Obituary

[1IDVET]

Today we mourn the passing of an old friend who lived a long life, but died recently. His name was Common Sense.

We don't how old he was, since his birth records were lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He devoted his life to service everywhere 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 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, but charge what you're worth), 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 trends like body piercing, "new math," and "political correctness."

His health declined when he became infected with "If-it-only-helps-one-person-it's-worth-it" virus.

In recent decades his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of regulations. He watched in pain as good people became ruled by self-seeking lawyers. His health rapidly deteriorated with the introduction of zero tolerance policies.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate, a teen suspended for taking a swig of mouthwash after lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, worsened his condition.

It declined further when schools had to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but could not inform the parent when a female student was pregnant or wanted an abortion.

Common Sense lost his will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, criminals received better treatment than victims, federal judges stuck their noses in everything from the Boy Scouts to professional sports, and newspaper owners thought they were reporters.

Finally, when people, too stupid to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot enough to burn and were awarded a huge settlement, Common Sense threw in the towel.

As the end neared, Common Sense drifted in and out of logic. Common Sense was predeceased by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

[Lady Creffield]

1IDVET,

That was somewhat depressing..but poignant and thought provoking. I think it's right on the money, except for one thing: Common Sense isn't dead yet! If rational human beings continue to honor and emulate him in their own lives, we can yet bring him walking out of the tomb. In this case, the mourners have the ability to pull the mourned alive from his coffin, if they are inclined to do so.

Do you mind if I print that out and show it to some of my friends?

[Jerry D]

1IDVET, Agreed here in Georgia you have little girls being suspended from school for having a Tweety-bird key-CHAIN attached to her backpack, Kids being suspended from school for wearing Dixie Outfitter tee shirts with harmless little Chickens on them .When I was in grade school the Frito Bandito was popular now he's been banned? Budman was also a popular Tee Shirt now the only "Bud" tee shirt you can wear in school more then likely supports smoking POT. The First Amendment used to apply to everyone in the US now it only applies to special Interest Groups and those who claim they were oppressed generations ago. When will students get back to learning Math, English, US History, Science, Reading, and P.E. maybe then they could pass the FCAT test the first time rather then 4-5 times and maybe still not passing?
I wish Common Sense would get resurrected like Jesus and come back to straiten out the Courts and Schools.
Have a Good Memorial Day Weekend

[1IDVET]

Be my guest.
Fire it off to as many people as you can.

Jerry D
And you too, have a good Memorial Day.

[MORTARDUDE]

are a disgrace for several very simple reasons..

1) Teacher's and their unions...

In many states their are no teacher competency tests...think about it. the teachers are NOT qualified to teach, or do much else..'Nuf Sed !!

2) In many states students are NOT required to pass an exit exam. The one we have in my area of TN for 12th graders is on the 6th grade level...I AM NOT making this up...

3) At the University of Memphis fully 50% of those in the first year of college have to take REMEDIAL classes to catch up to college level work...The State spends an exorbitatnt amount of money state-wide to just fund this at the college level...

4) Do you have any idea how much $$$$ has been funneled to local school districts by the federal government ??? It is an obscene horrendous amount.

5) the high school dropout rate nation wide is a staggering 25%, more or less...even with the ease that it is to get through it...

6) Don't send a lot of hate-mail to me about this. My wife works in a county school as a librarian assistant and sees 10 classes of kids every day...Before I dropped out of college and got drafted in 1969, I was an Education major and did student teaching...I know whereof I speak.


P.S. : Bill Clinton and his 8 years of hegemony certainly didn't help any either..

Larry

[1IDVET]

I agree with you on this one MORTARDUDE.
Here's an interesting article from Florida on the testing of students.

NAPLES, FL (Talon News) -- Approximately 13,000 high school seniors have failed the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT), an academic exit exam instituted in 1998 that became a requirement for graduation this year.

Despite the high number of students who failed the test, many local school boards are allowing those who have met all other requirements for graduation to participate in commencement exercises. However, they will not be permitted to receive a diploma until they pass the FCAT.

"It's important for kids who have gone to school for 12 years -- particularly if they have the required grade-point average -- to go through the ceremony of walking across the stage," said one local school board member. "It's a momentous occasion for both the student and their families."

Some people have expressed concern that the FCAT is unfair to minority students. They have asked Gov. Jeb Bush to allow the students who failed the test to excuse them and allow them to graduate this year. They want Gov. Bush to take a closer look at the FCAT for areas of improvement.

These protestors of the FCAT have threatened to boycott the Florida Lottery, Florida oranges, and Disney World as well as other popular tourist destinations if these students who failed the test are not permitted to graduate from high school and receive their diploma.

Gov. Bush has stood his ground and refused to allow these high school seniors who failed the FCAT to graduate because he contends that test scores have risen steadily in the past five years, especially among the minority students.

GOPUSA.com

[MORTARDUDE]

the TRUTH will always set you free ...

Larry

yeah that's right... let them graduate anyway ( minority... sminority..) so the taxpayers can pay to have them educated thru 7 years of college..and the BANKERS AND THE GOVERNMENT GET FAT OFF ALL THE STUDENT LOAN MONEY...HOW UTTERLY STUPID !!!!!!

[MORTARDUDE]

one of my wife's sister's husbands is a pathologist, M.D. He stated that a fully good-to-go brain surgeon will have to be 35 to START, just START, practicing medicene on his own..at the going rate, if a kid at 18 started now, it would take 17 years, and if it was all financed thru student loans, as much as $ 200,000+ ( doesn't even touch malpractice insurance and disability insurance to cover the loans if injured or hurt and the overhead of running your own practice... ) ...IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE ????

Larry