Welcome To Common Sense

After much thought, and some Common Sense, I decided it good sense to set up a blog. From time to time, I've emailed friends and family with my thoughts on recent events. I got to thinking, that by emailing you I was pushing my opinions on you rather than inviting you to a discussion about recent events. So here is a forum where I can put on "paper" my thoughts and invite you, if you CHOOSE, to take part in a discussion. I ask of those that come to post thoughts on this blog to: 1) use logic and facts and when possible provide a link to the source of where that logic or fact flows from; 2) keep it clean (you know what I mean); 3) emotional posts without substance and only meant to inflame others will not be allowed. If you can follow these rules then I invite you to either poke holes in my "logic" or give your support to my postings. I promise to keep an open mind and not reject someones post out of hand just because they make an opposing point. Only by respectful debate will we ever bring our "opponent" to see our point or, I suppose, be brought to see our "opponents' point.

I have borrowed Thomas Paine's title to his pamphlet for good reasons. When I was around 17 my father, gave me a lecture after I'd done something stupid. Although, after many years, I can't recall either the stupid thing nor the lecture but I do recall the "punishment". After the lecture, as "punishment" he handed me a copy of Thomas Paine's "Common Sense". While I had heard about both the author and the pamphlet I had never read it. My father insisted that I read it as my "punishment". Being a GOOD son, I was determined NOT to read it. Knowing I'd be questioned about its contents I thought it best to maybe read the opening and maybe the ending and maybe a bit of the middle just so I could give some sort of response to any questioning. However, after reading the opening I found that Common Sense conveyed a truth that no fictional book or account of history had ever done. This pamphlet was not someones memory nor someones interpretation of a memory. It was written by someone living in the event that they were describing. Yet it was more than that. Common Sense isn't like picking up a newspaper and reading an article by a journalist. In that moment in time it brought focus to an event that was occurring by means of laying out logical, unquestionable, undeniable truth put in a pamphlet for all to read. There I was reading something written over 200 years earlier and those same truths in that paper still held true. In the here and now, we face a great turning point in history that has many similarities to that time and place that Mr. Paine came from. Many people today would very much like us to see today's events in the light of the time of the Great Depression. I see it, however, as a time in history where our society is being challenged by our government much the like the colonial society was being challenged by the British government. Mr. Paine's paper Common Sense was an attempt to speak to those that sought both to end the tyrannical rule of the British monarchy over America and at the same time remain loyal to Brittan. As Mr. Paine saw it, and attempted to describe in Common Sense, one could not remain loyal to the master and seek liberty at the same time. I believe that we have similar issues at hand whereas our society's morals are in jeopardy of being overwhelmed by our government. So with that in mind, my desire is to bring people together from all parts of the political spectrum to discuss the course of the Nation. Not so that we can spend time venting tripe but so that we might through thoughtful debate make a stronger future and give the next generations all the opportunities we were afforded. I don't mean to place my blog on the same level as Mr. Paine's Common Sense. Instead, I'll let Mr. Paine's words describe my reasoning for creating and desired goal of this blog.

"In the following sheets, the author hath studiously avoided every thing which is personal among ourselves. Compliments as well as censure to individuals make no part thereof. The wise, and the worthy, need not the triumph of a pamphlet; and those whose sentiments are injudicious, or unfriendly, will cease of themselves unless too much pains are bestowed upon their conversion. The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. Many circumstances hath, and will arise, which are not local, but universal, and through which the principles of all Lovers of Mankind are affected, and in the Event of which, their Affections are interested. The laying a Country desolate with Fire and Sword, declaring War against the natural rights of all Mankind, and extirpating the Defenders thereof from the Face of the Earth, is the Concern of every Man to whom Nature hath given the Power of feeling; of which Class, regardless of Party Censure, is the AUTHOR."

My plan is to have 1 topic per week. I hope you all come by once a week to have a view and either just read or post a comment. So with that in mind, welcome to Common Sense.