Nevin's Data "Points"

It seems trite, almost unnecessary, to comment that we are living in and through extraordinary times.  I’m a student of history, and I have often found comfort, if not guidance, from what has gone before. As often as not, however unique and extraordinary the times seem (or are portrayed in the headlines), there’s inevitably a comparable, and almost always, an even more extreme example, of such times in decades past. [i] And while there’s been a renewed interest in, and awareness of, the pandemic of 1918 (though I’m told the pandemic of 1957-58 is a more apt comparison to COVID-19), as the anniversary of our nation’s declaration of independence nears, I’ve been drawn to the events of 1776. As it turns out, the newly declared (but not yet formal) nation was confronted not only with the struggle for independence (and no small number of voices that simply wanted to preserve the status quo), but with the scourge of smallpox. Just as the close quartering and movement...

Last week the Congress was voting on an issue on which I have a strong opinion, and, while I did not vote for my congressman—and will likely never vote for him (unless, of course, he undergoes some kind of philosophical transformation)—I e-mailed him to express my opinion. And then I called his office to express the same opinion (not only because I feel so strongly about the issue, but because in a day of templated e-mail solicitations, I understand that a phone call probably has a greater impact). As I hung up the phone, my daughter, who was sitting in the room with me at the time, looked at me quizzically—so I explained to her what I had done, and the issue about which I had called. “Really?” she said—with an air of awe and wonder. And then, after a pause she said, “So, does that work?” I’ve given a lot of thought to that question since then. Of course, we live in a Republic, not a Democracy, and for the very most part, we don’t get to vote on all the individual issues brought be...