Another Kentucky soldier, killed in war has come home to be
honored—and placed at rest. This time, he died at Pearl Harbor, Dec.
7th, 1941.
Modern science finally identified him---68 years later. Wars have a
way of doing that. Bet I could ask a lot of people on the streets of
Lexington when the bombing of Pearl Harbor took place and few would
know. We hurry into war, often on bad or even
spurious reasons. Seldom do we later repent, except briefly when a good
Kentucky boy finally comes home.
(Will we lose more in Niger, Yemen, Syria, Somalia—and places
Congress still has not declared us at war—and have their bodies finally
come back years from now? Only time will tell.)
And speaking of time. It’s now Daylight Saving TIme. It comes too
soon and lasts too long. The European Union just decided to end moving
clocks forward and back each year. They haven’t decided which time will
be “it” year ‘round, but a timely change is
on the way. Maybe we should reconsider it also.
We lost two outstanding Kentuckians recently.
I knew them both, slightly and more professionally than personally.
Ewell Balltrip was what every small town editor should be—devoted to
his community, both small (Harlan) and large (the mountains.) He stuck up
for both, but when he felt coal miners were
wrong, he said so, and made it stick. The New York Times recognized his
talent and put him to work in their organization for many years, but he
came home to the hills, ending his life with even more service to
Eastern Kentucky. Later this month he will be
inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame. Too bad it took so
long for him to be so honored.
James Archambeault has left his mark in many a Commonwealth home
and school and office. His pictures, colorful and outstanding of many
places in our state grace them, as he graced us with his talent. A
fixture at the annual Kentucky Book Fair, I always went to
his table to see what new book or calendar he had out. His work has
brightened our lives and we will miss him. (Is there a professional
Photographers’ Hall of Fame?)
Did you catch WKYT’s recent hour program on the Wildcats?
Excellent; congrats to all involved, and please don’t think this is just
carping, but why is it we often get such good programs on sports
events and people, but not on the issues facing our state?
Yes, they are costly and undoubtedly easier for stations to sell to
sponsors, but there are public spirited sponsors
out there (Toyota, Alltech to mention a few.) So why haven’t we had
similar documentaries on: our pension debacle (PBS Frontline
thought enough of this to spent most of an hour here, and the Herald
Leader’s John Cheeves was one of their “experts.” Can’t he also be the same thing for 27
or 18 or 36 or KET?) Or on serious problems facing rural hospitals
(Ditto: Frontline and PBS have explored this issue
in Kentucky, but no doc from local stations. Or what REALLY happened at
the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire? A provocative book has been out for a
half dozen years but no TV expose---yet. Or: what really happened to
kill Kentucky Central?
Meanwhile our legislature rolls on; probably racking up one of the
most dismal session records in modern times. More on that soon.
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