Letter: Bury your head in books, not politics

There are no doubt legions of citizens in the southeastern corner of Washington who have followed this election season with anticipation. The hijacked Republican party's mendacious fool versus "the lesser evil" in the main event even though HRC stands at the threshold of history in becoming the first woman elected POTUS. To those people, it will be a sad day when, after Nov. 8, the airwaves won't be full of speeches and pundits with their unceasing puffery; that's still weeks away, ad nauseam until then.

My neighbor Ralph says he wishes he could “bury his head in the sand.” That would be one way of coping with candidates of whom he asks, “Mercy, in this country is this the best we can do? I thought we hit bottom with GWB.”

Alas, Ralph, the bar would seem to have slipped another notch or six. But instead of, as Timothy Leary directed, dropping out, why not find a good book or two? I suggested The Cowboy and the Cossack to him by the late Clair Huffaker. What a story, what a great tale of Americans driving cattle across, of all places, Siberia! Or dive into the coming-of-age novel Black Swan Green by David Mitchell.

Not to worry, Ralph, if this self-serving Congress and dubious choices of leadership make you despair, right around the corner is your local library. Bury your head in art.

This story was originally published October 18, 2016 at 4:39 AM with the headline "Letter: Bury your head in books, not politics."