but goodie:
“If you can keep your head while all those around you are losing theirs’you obviously don’t know what’s going on!”

It’s been about a year since taking over the editor’s desk at The Citizen, and it has been a joy to get to know so many great people in this community.
Whether the converse is true may be open to debate, but one thing is fairly certain: I don’t fit the stereotype, and I would never make it in Hollywood…
Awhile back (in a previous editorial life), my publisher gave me a story from “Editor and Publisher” (a newspaper trade magazine) which examined the way movies have depicted journalists through the years. Whether from the 1930s or the 1980s, the basic story lines and images often are the same, the story reported.
“Journalists are rude, many times divorced, hard-drinking, cigarette-smoking, social misfits who will do anything for a front-page byline,” according to researcher Bill Mahon, who apparently found some 1,000 films which portrayed print and broadcast journalists, press agents, photojournalists and other communicators.
Anyone remember the “Lou Grant” television show? It certainly wasn’t perfect, but it seemed more realistic than most television characterizations. “Lou Grant” was in its heydey while I was in college, and it often was a topic of conversation among journalism students in a class at Oakland University, under the instruction of Jane Briggs-Bunting, a former Detroit Free Press reporter. We asked her opinion of the show, and she said it would be great, “if only they would let me write it.”
In addition to the Editor and Publisher story, radio commentator Paul Harvey reportedly quoted a survey saying 85 percent of the citizens are conservative, but 82 percent of news reporters are liberal. We don’t have the actual research to support that conclusion, but most people I know talk about the “liberal press” with assurance that the label must be accurate.
While there certainly are liberal reporters, there are other considerations. Some are a lot like those in public safety or service careers; they begin with a high energy level and ideals to match. Over time, however, they can develop an unhealthy cynicism about politics and people. That can certainly be reflected in their reporting.
But there’s another theory about people’s perceptions, developed over this editor’s 15-plus years in the trade.
Since newspapers so often deal with controversy (i.e. things that “make news”), some believe reporters are “liberal” simply because they ask questions. “They must be out to get somebody,” is the automatic suspicion. Then there’s the simple yet serious problem of human fallibility. Reporters and editors make mistakes, and sometimes they make mistakes while writing about other people making mistakes.
This editor has a long way to go in the department of meeting people, but it’s a continuing adventure. Just don’t expect the celebrity stereotype.
Frankly, there’s never been a movie or TV program showing an editor getting chewed out by parents who couldn’t understand why their child didn’t get his name or picture in the paper when someone else’s child did.
Have you seen the episode in which the reporter works the phone for hours only to get busy signals and “He’s out of the office” messages (followed by the callback 10 minutes after the reporter leaves the office)? How about the scene where the editor loses several hours’ worth of writing because the computer crashes?
Finally, will you ever see a program featuring a happily married, non-smoking, non-drinking, evangelical Christian, weekly newspaper editor who works in a pleasant small-town community?
The answer is simple. . .the ratings would be lousy.