OBITUARY TO COMMON SENSE

[Guest guest]

OBITUARY

 

Today we mourn the passing of an old friend, by the name of Common Sense.

Common Sense lived a long life but died from heart failure on he brink of

the new millennium. No one really knows how old he was, since his birth

records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

 

He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools, hospitals, homes,

farms and factories, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare and

foolishness. For decades, petty rules, silly laws, and frivolous lawsuits

held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such

valued lessons as to rely on yourself, stand up for what is right, know when

to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, and that life

isn't always fair.

 

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more

than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not

the kids), and it's okay to come in second. A veteran of the Industrial

Revolution, the Great Depression, and the Technological Revolution, Common

Sense survived cultural and educational trends including body piercing,

whole language, and " new math. " But his health declined when he became

infected with the " I-want-to-reform-and-transform-everything " virus.

 

In recent decades his warning strength proved no match for the ravages of

so-called transformation and overbearing regulations. He watched in pain as

good people became ruled by ever-'transforming' laws, so-called affirmative

action, empowerment, racial quotas and 'correcting the imbalances of the

past'. His health rapidly deteriorated when governments endlessly

implemented new and ever-crazier policies.

 

Reports of a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, men arrested

and charged with murder for defending their families and property against

armed killers and thugs, and officials being fired for telling the truth,

only worsened his condition. It declined even further when schools had to

get parental consent to search students for guns and drugs, - but could not

inform the parent when a female student was pregnant or wanted an abortion.

 

Finally, Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became

contraband, the killing of unborn babies was legalised, churches became

business, criminals received better treatment than victims, and judges and

politicians stuck their noses in everything from the use of plastic bags to

smoking in public to professional sports. Finally, when a sports minister

cut his nose to spite his face, too stupid to realize that the enforcement

of artificial racial quotas would result in his teams losing and the public

staying away, Common Sense threw in the towel.

 

As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic but was kept

informed of developments regarding ever-intensifying transformation policies

such as questionable labour regulations and race quotas for everything from

the ladies' bowling team to the one-man plumber's business.

 

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 two stepbrothers: Gimme Monee and I Demand. Not many attended

his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

 

 

 

--

Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence

encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.

--Elie Wiesel