What Time Is It?

Tonight is the time for that dreaded semi-annual ritual, changing the clocks. We are all mandated (except for two states) to switch back from long lighted evenings and dark mornings as the overall daylight duration continues to shrink toward the winter solstice. The overall majority of Americans is opposed to clock-switching twice a year, but they can’t come to a consensus on whether they want DST (Daylight Savings Time) or EST (Eastern Standard Time). Legislation on this issue has been stalled in the House, which is no surprise, given its current inability to even give us the time of day. The pending legislation takes the side of DST.

Let’s be clear. It is not possible to save daytime, or daylight.  You can only relabel it as a different arbitrary time of day that affects everyone, but especially school children, working people with regular hours, and businesses that are busiest int the evening (like golf courses and bars and entertainment venues and restaurants). DST leaves more children waiting for the bus in the dark and getting to school before sunrise.  (Suggestion: how about starting school later? Like, when the kids are actually awake.)

DST/EST is clearly not the most pressing public issue facing Americans.  We have a few other problems, like a war in the Mideast and a skyrocketing federal budget deficit because Republicans hate taxes and Democrats like public programs. But the clock changing affects the lives of all of us who must be at a certain place at a certain time.

I prefer EST, mainly because of the school children.  It doesn’t have much effect on me personally because I am retired. On the other hand, I am cutting back on my night driving for reasons of vision and reflexes, so I wouldn’t object too strongly to continuing DST, because it’s going to be dark even earlier when we revert to EST.

My main concern, like the majority of my fellow citizens, is changing the clocks twice a year. Having to adapt our schedules to the time change is confusing and disruptive, especially for sleep schedules.  But as a long-time advocate on public issues, I do see a bright side.  I am a blueish purple person in a red state, and I don’t very often get to contact my legislators about things we can both support.  Here is a perfect chance to make nice with the two people who represent me in Congress by lobbying them on a bill that’s not particularly controversial but on which he (both white men, no surprise there) can be a hero by stopping the clock-turning and stabilizing our circadian rhythms. You can even offer talking points like states’ rights (Congress is the obstacle, my state wants to stabilize) or school children in the dark or more daylight time for evening golf—whatever floats your boat and the somewhat larger and more expensive boats of your representatives in Washington.

So be brave, be active, stand up for truth, justice, and the American Way.  Practice your lobbying skills on this largely innocuous issue as a first step toward bigger and better lobbying.  Trust me, you’ll like it.

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