I have no trouble remembering how people were while I was growing up. You never had to lock your door. You knew your neighbors as well as you knew your own family. If there were any problems, people pitched in to help one another. We had neighborhood get-togethers. Church socials were a common occurrence. People treated each other with respect. After church we'd come home to relax. Dad would read the paper and give me the "funny papers " to read. We usually had our big meal for dinner. Mom was a fantastic cook. I always wanted to help out: set the table for dinner, mow the lawn, anything just to help. On weekends Dad would always take us for a ride. He always had some kind of surprise or destination in mind. We were not wealthy by any means, an average, middle-class family. Summers were so much fun: picnics, swimming at the beach, and fireworks and parades on the Fourth of July.
When I entered Pacific High School in San Bernardino, Calif., my father said these would be the most carefree days of my life. He was absolutely correct. Pacific High School was a broad array of races and cultures. It was wonderful. There were so many different clubs and organizations. There was never a dull moment. I engulfed myself into as many things as I could handle.
At this present time I wonder when civility ended. You dare not leave your house unlocked. Lighting at night is essential for security. Neighborhood watches are abundant.
There is a national crisis, and that's the problem of drug addiction and opiates. Let us focus on problems that actually exist. We are a diverse nation of many religions and cultures.
Rebuke fearmongering.
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Paul A. Fleming
Duluth
