“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times …” – Charles Dickens

The first opinion piece I ever wrote for a newspaper was in the summer of 2006.

I think it had something to do with the absurdity of college football recruiting at that time. Now, those times seem quaint when compared to the current world of college athletics recruiting. The paperwork for my Pulitzer Prize on sports commentary must have been misplaced as that was about as far as I ever got in the opinion tastemaker business.

The person who let me write that article was the Leader’s sports editor at the time, Tim Altork.

Since that summer I have worked in newspapers, gone back to college for both a master’s degree as well as a doctorate in public administration and public policy. I lived in several places but managed to settle in Opelika with my wife and daughter, thankfully not too far from my native land of Randolph County. I am currently an instructor and researcher for Auburn University’s Political Science Department.

Nearly 18 years since that summer, Tim, now as the editor and publisher, is allowing me to take a trial run at writing a few opinion pieces for the Leader. Life often circles us around in unexpected ways.

Many new endeavors start with dissatisfaction about the way things currently are. Is the current music terrible? Start a band. Is your living room looking drab? Grab a brush and a can of paint.

I suppose my reasoning for wanting to write a weekly column is not so much that I am disenchanted with the way the political world and government itself function right now, but it seems so many other people are.

If we could transplant someone from 1924 directly to 2024, I imagine that person would marvel about how good we have it. The advances in science, technology, the social climate, economic prosperity, communications and government services are light years beyond what last century could offer.

I would say it is hard to argue against right now being the best of times.

Yet, it feels, at least to me, there is much frustration among folks of all ages with the way the world, particularly government and politics, currently operates. In addition, while we benefit from all the advances I mentioned, we also cannot help but worry about the path they will lead us down.

While I think debate and even some tension in our political and government systems are actually positives most of the time, I do worry the current environment is less about if government action is good or bad and more about ensuring the side of the political aisle you favor is the winner by any means necessary.

We have just truly begun the presidential election season, and you will hear a great deal in the approaching months about how this election will determine the fate of the country for generations to come. Let me tell you, whoever ends up in the White House will not cause the collapse of civilization even if it is a candidate you do not support.

If I have any goals with my writing, they are foremost to help you understand how government functions and to provide some context to help you think a little deeper about current and future policies. I hope understanding government will make it less scary, and I hope this understanding will lead us to less extreme positions from both political parties.

I am under no illusion that my writing will transform the world, and I know I will be wrong on some of my viewpoints. That is the cost of sharing your opinions. I just hope most of the time you will learn something from reading this column, and when we disagree, we can offer each other a little grace.

One of the Leader’s Backward Glances from 1903 inspired me to go through with this. The editor, who I believe was Olin Stevenson if my history is accurate, wrote, “(The editor) does not expect, nor does he desire, that you should endorse every editorial utterance of the paper, for he would know that he had fallen short in some particular.

“But we do desire that you give us credit for being honest and conscientious, and we’ll take the responsibility of being right or wrong. We shall try to publish such a paper as that we shall be willing for its files to be laid open at the judgment day.”