The world we live in.

[Sally]

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 home 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. The cry has become, " I never said it was your fault, what I said was that I was going to blame you."
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.

[Virginia]

Amen sister!!!
I just saw an article that here in the US of A 1 in every 138 citizens is in jail and of those 1 out of 138 62% that is 62% are in jail with out being convicted!!!!!!
ON the up side there was a book that came out many years ago that was titled. "Everything I Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten!" Guess alot of people skipped that grade!!!
You are so right! Around here and I guess everywhere it seems that all people want to do is sue someone and get some "cheap money!!!"
We have a show here that once in a while has a program called "Dumb Crook News" were people send in stupid things that people do to land themselves in jail - absolutely amazing! One of the absolutely dumbest is the two guys that wrapped a logging chain around an ATM machine tied it to the bumper of their four-wheel drive and gave it a good pull!!! Yes the pull did pull THE BUMPER OFF THE TRUCK - so they just drove off and yes the license tag was still attached to the bumper!!! Or the guy that wrote a hold-up note on the back of his own deposit slip! Guess we can sometimes justify 1 in 136 of us being in jail!
What makes me wonder is how some of these people actually are able to function in society!
Yes, I think we have seen the death of common sense and it is my considered opinion that the US is in its death throws!
May be moving with my SO to Austrailia!!
Virginia

[Absaroka]

I'd have to agree that common sense sometimes seems to be in doubt. But I have to disagree with the comment about the woman who spilled coffee on herself and sued the restauant. It makes a great joke but............what goty less attention was the fact that she got extensive 3rd degree burns from the coffee through her clothes anmd required weeks of hospitalization. There had been numerous previous complaints about the temperature of the coffee there. If she had unthinkingly taken a large gulp of coffee and somehow managed to try to swallow it (which would have been unlikely)the resulting damage to her esophagous might well have been fatal. As far as I am concerned the restaurant was guilty of criminal negiligence.

Let me also saythat I would love to see a lot more penalties imposed on lawyers for filing frivolous lawsuits. I could name a few myself. But that wasn't one of them.

As for the burglar suing you, you can sue the Pope for fathering your child if you want. It doesn't mean you are going to win.

Absaroka

[Jeannie]

You're so right ladies. My wife is a 5th grade teacher and she says the parents support the kids when their wrong. If you try to discipline a student the teacher gets sent to the principals office! I had an 8th grade teacher,Mr. Duffy in 1963 and he was this big tough guy. I'm remember one kid in the hallway told him to go to H---. Mr. Duffy grabbed him and slammed him up against a locker and basically told him he better not ever say that again. He never did it again and after seeing that, the rest of the class didn't either! A little terror goes a long way!Old school worked!
Today the kids call the teachers the F word and get away with it. If that were me back in the day I wouldn't be here today writing because my Father would of killed me after my Mother grabbed me by my ear and wacked me on my butt. Why do you think my ears are so big?
If you think that's bad my wife Mini 's Mom Carmella was this 5 foot tall rotund,take no prisoners, Italian woman that would bite Mini on her arm if she did something bad! That's where I learned all the swear words in Italian! She spoke her mind.I loved Carmella. She was wild! Hugs




Love
Jeannie