It’s about time!
Photo and Graphics, Steven Goransky
STEVEN GORANSKY, POLITICAL WRITER
Do you like daylight saving time? Do you dislike daylight saving time? Many people are very split on this topic but there is a current push to end daylight savings time all together. When and how did daylight saving time begin?
Daylight saving time, also known as DST, is the idea of trying to get the best use of daylight during the workday. We have all heard the expression “spring forward and fall back.” George Vernon Hudson of New Zealand came up with the idea in 1895. Germany and Austria were the first countries to try it and people have been debating the merits of the plan ever since.
If you ask most people about the original reasoning behind DST they usually cite: “For farming” and “World War I.” Most farmers will follow the sunlight no matter what time the clock displays, so changing the clocks only adds another layer of confusion. DST was implemented in the United States during World War I primarily to save energies required for artificial light. But DST was not implemented nation wide until World War II, so there is partial truth to both versions of the history.
Many states are banding together to end DST entirely and two have opted out voluntarily: Hawaii and Arizona. Ten other states are seriously considering following Hawaii and Arizona by ending DST in their states. The 10 states are Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington.
Texas, which is known for doing things in a big way, is making a move to end DST in their state, which would be the largest ratio of population to reject the plan. Millions of Americans who have made it through a long, cold winter look forward to the spring but many feel that Daylight Saving Time is an annual tradition whose time has passed. In today’s world, it not only seems unnecessary but it is also wasteful, annoying, cruel and sometimes a dangerous occurrence. An example is many parents do not like kids getting on school buses in the dark. Many feel it’s long past time to bid it goodbye. What do you think? Would you care to vote on it? Here is a petition to congress. Honestly, DST was great idea in its day but I often refer back to the old adage: “simpler is better.” I feel it is time to change back, no more springing forward and no more falling back.
