"Obituary Of The Late Mr. Common Sense" |
| By
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Today we mourn the
passing away of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who had 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. He declined even further
when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Tylenol, sun
lotion or a band-aid to a student; but could not inform parents when a student
became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Common
Sense took a beating as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became
businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims (I should
know this better than anyone else). Common
Sense lost the will to live 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 ghost, 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 his 3 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. MAY
HIS SOUL REST IN ETERNAL PEACE. AMEN. |