The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received August 15, 2022.
In 1948, my in-laws replaced a window in their 18th century home. Seventy-four years later, as we were doing some repairs to that window, we found some newspapers from April 1948 which had been stuffed behind the window as insulation.
The Middletown Press of April 6, 1948 carried a front page article titled Gas Rationing Unlikely — This Is an Election Year. The article states, “House members said rationing is not popular with the public and that Congress would not vote for it so close to election time.” In 2022, President Biden is releasing strategic oil reserves in an attempt to lower gasoline prices as we head into the mid-term elections this year. Need I say more?
The front-page article in the Hartford Courant of April 2, 1948 described the efforts of the U.S. and British air forces to provide relief to the people living in Berlin because of the blockade of these areas by the Soviet Union. This year Russia invaded Ukraine and the United States and its western allies are flying aid to Ukraine to help that country maintain its freedom. This week the Chinese are threatening world peace as they want to gain dominance over Taiwan.
This quote from President Ronald Reagan has lasting relevance: “ Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.”
Edward Munster, Haddam
