When Plain Talk Disappears: A Call for Common Sense

Common Sense Check: When Plain Talk Disappears

No doubt my Millennial children will inform me that my frustrations are little more than an old man complaining. From my perspective, the application of a tad of common sense is justified. In no particular order, here are some instances that have been on my feeble mind.

Enough With the Polite Fiction Around Firings

First, can we cut the crap when a coach gets fired? I am tired of reading that “we appreciate the many contributions Coach Jones has made to Blowhard University. We wish Coach Jones and his wife, Gertrude, nothing but the best as they move ahead with their lives. However, we felt a change in leadership was needed at this time.” I would prefer “Coach Jones had a 2-110 record. What the hell did anyone think was his future? Maybe somebody else will give the guy a chance, but he has run out of rope here.” The hollow, sappy stuff makes me want to puke.

Corporate Speak Nobody Believes

The same applies to someone removed from any job when they step into it. Today, it is a lot of “Bob has failed to live up to the standards ACME industries demands of our employees. His behavior/remarks do not reflect our values. As a result, he is no longer a member of the ACME family.” I bet most folks would like to see something more along the lines of “WTF? You have to be brain-dead to do/say what that dope did. We fired his ass the moment we learned of his stupidity.”

The Myth of “For Your Convenience”

Can we put an end to the “for your convenience” nonsense when all it means is a company would rather have you do the work than pay a human to help you? It takes close to an act of God to get a live body on the phone when there is a problem. Instead of 239 prompts—all including the admonition that “it might be easier and quicker if ….” Of course, this is code for could you please fix this by yourself?

Where Did the Humans Go?

What about a new Federal law that requires that access to a breathing person be included in the first set of prompts? Does anyone seriously believe that self-checkout is for their convenience? Is there the slightest chance that the business in question decided it would be cheaper and easier for them to put in a system with a one-time cost than it would be to pay humans? Once again (and always), follow the money.

What Compromise Used to Mean

When did the definition of compromise become you agreeing to 100 percent of what it is that I want? More importantly, when did that approach become the starting point of discussing a subject? My friend and client for many years, former Speaker John Boehner, preferred a different approach that might be considered more often. Rather than asking what it is that the other person would be willing to give up at the outset, John took a different approach. His belief was that we should start with what it is that we could agree upon. Then, we could address where there were differences. Raise your hand if you desire seeing more of this and less of every topic under the sun being a moral issue where “people of principle need to stand up and fight.”

Principle or Political Theater?

When it comes to this, standing up and fighting for principle versus acknowledging there are more important things than your (or my) political views, this appears to be mostly about one’s political beliefs than applying a consistent standard. It simply should not be right for me to stand up for what I believe and wrong for you to do the same thing. See White House visits.

The Photo ID Debate and Everyday Reality

What day did we decide political posturing could replace common sense? Let’s address the topic of requiring a photo ID to vote. You already need one to open a bank account, pass through security to get on a plane, rent a car, purchase alcohol or tobacco products, check in with a doctor, get a prescription filled, pick up packages at the Post Office, check into a hotel, and many more things. In other words, having a photo ID is part of everyday American life for all of us, including females and minorities.

How do the voters feel about such a requirement? A 2025 Pew Research poll showed 83 percent favoring the requirement, including 71 percent of Democrats. Recently, the White House cited a survey putting the overall number at 71 percent. What is to account for the decline in numbers? Democratic support has declined to 50 percent. Their leaders have invented out of whole cloth the idea that somehow this is unreasonable and unfair to women and minorities.

Since nothing has changed as to requiring a photo ID in our everyday lives, do we think there might be a tiny possibility these Democratic leaders might have another, less than totally honorable, agenda?

Common Sense Isn’t Complicated

Common Sense: The application of a little common sense would be a welcome change from a whole lot of what we are being asked to accept as normal and the truth.