Fair Play

Herbert Block, who drew under the pen name of Herblock, was the Washington Post's resident editorial cartoonist for well over fifty years. He lampooned the high and mighty and deflated their ego balloons with a flick of his pen.

One of the politicians that he loved to hate was Richard Nixon. Through Nixon's house, senate and vice presidential career, Herblock refused to show Nixon as anything but an unshaven shady character (back in the day when manly chin stubble was not sexy, but declasse) who would use any means, fair or foul, to achieve his ends.

Then the incredible happened! Nixon was elected President of the United States of America. And so Herblock gave Nixon one free shave and never again portrayed him as a sinister dark jowled character.

In the end, Nixon threw away Herblock's generous gesture in a little thing known collectively as Watergate, but that's another story.

Which brings us to Morrisville 2007, where for better or for worse, a new school board is being seated. I oppose them and their ideas. Their narrow-mindedness truly makes me despair at the future of this town. I find their refusal to discuss their plans to have been a slap in the face of voters. Their tactics have been suspect to say the least. I find grave character flaws in them that make me wonder what anyone was thinking when they voted for these people. Then again, Hitler was elected too.

My dear departed grandmother was a sweetheart, but she was also no pushover either, and did her teaching in aphorisms. Among her memorable teachings were to forgive, but never forget; that birds of a feather flock together; and that iron needs fire to strengthen it properly.

So using the wisdom I acquired in my grandmother's classroom of human experience, I hereby award one virtual shave to the incoming Morrisville school board. It's the right thing to do. As I said before, for better for for worse, they are now the deciders. That doesn't mean I forget all that has transpired. I also believe that like minded people tend to band together, and that somewhere down the line, their Watergate will probably arrive right on time. They also have not submitted their plans to the annealing oven of public scrutiny, and only time will tell on that score. But for now, I welcome our new board, and I am willing to give them the opportunity to let us in on their secret plans.

What do you think?