To resurrect a well-worn phrase, many people of this region are “screaming bloody murder” over the escalating price of gasoline and heating oil.

In this free nation, they have a right to express their views and complain, although they should take care to ensure their opinions are built upon accuracy, fairness and acknowledgment of the proverbial bigger picture.

For now, there should be agreement that only Russian President Vladimir Putin is the one responsible for the pain at area gasoline pumps. If he had not ordered the invasion of Ukraine, gas prices might have remained relatively stable, at least when stacked against the situation that exists at present.

However, there are numerous ways to make that gasoline-pump “pain” seem negligible or even non-existent, and people of this region should “drive up” to the opportunity to try them. Some examples:

¯ Every year on Black Friday, we urge area residents to shop locally, both for the benefit of area merchants and themselves. Consider how much money people here could save by making their purchases at local stores and avoiding having to buy extra gasoline or vehicle maintenance services as a result of shopping elsewhere.

¯ Most people don’t mind plunking down money for state lottery tickets, but if those people chose to forgo buying several tickets a week, the money they would save might fully cover the increased cost for needed fuel.

¯ Many people enjoy trying their luck at casino slot machines and/or table games such as poker and blackjack. A source of savings for those not willing to give up this recreational activity would be to patronize casinos closer to home and perhaps scale back some betting. The casinos closer to home and the players both would be winners.

¯ Be more savings-minded about water and electricity consumption, as well as about whatever heating fuel is used. Significant savings could accumulate rapidly.

¯ Remember, tourism begins at home. There are many things to enjoy here without having to empty a tank of gas or pay exorbitant admission or participation fees. Area tourism agencies should focus on that message.

These are only a handful of ways to beat the higher prices at the gasoline pumps and at the heating oil distributor’s office during this presumably temporary, albeit dangerous, time.

Every American doing his or her part to circumvent the “pain” in question should be regarded as expressing confidence in this country’s ability to defeat tyranny.

Such efforts to get around the higher gasoline and oil costs would be reminiscent of how Americans living during World War II had to sacrifice while rationing of certain items was in effect, and how people mobilized in other productive ways on behalf of the war effort.

Americans can and will continue to “scream bloody murder” about the escalating gasoline prices, but even those purportedly sky-high prices would seem like a bargain someday if Putin were permitted to run rampant, spreading death and destruction beyond what he already has done in Ukraine.