The Show Place

Subject: death of common sense



My parents told me about Mr. Common Sense early in my life and told me I would do well to call on him when making decisions.

It seems he was always around in my early years but less and less as time passed by until today

I read his obituary.

Please join me in a moment of silence in remembrance. For Common Sense had served us all so well for so many generations.


Obituary
Common Sense


Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student; but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became
contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you
couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own ho me and the burglar can sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to
realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap,
and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to
Blame, and I'm a Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Re "I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim."

I didn't do it!!!

While it's cute I think it's attempt to tie common sense to religious edict unpleasant. Let's try another approach shall we.

It's late '59 or early '60 and I'm on the rifle range in Parris Island, SC. when the rifle instructor made a comment I found, at the time, to be offensive but of course recruits do NOT wave offended fingers in the face of Drill Instructors so I said nothing.

But his comment stayed with me and over the years I've found it to be depressingly true. His comment was something like this, "It seems to me the more education a person gets the less common sense that person has. They act like everything there is to know is in a text book somewhere."

Don't believe me? Ask a college kid what the first law of nature is. Most never heard of it.

I didn't know the laws of nature were numbered.

I rest my case!

Come to think of it, I do recall the laws of thermodynamics (a hot subject, one might say) were numbered. Number two says entropy can only go up. I forget if conservation of energy was number one or number three.

But, at least Xjmt's case is now well rested.

Henry

I didn't write it. I thought it funny, but true. (religion aside)
It would really have said the same thing. Oh, and as for College grads, you are absolutely correct.

Well.....I liked it, Trucker. Thanks.

The first law of nature is 'self preservation.' If you don't know that one why bother with the others?

Apparently his case wasn't well rested after all.

"Now there you go again!"