An Editorial on Editorials

I think that editorials are the jr. high photos of newspapers.

I can only imagine some editorial board writer sitting around and dragging out the old volumes, looking at them with a mix of fondness and nostalgia.  Some of them are now totally embarrassing.  They make you think "what was I thinking?!"  On the other hand, some of them make you say "I guess I was kind of a stud back then."  You look at all of them with plenty of insecurity, analyzing every detail, and wondering if anyone else notices every single flaw the way you do.

But we take photos to remember good times, too.  Or, perhaps, just to remember.

If I were an anthropologist, I would love to study editorials.  They give a feel for where society is on an issue (or, at least, where one voice in society is on the issue).  By necessity, they tell you what issues are important to what people, and they're always interesting to read.

I'm going to start posting on this blog from time to time so that I can look back at snapshots of how my thought has developed.  I'm pretty sure that I've grown up politically, and at this point my politics won't be changing much.  I hope I'm wrong, though.  And I'd like to document my growth.  I also want to be a better writer, and I think that posting something once every week (or two) will help me get out of my perfection paralysis.  Perhaps most important is something that a high school teacher taught me: good writing is the sign of good thinking, and if you strive to become a better writer, you will, of necessity, become a better thinker.

I reserve the right to be wrong, and even to play the devil's advocate from time-to-time.  My audience is me, so I don't particularly care if you don't care for my style or content, and I'm doing this for selfish reasons.  That being said, if I've invited you to read this, feel free to comment, give your opinion, or give some critical feedback.