Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr. Common Sense.

Mr. Sense 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 value lessons as knowing 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) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids, are in charge).

His health began to rapidly deteriorate 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.

Mr. Sense declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Finally, 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 finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her lap, and was awarded a huge financial 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 two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner.

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...

Yeah I can buy most of that... but the 10 Commandments becoming contraband? Is this a reference to the removal of the Commandments in Courts across the South? If so I guess Mr. Sense didn't believe in the separation of church and state.

Course, I guess none of our leaders really want to actually PRACTICE a true separation of church and state, as we have "In God We Trust" still stamped on our money and our children still pledge every morning in school that we are one nation "under God." I just think our country is still rather hypocritical about this issue and if I was Hindu or Buddhist and had children who had to go to public school because I could not afford private school I would be highly pissed. It would remind me of the genocide of the Native Americans, how they were stripped of their heritage and taught to wear ties, and dresses, and given a Bible in one hand and an American flag in the other.

I remember having to sit thru announced prayers at my high school pep rallies, wondering to myself what this has to do with it. Finally one teen who wasn't Christian and felt offended by the whole thing called the ACLU. And I thought to myself, good. There's something wrong with this. (They observe a moment of silence now, which is fine with me).

Maybe this shoulda gone in the Whine section :)

/whine off

One more thing...I'm NOT saying the 10 Commandments are not decent morals that everyone should strive to achieve. Most every religion has some type of moral code which is oftentimes very similar.