Opinion Exchange

If you’ve wondered why the Opinion pages lately have lacked their usual element of mirth, don’t blame George Bush, Congress or Wall Street. They all continue to do their part. Blame the weather.

One of our casualties from the snow and ice New Year’s Eve was Matt Davies, our Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist. Matt slipped on the ice in his driveway, landed badly, and broke his clavicle, or collarbone. He has been in a world of pain ever since. Small wonder. As it turns out, the collarbone is one  of the necessary bones; treat it harshly, and various nerve endings will protest to the brain — apparently all day and all night. So Matt is on the mend.

We miss Matt’s cartoons, of course, and also his presence. He contributes quite a bit to our daily discussions about the Lower Hudson Valley, New York, the nation, the world. He’s a funny guy, to be sure, but also a serious and caring journalist. So we lose more than just laughs.

We’ll let you know when Matt and his pen are back on the job.