“People want to be lightly governed by strong governments.”

It was a fine point first brought to my attention in the middle of a long editorial in The Wall Street Journal. That was 25 years ago—and the observation made such good sense that I was compelled to enlarge on it in this column. Now it’s time to reflect on that wisdom again.

“People want to be lightly governed by strong governments.”

Do you remember the name of the very first daily newspaper you got serious about reading? Or what prompted that behavior in the first place?

The people who publish newspapers might like to hear from you. Their ability to convert young readers into loyal customers has hit hard, hard times.

Almost 20 years ago, when Denver International Airport was still brand new and I may have been a little too brash, I detailed in this space some of the airport’s most noticeable problems. A few Denver residents have never quite forgiven me.

Now I read that our friends in the Mile High City are getting ready to spend over a billion dollars updating and expanding the fifth-busiest airport in the United States. Yes, I said a billion dollars. For that kind of money, maybe I can sneak in a few kind words.

Separating little children from their parents, whether it happens as the result of a deliberate policy or only as an incidental and unintended consequence, turns out to be a pretty boneheaded political idea. It’s hard—at least in the near future—to imagine any politician at any level proposing any public program or idea that even hints at such an outcome.

Except, of course, that splitting up family units has always been a specialty of what we used to call “liberal” political interests, but which many refer to as “progressive.”

Remember the good old days? Remember when the FBI held both your admiration and your trust? Remember when J. Edgar Hoover was a hero for most of us?

No, it’s not just your imagination. I remember visiting the FBI headquarters when I was a boy. The lines were long and the place was crowded. The theme for visitors focused on the list of “The FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Men”—and the point was clear: The FBI always gets its man. Take that guarantee to the bank!

One of our readers called the other day, quite upset because he still hadn’t seen in all our recent pages any evidence that WORLD is editorially in favor of spending substantial federal money to arm and protect our schools—with military weapons. “If it were your kids who were being shot and killed,” he said, “it would have been a cover story.”

A longtime reader from northeast Ohio wrote recently to compliment our editorial gifts at predicting the future. “I enjoy reading back issues of WORLD,” she said, “and have been impressed many times by your uncanny ability to ‘see’ ahead, relying on your inspired hunches.”

To this very kind and overly generous friend, let me first say thank you for her note of encouragement. It came right on the heels of a handful of especially harsh letters from a little band of very unhappy WORLD members.