Opinion

“‘Go West, Young Man’ Reconsidered”: Part II, An Educational Preamble to “This Land is My Land” By the time that we are at in our discussion, the dominant assertion has become “this land is my land.” It is not the national implication: “from California to the gulf stream waters”. It is tied to the “land” of me and my people.

“When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.

President Biden’s cancer “moonshot” received a big boost from the Food and Drug Administration, thanks to its aggressive actions aimed at curtailing smoking. Three recent proposals — reducing nicotine in cigarettes, ordering e-cigarette maker Juul to take its products off the market and banning menthol-flavored cigarettes — have the potential to save many lives.

In 1914 Thomas Edison’s factory in West Orange, N.J., was destroyed by a fire. Much of Edison’s life work went up in flames. At the height of the fire, Edison’s 24-year-old son, Charles, searched frantically for his father. He finally found him, calmly watching the fire, his face glowing in the reflection, his white hair blowing in the wind.

So, patient readers, where to begin: how about “this land is my land” or “no one here is from here”? It is always difficult for educators to know how to broach this subject, unless cur-rent “regional” culture dictates it. Just today, for example, I received a “national survey” in the mail, wanting my opinion on a “left leaning” that threatens an “honest and balanced” (read “right-leaning”) account of American history. Well, I have always challenged my students to an “honest and balanced” account, that is an open-minded, objective critical inquiry.