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 can earn) and reliable 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 6-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 that they
themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It
declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun
lotion or an aspirin to a student, but could not inform parents when a student
became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense suffered
further as the 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 home
and the burglar could 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, by his wife, Discretion, by
his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 5
stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I
Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, I'm A Victim, and Pay Me For
Doing Nothing.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.