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Looking Back: Opinions from past add perspective

Tue., June 7, 2016

Looking Back reviews opinions published in The Spokesman-Review during this week in history.

Reuniting Germany, June 8, 1956: An S-R editorial took a dim view of the USSR’s plan to reunite Germany, calling it an underhanded way to place West Germany behind the Iron Curtain.

It mentioned an easier way, saying “all the reds have to do is to let their enslaved Germans and the free Germans live a normal, unrestricted life. The free West Germans know what will happen within a short time after that; so do the reds, and they cannot chance any revolt against communism by their subjects.”

It concluded: “Free circulation of information, followed by free elections would end communist rule forever in any country. The tyrants surely will refuse to permit a test of that prediction.”

Space mission, June 7, 1966: An editorial celebrated Gemini 9’s successful mission.

“With the near perfect landing Monday of Gemini 9, the United States experienced tremendous advancement in the space field during the past few days. Surveyor I, which still is grinding out history-making pictures of the moon’s landscape, has been far more successful than even the most optimistic scientists had hoped.”

It continued: “The spacewalk by Eugene A. Cernan was six times as long as that of Gemini 4, which itself was considerably longer than any other known spacewalk.”

It also noted, “It is unfortunate that such flights are considered to be a contest between the United States and Russia. The most important aspect is that progress is being made in efforts to explore outer space. The same spirit prevails as that which was prevalent when Columbus set sail to find the western route to India.”

Day care, June 6, 1986: The S-R editorial board proclaimed day care to be the issue of the 1980s.

“Quality day care has become one of the nation’s most acute needs. And the need is largely unmet. In Washington state, for example, there are 380,000 children under the age of 9, but licensed day care is available for only 75,000 of them.”

The editorial continued: “In government circles, meanwhile, lawmakers ought to recognize the vital need for adequate day care. Among other responses, that could mean offering tax breaks and other incentives that would help employers work with their employees in resolving a day-care problem that affects them both.”

Madame President, June 8, 2006: Columnist Ellen Goodman hoped the TV series “Commander in Chief,” which featured a female president, would “hurry history,” even though it only ran one season.

“The opening of the TV show was accompanied by a survey that showed 79 percent of the American public was comfortable with “a woman” in the White House. We have long assumed that comfort zone would shrink when “a woman” got a name and a face and a flaw. But what if the public is ahead of the punditry again? Am I allowed the optimistic view that the closing of this TV show suggests perversely that the American public may be more ready to see and accept women as both individuals and imperfect.”