Common Sense

[Luba]

I received this in an E-mail and thought I would pass it on:


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 Panadol, 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.

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.

If you still remember him pass this on. If not join the majority and do nothing.

[Weiser]

That's great and so true.

[Vautrin]

Originally Posted by Luba

No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

Which proves he has never lived. Beyond doubt.

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.

Assuming he lived, which was not the case, as has been clearly established by the flawless bureaucracy, these life lessons would point at that what has not been yet properly regulated. One rule would be that after using 53242 traffic lights a person in any village with more than 500 heads should be involved in a traffic accident, near that light. If not, the light did not function properly. And more drastic measures are needed to ascertain a (near-) fatal accident to one of the residents of said villages.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn)

And in some countries, that would entitle you to living in a box, because rents are too high, it costs too much money to get to the job (in some areas about 30% of your income will be spent on tranportation to the job alone).

and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

That is a dramatic illusion. It is that a lot of adults are afraid to take charge. Possibly because of the plethora of bureaucratic rules. Possibly, because their own upbringing was filled with the same problem. And possibly, because the parents don't care, or are way too busy to make ends meet.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate

Why was the teacher not charged with bigotry, and put into psychiatric care? Way too much issues, it seems on the hands of the adult(s).

teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch

What happened to the punishment of washing one's mouth with soap?

and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Of course. He should have put the unruly child in charge of the class, and made him solely responsible for the next set of grades of the rest of the class. That way, the other children would discipline him 24/7.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

That is not the teacher's job. The parents should be called for. Explain things. And if that does not help, remove the kid from school.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Panadol, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student;

Of course. What do you think contact is? Sexual harassment, even if it is not done by a 6-year old boy. Or even worse: self-pleasurement. Of course consent is needed.

but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Tricky. Depends on the student, whether or not that is a good idea. And of course the situation of the student. You cannot generalize individual psychology into laws. That is disastrous.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband

One Jewish mystic said that if everyone would follow the TC at the same time (point in time), then paradise would be now. Sadly, I must say that the weight given to the Ten Commandments has always suffered from ideological twists and turns, in the various churches and sects.

churches became businesses, and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Depends on the crime. If you ruin 100s of thousands of people, by screwing up a company by conscious neglect, what happened to companies like Ahold, Enron etc, you should be offended if you get to spend a single night in jail.
However, if you kiss a girl when you are six years old, you should not be allowed to see a bit of daylight for the next 12 years. Makes sense, does not it?

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.

Since when is that a law?
Over here you can defend yourself. But once the burglar is outside with the loot, you are not allowed to shoot him, because your life is not in danger.

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.

Said woman should be sued to death for not providing an instruction manual to everyone she meets, about herself, and her uberstupidity. You never know what harm may be done by interacting with people like that - and therefore should sue her to death.

[Merika]

Geeze Vautrin.... you put a lot of work in your responses.

Here's mine:

HAHA!

[Vautrin]

I know some states in the US are more conservative than others, and that will be reflected in State Law. I wonder if all these incidents could have happened in the same State.

Over here it would be common sense to:
* legalize marihuana, and earn millions or even billions a year through taxation.
* enforce laws. In some schools the school boards are offended if you think that getting classes for less than 50% of the minimum time alotted for that by State Law, might be illegal.
* do something about things in the Netherlands. Right now, the only export that is rising rapidly from the Netherlands, are the Dutch citizens themselves. :?

[Merika]

Originally Posted by Vautrin

I know some states in the US are more conservative than others, and that will be reflected in State Law. I wonder if all these incidents could have happened in the same State.

Over here it would be common sense to:
* legalize marihuana, and earn millions or even billions a year through taxation.
* enforce laws. In some schools the school boards are offended if you think that getting classes for less than 50% of the minimum time alotted for that by State Law, might be illegal.
* do something about things in the Netherlands. Right now, the only export that is rising rapidly from the Netherlands, are the Dutch citizens themselves. :?

We have a few states that have passed ridiculous laws for themselves. The bad part is....instead of the people who passed them staying there....they then want to move to all the normal states and mess them up too!

[Vautrin]

I wonder if some idiot in Alaska attempted to pass a law that would make it illegal for Mother Nature to cause weather in which water freezes .

Can't we put all politicians, retired and in office in some county in Alabama? Never to be allowed to leave that county again?

I can assure you, the Dutch are willing to pay quite a bit for taking care of their politicians in such a way .

[Merika]

Many of our laws are state related due to the very reason that what works in one area....just won't work in another due to individual state culture and morals. So they will pass some retarded law in California and think it should be a 'model' for every other state to follow. Thus why we are still waiting for the big earthquake with a sweet giddy feeling.

joking.

Anyway, I would imagine in a country such as yours, it's hard to deal with space and population and governing laws. The citizens cannot just pick up and move to another state....so they are kinda stuck with whatever they get on a national level. I guess that would be frustrating.