Editorials:

In times like these, less can still be more

Many people walking around lately are finding it hard to give thanks during the holidays when they’re crying the blues over economy woes.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be for “giving thanks,” is it not? So often the “thanks” part is just a quick blessing before the bountiful feast with the gluttonous overload of eats at the table and leftovers later in front of the television set. Those mumbled words before the meal are said so often they’ve become just a meaningless routine.

Well, as the old saying goes, sometimes less is more.

This minimalist philosophy can often provide a new awakening of sorts, allowing us to enjoy a simpler way of life with things that credit cards just can’t buy.

This season, the light bulb just might click on. Life doesn’t depend on the latest clothes, or the most up-to-date gadgets or keeping up with the Jones’ buying loads of new stuff.

Forget fear of the unknown. It won’t change the price of potatoes. Afraid of our financial futures is what many of us today are feeling, but we are not alone. If just for one day, we could leave it all behind and think about the little things that make life worth living, it could be so rewarding.

Less of anything, be it food, money, clothes, or whatever, makes you appreciate it even more when it does come along again. The spoiled child who wants for nothing, often has no appreciation for anything — ever. If there’s always more, why care much about anything?

This Thanksgiving, when fewer people are spurlging on extras, there are many more who are going with even less on the table.

We can help ourselves by helping others who just may have less this season. When you think about it, everything we learned about getting along with others, we learned in kindergarten. Like sharing, for instance. And being thoughtful and kind to our neighbors, our family and friends.

We can start in our own communities. We can buy local and supporting our community businesses. They are after all, our neighbors. We can also support our local social service agencies and our area schools.

If you can’t support these organizations with money, there’s always volunteer work.

We can also give the gift of kindness, and tolerance, and patience. It’s free. And giving thanks for what we have never ruined your credit rating.

Young, troubled hearts

A new study suggesting that grossly overweight children have the arteries of a typical 45-year-old illustrates why kids need to spend more time exercising and less time in front of televisions and computers.

A report Wednesday by the Journal Sentinel’s John Fauber said the study found more evidence that the process of arterial disease begins early in life, increasing the risk of premature heart disease in adulthood. Doctors also have been finding abnormally high levels of cholesterol in obese kids ages 5 to 18.

The research was not surprising to Laure DeMettia, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

Young people are spending too much time in front of the television and not enough time exercising, she said.

A few ideas on how to change that:

Parents should make sure their kids spend less than two hours a day watching television, talking on the phone and playing video games, and parents should encourage regular exercise.

Parents should eliminate from their kids’ diets soda and other sweetened beverages that are loaded with calories.

Families should eat meals with the television off to encourage healthier eating habits and less snacking.

Schools should incorporate more after-school activities and eliminate sugary snacks from their vending machines.

The long-term toll of childhood obesity includes more medical problems, including diabetes, and shortened, harder lives. Schools and parents need to work together to establish healthier lifestyles for children.

Reprinted from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Distributed by Creators Syndicate, Inc.

Hoosier on the Hill

I ndiana’s Mike Pence is a thoughtful and articulate spokesman for conservative values. As such, he’s a fine choice as the House Republicans’ conference chairman, the top communications job and the number three slot in the caucus.

Pence’s most difficult task, however, rests not in communication with the public but in persuading fellow Republicans that their return path to power lies in less partisanship, better performance and zero tolerance for the kind of corruption that has plagued the party in recent years.

Pence has argued that voters didn’t hire Democrats, they fired Republicans in 2006, when the GOP lost control of the House for the first time in 12 years. The same thing happened again this year, with Democrats winning the White House and gaining seats in the House and Senate.

The Republican brand these days is about as battered as AIG, Lehman Brothers and General Motors.

Pence needs to help lead a reform effort in the GOP that cleans up the excesses of the recent past. That starts with accepting the proper role of the minority party, one that involves dissent not for the sake of partisan gain but serves to raise legitimate questions about the majority’s policy initiatives.

House Republicans also need to return to their conservative roots, especially when it comes to fiscal discipline. The blatant disregard for the dangers of rising budget deficits and soaring national debt has been a bipartisan failure of leadership.

Pence, a stalwart of fiscal conservatism, needs to persuade House Republicans that they must lead by example on fiscal matters. That means swearing off excessive earmarks, voting against appropriation bills that bust the budget and pressing to address looming shortfalls in Social Security and Medicare.

Finally, Pence needs to insist that Republicans discipline their own when it comes to public corruption and private indiscretions. House Republicans in particular have been far too accepting of their colleagues’ misdeeds. The party needs to clean up its image if it has any hope of regaining a measure of power on Capitol Hill.

Mike Pence has gained a leadership position in part because he’s media-savvy and well-spoken. But his emergence could prove to be far more valuable than articulating partisan points if he champions reform within the GOP and in Congress as a whole.

Reprinted from the Indianapolis Star. Distributed by Creators Syndicate, Inc.