About the editor: In 2018, California voters chose to end the tradition of the biennial clock change, but the problem was that people didn’t know which tradition to keep. The stupidity of moving the clock back twice a year needs to end, but why do the Times editors think we should stick to daylight saving time all year round?
In Southern California, the difference between daylight hours in winter and summer is about four hours. This means that there are about 10 hours of daylight in winter and about 14 hours in summer. At more northern latitudes, the difference is greater. No legislature will change that. Like cutting one side of the blanket to sew on the other side, nothing is gained.
In times of flexible working hours and working from home, we don’t need the rigid laws that require the entire country to always observe daylight saving time. I stick to standard time all year round, and when “dumb time” hits, I just get things done an hour early.
If you think the majority should rule over the minority, why not vote on which tradition to keep? Standard time or daylight saving time? I’m definitely sticking to standard time.
Michael Kember, Van Nuys
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About the publisher: I don’t understand the anxiety associated with moving clocks to optimize daylight throughout the year. An hour is just a time zone, like visiting Las Vegas or Denver. Do people really have that much trouble traveling to nearby places?
In the 1970s, we tried daylight saving time all year round. It seemed like a good idea, but then people were faced with the reality that winter sunrise occurs at 8 a.m. or even later, depending on the location. The children went to school in the dark.
People hated it, wrote to their legislators, and we quickly went back to moving our clocks. It’s a compromise, but it gives us the sunrise at the hour we want to wake up in the winter, while giving the benefit of brighter evenings in the summer.
Roberta Fox, Costa Mesa
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About the publisher: I don’t mind changing my watches twice a year. This is a small price to pay for the compromise between those who want more daylight in spring and summer and those who want to match 12:00 noon with the sun’s natural peak during the day.
If you think about it, we actually get up an hour earlier during the day. It is out of step with our circadian rhythm. It also means that many motorists can get back on the road faster, resulting in more accidents and more deaths.
Perhaps we should save animals that breed in the early hours of the morning and follow our natural circadian rhythms.
Kathleen Trinity, Acton
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About the editor: Not everyone thinks that moving our clocks is a strange tradition. I’m one of them Here in Southern California, that’s the only seasonal change we can count on.
The editors (and, of course, Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, author of a Right Day bill) assume that everyone’s circadian rhythm is the same. Not so. It’s not easy to relax, slow down and get ready for bed when the sun is still high in the sky. Just ask any parent of a school-aged child.
In fact, there are so many more American health issues that Congress should be working on. Take care of that first. Jumping forward and falling back is peanuts when you consider what tires us out, causes stress and puts dangerous drivers on the road.
Gail Winkles, Whittier
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Anyone interested in summer time can take control themselves. Get up an hour earlier all winter long and enjoy the dark mornings.
Year-round DST proposals contradict claims that teens should start school later. As a result, schools would have to start even later in the winter and any gains from the later sunrise would be wiped out.
Keith Price, Los Angeles
Source: LA Times
Roger Stone is an author and opinion journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He is known for his controversial and thought-provoking views on a variety of topics, and has a talent for engaging readers with his writing.
