Why we don't endorse

Four years ago, we adopted the policy of no longer providing endorsements. Most readers I heard from applauded the move. This year, we have some contentious issues on the state ballot and an extremely tight presidential race. Everyone is looking for an edge to their side and we’re getting challenged to take a side. We respectfully decline.
Let me recount our 2008 explanation on why we changed that policy:
When newspapers first came upon the scene in America, they were backed and, indeed, funded by political parties. The papers were staffed by party functionaries. There was no expectation of fairness or objectivity in news coverage; it was all opinion and slant.
It was only late into the 20th century that news organizations began to seriously look at what was happening to their craft. We were determined to improve people’s perception of our reporting.
News councils began to crop up. Journalism reviews grew in number. Ethics courses were included in journalism curricula. One huge mistake made during this time was to profess that journalists are objective and unbiased. No, journalists are human and have to work at being balanced and fair. But we still held onto one vestige of the old newspapers — or, it should be said, publishers did — endorsements. If these publishers were honest about it, it was a way of trying to influence the outcome.
Other people were under the impression that endorsements were given to whichever candidate took out the most advertising. When candidates then used those endorsements in their own political advertising, it just fueled that impression even more. Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today, blasted the practice of political endorsements in 2000, saying, “When newspapers endorse candidates editorially, their political coverage on the news pages becomes suspect in the eyes of readers, rightly or wrongly.” USA Today does not endorse candidates.
Even earlier than that, Neuharth pointed out that “Readers want to be fully informed about issues and candidates. They welcome debate. But they rebel when we dictate. They resent being told how to vote.”
The editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal, which also does not endorse candidates, said the editorial page has a more fundamental purpose, which is to “stick up for those principles” it deems important.
Jay Rosen, chairman of the journalism department at New York University, was reported to have said that endorsements were “a tool of power” that newspapers paraded out as their civic authority in leadership. Editorial writers would proclaim that, because of their access, they were more knowledgeable and thoughtful and could be more credible in their opinion. Even if this were true at one time, it’s not the case anymore. Today, voters have access to a lot more information — just as much access in many cases as do editorial writers.
I can’t speak for all newspapers, but I don’t think newspapers should be in the business of making kings – or telling people how they should think. Regardless of who is sitting in the seats of power, each should be held accountable to whom they represent, and that’s the job of news organizations. An endorsement appears to give a seal of approval and taints the perception of readers of our true intent, regardless of how hard we work at fairness. That puts our reporters in a difficult position. 
Ending endorsements doesn’t mean there will be no opinions about the candidates. 
These will appear as signed columns from various authors. They could be opinions of a syndicated columnist or a particular Free Press writer, not the opinion of the Free Press editorial board. We will, however, recount what issues we feel are important to this region and this state and raise questions we feel need to be addressed.
Readers then can use that information as a barometer against their own thoughts about issues and candidates, as it should be.
And, in our reporting, we will still present to our readers the differences between the candidates. We will still question every potential office holder and hold them accountable.
And then armed with our reporting, publication of various sides of issue and individual columns, you can decide for yourself.

This year, you also will decide for yourself on constitutional amendments. Our job is to provide as much information – and opinions - from all sides that we can so you can make an intelligent choice.

In a democracy, it is the people who decide how they want to be governed - not one individual, not a party, not a movement and certainly not a newspaper. 

Trying to makes sense after a senseless death

     She took off her glasses and started wiping her eyes as she spoke softly into the phone. "Oh, Michael. I'm so, so sorry."
     As I listened from the other room, my chest tightened. My wife was catching up with our son in the Twin Cities. We learned a friend of his from Viterbo College, Jake Beneke, was shot to death. He was one of 10 victims - six dead, four wounded - in the shooting at Accent Signage in late September. The gunman, an employee who was terminated, fired methodically at those inside the shop. Then he turned the gun on himself. Utterly senseless.
     Michael recalled Jake. He was a gentle soul and wondered "Why him? He was a real passive guy. He wouldn't hurt anyone," and trying to attach some rational thought to what happened, "I don't even think he would even have rushed the shooter. He was that kind of guy."
    Jake's roommate and Michael's best friend, when he heard the news, had an immediate admonition for my son. "Michael, next time it better not be you."
    Michael listened. His fiance suggested they take a firearms class and they talked about how to protect themselves.
    He called me for advice. "Which handgun would be best?" "What should we look for in a shooting range?" "What about at work?" But it really came down to "Dad, how can I stay safe and protect the ones I love?"
    We talked for awhile. It was natural after someone close to you dies a violent death to put yourself in the same situation and wonder "What if?" You want to be prepared.
    Some of us are good at using hindsight to make sense of senselessness, to reassemble order in our lives, to put an event in some context we can hope to understand. But sometimes there is no understanding.
    Predictably, there are calls for banning handguns as though those are the only weapons that kill. Conversely, others want everyone armed to defend themselves believing everyone has the capability of taking a life, regardless. I've heard all the pros and cons. There is no one answer for all of us.
    This I believe. There are disturbed people in the world. More than we want to believe but less than some people fear. Sometimes the safety net you think is there has rips and you don't see them until it's too late.
    But, in this country, ordinary people shouldn't have to live in constant hyper-vigilance waiting for evil to occur. And we shouldn't be so oblivious to our existence we miss signs of something about to go terribly wrong. How do you recognize those signs? Which are real red flags and which are just something odd? And more importantly what do you do?
    Instinct comes with age and wisdom is wasted on the old - unless it is passed on. The advice I gave my son is for my son only, rooted in my experience. I don't know if it's right but, in today's world, we all at least should be having that discussion without hyperbole or a misplaced conviction there is one true answer.
 
   

Final word: Lessons learned from my knee replacement

It's now officially three weeks since my knee replacement and I'm finally easing back into the mainstream. The operative word here is easing. It will be half days of work for a little while. I feel extraordinarily blessed being on the receiving end of a great surgical procedure and now attentive physical therapy at OFC.
Three weeks is not ordinary and believe me I'm not yet at normal speed. In fact, I find myself shuffling around the house in my slippers rather than walking. What a pitiful sight. No wonder I don't have house guests.
I would not encourage anyone to expect three weeks as some kind of norm especially if your job is more physical than mine and whose isn't. In fact, sitting for a long period of time is NOT recommended and neither is walking or standing too often. You have to find the situation that is "just right" for you, baby bear.
OK, that said, I did want to end this serial saga with some questions I received from those contemplating knee replacement. If you've been following this blog, the following answers will make sense. If you haven't, well, you have some catching up to do:
Knowing what you know now is there anything different/more you would have done prior to surgery in preparation for your recovery?
I would have done more stretching exercises to loosen up the tendons/muscles surrounding the knee. I knew they were tight going in because I had neglected exercise and then the pain was reducing my flexibility. Now most of my therapy is trying to improve my extension.
Did your outpatient physical therapy start immediately upon your discharge or were there a few days of in-home therapy?
The therapy starts immediately (it was next day for me) at the hospital with a “therapy camp.” These are with other people who have undergone either hip or knee replacement and we do basically the same routines. Some people (depending on their physical condition/age) would be transferred to a place like Pathstone to complete their therapy. It also depends on who you have at home. If no one or if the care provider needs some help, then for sure they will discharge you to a rehab center.
Physical therapy – how many days a week is it and for how long?
It starts out at three times a week for about six weeks. I made some pretty good progress so mine will probably be only four or five weeks.
I live in a two story home – how difficult were stairs to manage your first week home?
Stairs? Are you kidding? You'll have trouble negotiating that edge of the rug. Seriously, plan on living on the first floor for the first two weeks at least even with a care provider.
How long did you have to give yourself shots (of the anti-coagulant)?
Ten days. It really wasn’t that bad. Just something very new for me.
When do you expect to drive by yourself? Was your surgery on your driving knee?
As long as you are on pain meds, don't drive. It took me until the start of my third week, when I dropped the pain meds during the day did I do some driving. And frankly that made for a long day. And yes, it was my “accelerator knee” that was worked on. I would plan on probably driving four weeks after surgery.
Did you ever consider having the surgery elsewhere? (I had a second consult in the cities so am pondering my options)
A few things to consider: The consult after surgery. Do you want to drive that far or will you be staying in the cities? The physical therapists and surgeons know each other here and what each can offer. That knowledge has to count for something. And the advice I received is the same I will pass on - go to someone who has done a lot of these and, in fact, will be the one actually doing the replacement. I had no intention of being a final exam for some intern.
Any general advice about my thought process in knowing what I need to know?
The hardest part of this is not the surgery. Nor is it the hospital stay. It’s the therapy. It will be difficult right out of the chute. But it gets better – slowly. I don’t know how to take care of the sleep deprivation other than to say it doesn’t last TOO long. Be patient – look at the destination, the end result and not the here and now. I can tell you it not only gets better. It IS better than living with the pain. I expect to be not only pain free in a couple of months but looking forward to getting back to snow shoeing this winter. My time was pretty well spent at home with work with no problem. Because it was very short-term attention span. I was able to continue writing editorials and my blog so my “fogginess” was not as great as I had last time. I think the drug used eight years ago with my last replacement - Vicodin - was terrible. The one this time – Percocet – was much easier to tolerate. Reading a novel or a book? I found myself re-reading a lot of pages and eventually just stuck with doing crossword puzzles to keep the mind active.

LAST BIT OF BIG ADVICE: If you are on regular prescribed medication, DOUBLE CHECK AND TRIPLE CHECK the meds you are given at the hospital. Ensure they know UP FRONT what you are taking. When they call to double check your meds, have your list in front of you. If you have someone who can be a patient advocate for you, let that person know the same information. Give that person the Health Agent power necessary. This is really were most things can go wrong – medicine mixups.
Finally, thanks to all who sent their prayers and good wishes. It apparently worked. And now, back to your regularly scheduled blogs.
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#KatoKnee: You think therapy's tough? Try getting some sleep

We all agreed. The hardest part of joint replacement is the therapy; the second hardest part is getting a good night's sleep after surgery. For many of us, that still hasn't happened even two weeks later. And, in one case, the sleep deprivation lead to slight hallucinations and a trip to the emergency room.
It was a rehab camp "reunion" today in the waiting room of Orthopaedic and Fracture Clinic. Four of us who had surgery at the same time were together again this time to have our staples removed. We had shared a couple of days of pretty intense therapy immediately following surgery and quickly grew to know each other. Comrades in pain tend to bond pretty fast.
And rehab is like Vegas for gimps. What gets said in rehab stays in rehab so don't look to me for any hints on identity. But they are pretty interesting people.
For instance, the patient with sleep deprivation knew enough about it having been trained on surviving such torture while in the service. His body took enough beating back then the future holds a few more joint replacements - one more hip and both knees.
In his most recent case, he was sent home and told to take some 5 mg of melatonin, an over-the-counter herbal supplement that is supposed to bring on sleep. It helped. His wife said there was no way he was taking Ambien. Her relative, while on the drug, got up in the middle of the night, cooked breakfast and went back to sleep not remembering a thing. At least that's what she said.
In my case, the longest stretch of sleep I got actually came in the afternoon after therapy. It was for one hour and 45 minutes. When I awoke, I was disoriented, grumpy and still tired. That also ruined it for me that night not getting more than one-hour stretches of sleep.
I'm told this is not unusual so if you are contemplating joint replacement, ponder how you will deal with this. First off, it's best to have your own bed and your own bedroom if you can manage it. You will be up often and your mate doesn't want to hear you whining and grunting in the middle of the night. She needs her sleep too just to take care of you the next day.
My earlier readings of others in similar situations found that most patients get beyond this after about four weeks. Great. Two more weeks to go.
This was my first visit with Dr. Kyle Swanson since the hospital and I knew he would be glad to see me. I had my left knee replaced eight years ago in Indiana and already can tell a big difference with this one. I didn't need the walker once I got home. I've been walking without a cane now for a few days, much earlier than the Hoosier knee. When I told him this surgery was four times better than the last, you'd thought I just scored him a perfect 10 on the uneven bars. "It really makes my day to hear we did better than the last guy," he beamed. I love competition.
Dr. Swanson showed me the X-ray taken immediately after surgery and it was beautifully straight. He said may leg extension looked fantastic for just two weeks out, told me to stop taking naps or I'll mess up my sleep cycle and gave me my permission slip for the principal so I can return to class.
"You want it for when? You know you can take six weeks off, don't you?"
"Yes but I'm going stir crazy."
He was still reluctant for such an early return so I relented.
"OK, I'll give you no more than four hours a day starting next week. No lifting. No sitting for prolonged periods. And take off when you need to."
"Can you add that no one should piss me off?" It's political campaign season, you know. He didn't but he did prescribe more Percocet. And there you have it - going for the symptoms not the cause.
I did get to keep the staples, all 31 of them (see photo below) but I couldn't retrieve my original knee. Hey, it's not that weird. I still have all my kids' teeth having rescued them from that cheapskate tooth fairy. Yes, I'm that kind of guy.
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#KatoKnee: Just when you think it's OK, it's really not

On the one-week anniversary of the knee surgery, I was feeling pretty good. My movement around the house was smooth. I didn't need the walker and many times didn't need the cane. While I still haven't been sleeping well, it seemed I had enough energy to test some limits.
I became more convinced after my Monday therapy. Afterwards I felt invigorated and ready to put a little time in at work.
So the next day, I thought I would just drop in, conduct a weekly meeting, tidy up some loose ends and paperwork then go home. My wife had an appointment in town. She could drop me off at 9 a.m. and pick me back up at noon. It seemed perfect.
What the visit turned into was a lesson on how sensory deprivation combined with pain numbing drugs as a recuperative strategy.
While at home, I had very few things to concentrate on - keeping my leg elevated, figuring out my crossword puzzles, reading news events and an occasional TV show.
It would seem very little of my body's energy was expended so it could focus on repairing the wound.
I mistook that energy as getting back to normal and arranged for a three-hour visit at work. It fell apart the moment I walked in.
My antenna went into high gear to acknowledge my settings, say hello while mentally trying to connect what happened one week ago to today, calibrate what needed to be addressed today and what can wait and why. Earlier I was determined to be clear headed so I skipped the pain killers. So now my body's defense mechanisms (I could hear "Danger Will Robinson") starting to kick in and draining my energy. I was sweating heavily under my dress shirt and across my brow.
I rushed through the agenda as quickly as I could and made my way back to the office where I sat resting, drinking water and slowly answering emails, waiting for my wife to pick me up after her appointment. It was the longest "short" morning I've had in a long time.
Are there any physicians out there who can explain what happened here?
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Caution: Knee surgery results, therapy not for squeamish

It's Day Five since my knee replacement. I've been to the grocery store (briefly), had lunch at a pizzeria and helped straighten up my home office.
I've also had some fitful nights when pain woke me up, an upset stomach from not eating enough while on pain medicine and frustration from being so darned bored. In other words, I'm recuperating about as planned, even better.
I'm one of the lucky ones. I had a knee replacement done about eight years ago and thought I knew what to expect. Truthfully, this one is going far better than the last. Sure, there is still pain, just not as severe; my hospital stay was short and while my range of motion is restricted, I'm able to walk with the aid of just a cane rather than a walker (the kind with neon yellow tennis balls stuck on the front legs) a lot sooner than before. Now that benefit is a little risky because it makes me cocky, feeling I can rush things along - which I can't.
I'm also lucky because I waited too long for the surgery. I was in such great pain before the surgery, the recovery is less painful and at least now I know this is an end.
And there's the real answer to when you should have your own knee replaced - when you don't have another choice. Now I will suggest you evaluate that situation very carefully.
In today's world of instant gratification, some people want the option of replacing a knee because they feel discomfort maybe because the cartilage is worn or you tore a meniscus. But brother, it's not like popping in a new battery into your iPhone and on you go. There is no "on you go."
In this case, you have to be marathoner not a sprinter
And you need to be less self-conscious about how your legs look in shorts (see photo above - that's going to leave a nasty scar.)
Replacing a knee is not for the squeamish. But pain is minimized, and therapy - if done right - is purposely long to ensure the recuperative effect lasts. But understand that, at least in my case, the end justifies the means. Contrary to what my wife believes, I am not a big fan of pain.
Some researchers have found four overarching themes why some people put off their decisions.
One conclusion was people needed more education and support about total knee replacement which is one of the reasons I am writing this blog.
You really can return to a normal life like walking the dog, gardening or doing housework with very few restrictions.
My goals are returning to snow shoeing this winter, bicycling to work in the spring and taking long walks with my wife at night. I'm more than halfway there now that I took that leap of faith.
I learned early on that delays and excuses will not make the situation better; only action can take care of that.
The next phase is therapy which will be tough because of the scar tissue and the massive swelling of the leg that will come down but only over time. See you on the back side.
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With surgery completed, new lifestyle begins

In the parlance of restless sleepers, I'm a tosser. Just ask my wife. I'll find a comfortable spot on the bed with two pillows - one under my head and the other off to the side. I first lie on my right side, then on my left side, on my back and finally on my stomach which is where I usually end up. Then I settle in and wait to go deep. That lasts for about fifteen minutes before I get restless again. It's a routine I must follow or it takes much longer to fall asleep. It's almost like a cat that has to twist in a circle before it settles in.
I've tried going straight to the stomach and forsake the drama but that has yet to work. Colleen's not too happy with my nocturnal habit but most times she does get used to it.
Tonight it's going to get worse.
Following my knee replacement surgery Tuesday morning, I was released from the hospital this afternoon, nearly a day early. because there were no complications, the range of motion was improving and I was able to walk a long distance with my walker.
So we packed up and headed home.
Not the home I left, but rather an accommodating home that holds a temporarily handicapped resident for about three months. Furniture was pushed back to widen passageways, throw rugs were removed, a side table was brought into the TV room so I could continue my computer work and Colleen put together a shower stool for easier showering.
Those are the easy ones. But these past two nights at the hospital forced me to take a hard look at my sleep position alternatives. There is no way I will be able to toss and turn.
Hospital beds can be maneuvered electronically and mechanically in all sorts of positions. But the one at home just lies there, mocking me again to find my own mysterious comfort position. With my 31 metal staples in a perfect line, each twist brings a shot of pain. If I lie directly on my stomach with legs straight out, I'm also pressing my wounded knee to the mattress. Not a good choice.
Lying on my sides is out of the question because those previously mentioned muscles and tendons come alive. The least objectionable position may be lying on my back sandwiched between two large pillows to minimize my swaying and twisting. I will still feel the muscles underneath the knee - already sore from being held aside as my new metal joint was installed - stretch and complain quite bitterly for awhile. But that's just a prelude to my off-site physical therapy awaiting at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
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