Common Sense Gone with the Wind
This past week has given Americans a plethora of topics to discuss, and social media is exploding with comments that range from frightening to ludicrous. The common thread among them is that those making the comments apparently have no common sense whatsoever.
Growing up, my grandmother would often use the phrase “they don’t have the sense God gave a goose” when referring to someone who would make ridiculous statements publicly. If she could see the things that have been said this past week, she would be saying that about a large swath of America.
After what was to have been two weeks of lockdown turned into two months, the stay-at-home and wear-a-mask brigade were still going strong. After pushback from many who were looking at numbers and saying enough, we were continually lectured by media and others of the “second wave” even though the CDC was countering with updated information saying otherwise.
The entire narrative turned upside down when a Minneapolis police officer wrongly killed someone. Protests turned into riots across the U.S. without concerns about masks or social distancing. Leftist leaders were joining the protesters without regard to the protocols they were encouraging.
After the burning and looting settled down, a group in Seattle took over six blocks of the city, claiming they were now their own country by putting up barricades and posting a sign saying by crossing you were leaving the United States. Ironically, these were likely the same people who have loudly voiced opposition to the building of walls and borders around our country. Oddly as well, the group, which has “banned” police, had people with rifles patrolling the “border” and were requesting guns as well as other items. Again, many of them were likely the same people who also voiced strong opposition to a law-abiding American citizen from having and keeping firearms of their own. Instead of expressing concern, the mayor simply called it a “block party” much like San Francisco’s “Summer of Love” in 1967.
While the “warlord” of this “new” nation within the boundaries of the U.S. was requesting guns, they could request one extra hunting rifle formerly belonging to one Elmer J. Fudd, the Looney Tunes character who was always hunting and tracking the “wascally wabbit” Buggs Bunny. Warner Brothers, who owns the Looney Tunes brand, stated this past week that Elmer will no longer have his gun. Not sure how Elmer can go rabbit hunting without a trusty rifle. To me it seems looney.
Next up, the movie Gone with the Wind, the Oscar-winning classic, was removed from the lineup of HBO Max. Even leftist and liberal historians and Hollywood elites thought this one went too far, so after some sort of addition to explain the historical context it may breeze back in the lineup.
Next came calls to defund the police, which is totally asinine. Yes, there are police officers that are overzealous jerks, but overall, I respect them, especially the ones here in our community. This foolish movement even extends to the cartoon character Chase on the kids show Paw Patrol with calls to remove him from the show. Uh, no.
To end the week President Trump announced his first post-pandemic rally in Tulsa. Immediately the calls about Covid and spiking came around, bringing us back full circle to start the new week.
What I have learned this week is that common sense has certainly gone with the wind. In fact, I think a goose is showing to have more sense than what has been expressed across the nation. I think my grandma would agree.
Randy Gibson is the CEO of RDG Communications Group, LLC, and the former director of the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce and the Texas State Rifle Association.
