Common sense has died a painful death

To the editor:

I became acquainted with an issue after reading an article in the "Readers Digest" called, "The Death of Common Sense".

For starters, the city council calls a special workshop session to argue about whether the mayoral position should be changed to Chairman of the City Council. After agreeing to it at this special session, they throw it out at the next regular meeting because, I guess, the idea was no good after all.

Then we have the person who sees his neighbor driving a new car, so he thinks he needs one too. He goes to the dealership and signs his paycheck away for a long period, then after a while he finds his paycheck doesn't reach anymore. Then you see the new mode of transportation sitting in the driveway with a beautiful red FOR SALE sign in the windshield.

Then there is the person who goes into business on his own. He jumps in and goes all out, but maybe he's not too educated on the business subject. All at once he isn't there anymore because he didn't study the thing out.

How about the sports-minded person who buys himself a new boat for perhaps $7,500, or maybe more, along with a lot equipment like life preservers, trailer, and pads for the seat. He goes boating for the summer then has to store his boat for about seven or eight months, all the time he's making monthly payments, but he had his expensive boating fun all summer. I suppose paying his utility bills kept him hopping to keep them current.

Then we have people on the street who want to know what's going on with the city government, so you try to explain it to them. They say, "Hey, they can't do that to me," but as you and I know they never show up at the city council meetings. All they are is a loud mouth sidewalk superintendent.

So much for the death of common sense.

by Linc France
Columbia Falls, MT
Apr. 20, 1995