Editorial voices from elsewhere
Editorial voices from newspapers around the United States as compiled by the Associated Press:
Imagine leaving Sunday church services with spirits flying high only to be greeted in the parking lot by an armed group of Muslim-Americans who denounce your very religion.
The outcry would be loud and long.
It should be the same after a dozen armed protesters toted their guns and signs at the Islamic Center of Irving, Texas, Nov. 21 during afternoon prayers.
The small band said they were spurred by an Islamic group’s terrorist attacks in Paris. The protesters, like many Americans, want to block Syrian refugees from coming here. They said they were armed for self-defense and want to stop the “Islamization of America.”
This is America. Free speech and the right to protest are our calling cards. But AR-15s at a place of worship? That is out of bounds, and it shows how very close we are to chaos.
One of the organizers of the protest said the group resorted to the action after trying unsuccessfully to talk to mosque leaders. But do you blame them for not talking to people who so hate them that the protesters would bring guns to the place they pray?
We all should collectively pray for peace – in whatever house of worship we choose – and leave our guns at home.
If you are old enough to remember when the Republican Party bragged of having a “big tent,” with room for many people with diverse views, you are getting plenty old indeed.
There used to be several brands of conservatism. There were fiscal conservatives and social conservatives and conservatives who focused primarily on national security. Though there still are, at least nominally, many don’t want it to be so.
Imagine someone who is generally conservative in his views who just happens also to support abortion rights. Could he find a home in today’s Republican Party? Good luck …
To listen to much that passes for discourse today, one would believe what it means to be a conservative can be boiled down to a few simple statements: Cut taxes. Shrink the federal government. Oppose President Obama and anything he stands for.
Oh, and never, ever deign to work with the opposition party. Down that road lies a whole lot of nothing.
A thriving political movement needs to stand for something. It needs a broad vision and leaders who are able to articulate a series of goals and how best to attain them. Simply wanting to cut, to reduce, to oppose, to repeal – that isn’t a governing philosophy. It’s a never-ending fit of pique.
Americans are used to being warned by financial gurus about the perils of retiring too early. But increasingly, research shows quitting work prematurely can be as bad for your health as for your wallet.
A massive study, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?,” has been following more than 100,000 people in 21 countries to weigh the effects of retirement on their well-being. Already, the evidence suggests retiring earlier than the mean age in a given culture can lead to poorer overall health, as well as lower happiness levels.
Although the sheer size of the study could wind up lending it special weight, its projected findings are nothing new. A variety of recent studies linked work with mental acuity; in industrialized nations, they found a strong correlation between early retirement and diminished cognitive function.
Most Americans fantasize about a time in which they will be free to kick back. But, as the research increasingly shows, there are plenty of good reasons not to rush it. Government policies and private hiring decisions alike should better reflect this newfound wisdom.