Gaining a perspective

For just a moment we would all do well to take a break, look beyond our local problems and consider the pain and suffering being experienced on a massive scale right now on the other side of the world. In one brief, terrifying moment nearly 200,000 lives were lost, millions were left homeless and misery moved in for what most likely will be a very long stay. We over here must recognize our common humanity and do whatever we can to help the survivors over there.

In the grand scheme of things, whether the name of our new baseball team sends the wrong message to our youth is pretty insignificant. We could have done better, but let’s let it go, quit cluttering the letters-to-the-editor space and move on to other issues like the pros and cons of disc golf, the health of downtown trees and the bad behavior of juvenile delinquents.

Our lives are pretty good if our major concerns are inappropriate nicknames, debates over certain park recreations, the fate of orange trees and teen hooligans toppling gravestones. Those issues aren’t about to go away. But for just a moment let’s stop and think and put them in proper perspective. Then send some money to the Red Cross.