Common sense goes a long way in solving problems and in making life livable. You have it, or you most likely wouldn’t be a regular or visitor to this page. Here at Common Sense Civics and Citizenship, we apply sound judgment to practical matters in everyday life, including the rule of law. I’m guessing that some of you are shaking your heads at the latest national news. Together, let’s take a look at these topics and apply some common sense.
Topic 1- Coronavirus
Panic never solves a problem. It just compounds it, leading to one error after another after another. Preparedness works. I have some things in the house that I know would help if we were to get sick… about a week’s worth. Tea, toast, bone broth-things like that. Hoarding doesn’t help. It hurts your neighbors. Besides, are you preparing to be out of commission for a year? No. So why go crazy? I also have the name of a grocery/pharmacy delivery service if I were to need one.
Let’s talk about rumors. The latest is that the news media is hyping up the fear quotient to drain all the gains that the stock market has made since January. The news media doesn’t lower the value of the market. People do, by their decisions to react and not act sensibly.
Another rumor that has caused harm is that anyone who looks Chinese might be carrying the virus. This wrong assumption is false at best and racist at worst. I went to the Shen Yun ballet a few years ago. It would be pretty tough to do their routines and keep their rigorous travel schedule while being sick or traveling with sick people. The Chinese guy that is always on the same train to work in the morning is not carrying the virus. Common sense says that an American of any race is more likely to be carrying the infamous influenza A than the Coronavirus at this time of the year.
Topic 2-Socialism
Here’s some common sense. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is called what? That’s right. Insanity. If the young socialist in your life thinks socialism is the answer to all problems (and, they do), ask them what they know about Pol Pot, Castro, Khrushchev, Che Guevera, Lenin, Marx, Stalin, etc. They will tell you flat out that socialism has failed every time it has been tried (and, it has) because these leaders didn’t get it right. Their leader (fill in the blank) will get it right this time. It’s the same line of faulty reasoning used over many years to convince young minds that there is hope in socialism. Common sense knows that a 100% failure rate is a failure. It also knows that socialism leads to Communism. Communism is the mother of starvation, bread lines, poverty, meaningless work, control over your life, and the end of freedom.
Topic 3- Abortion-ban bill
Everyone knows what abortion is. So, why did the Senate vote this week to reject two abortion bills? One was the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The other was the Born-Alive Abortion Survivor Protection Act. Common sense says that such a vote is not healthcare. It is ghoulish.
Are you letting the media form your opinions for you? A simple search on any of these topics will make you more informed than most. Common sense is applied when we have reliable information and use good sense and sound judgment to these practical matters.
That’s Common Sense Civics and Citizenship.
