Common Sense

Over two centuries ago Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense. It helped to focus attention on the British as the cause of difficulties at the time. It also called for independence for America and her people. The pamphlet used common sense arguments for complex problems. In the spirit of Thomas Paine I offer these suggestions for some of todays easily solved problems.

Protest at MTV, BET and Viacom
I realize this may be considered harsh by some but there seems to be a solution to the issue of;

"the corporate sponsorship of images and lyrics that degrade women, glorify violence, and negatively portray black and Latino men as pimps, gangsters and thugs."

After contemplating (for several seconds) I have come to a well reasoned solution to this weighty and apparently thus far knotty problem. STOP BUYING THE PRODUCT! That's right ladies and gentlemen. Don't buy the videos, turn off MTV and BET or purchase any of their products. Don't allow your children to buy them and if you find them around your house, toss them, break them, scratch them or burn them. If you flex your consumer muscle as a group instead of wasting time marching around someone's house, the problem might just be solved. If however your main focus is to get your name in the paper than just keep on marching and the photographers will keep on snapping.

Cell Phone Abusers
I have two solutions for this problem one for those who are not hampered in their movements and one for those forced to occupy the same area as the abuser.

If you can move away do so. Go into another room, close the car window, exit the store (after alerting the management), just walk away. Of course you could confront the person directly but if they are so insensitive that they don't understand that everyone isn't interested in their personal conversations, I sincerely doubt they will listen to your chastisement.

If you are stuck somewhere, for instance a train or bus or plane and can't get away, I suggest you carry your own cell phone, maybe a friends old, unconnected one and start talking, LOUD. Make the conversation as uncomfortable as you can bear. Sooner or later Iris Insensitive will begin to pay attention to you. She or he will most probably scold you for talking so loud and privately on the phone. I'll leave your response up to you.

And from the UK (specifically Scotland) we have this gem concerning smoking.

Now I'm the first person who would like to see smoking fall by the wayside. I don't smoke and neither does any of my nuclear family. I don't allow smoking in my home, nor do I go places where smoking is permitted. That is my personal prerogative.

The Brits, including the Scots have and have always had a disjunct where personal liberty is concerned. It explains why Mr. Paine was forced to write his tract Common Sense in the first place. The sad thing is these folks are still fighting the same battle as they did in the 18th century, only now they use the government and courts to do battle instead of muskets and cannons.

While I applaud anyone who stops smoking, or smokes outside especially when children are present, I abhor the use of government coercion or edict to achieve that goal. Ones home should be their castle where they can relax as they like. Unless smoking is made illegal, whether one smokes or not within the confines of ones own home should be left up to individuals and families. If in the case of Great Britain the cost of health care goes up ( since socialized medicine is the norm there) those who smoke should have to pay a larger percentage for that care.

It just seems to me that people should spend more time paying attention to the things in their own lives that need improvement and less time worrying about what others are doing or not doing. Deal with your own "mote" and stop looking for the splinter in the eye of your neighbor and the world would get along much better. Remember another's right ends at the tip of your nose, and ears ( hence the problem with cell phone abusers) and vice versa.

Oh and use common sense, early and often.