Tuesday's Internet Edition, 10:26 AM, September 7, 2010.
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“Honestly now tell me, how many of you have ever had a cold that lasted only four hours? I’m listening, but not hearing you! Really? No one has ever had a cold that lasted only four hours? Then why do you use four-hour cold tablets? Why not use XXXXXXX, the 12 hour cold tablet.”
Sounds good on the surface! But, honestly, now tell me, how many of you have ever had a cold that lasted only 12 hours? I’m not hearing many answer. In fact most colds will last several days. Now, just plain logic, if your cold is going to last more than 4 hours you should not take a pill that lasts only four hours, then logic says that if your cold is going to last more than 12 hours you should not take a pill that lasts only 12 hours. One of the general rules of debate says that, “That which proves too much, proves nothing.” These advertising characters know that their 4-hour versus 12-hour pitch does not hold water, but they seem to think that you are too stupid to catch it.
Several years ago the Old Man was serving on a board of equalization to make sure that tax valuation was fair to everyone. One property owner came up from Dallas to show that his taxes were too high on a few hundred acres. A local widow with just a few acres that were closed in and could not be accessed had the same, relatively low evaluation per acre as he, and the board felt like that was fair. This man wanted much more. “Just drop the value to $25 per acre and I’ll pay that with no complaint,” was his comment.
As this land investor left, one of the board members, an elderly man with little education but good common sense said, “That man thinks we are pretty stupid. He thinks we don’t know anything. Well, we’ve got television up here and we know what is going on. I don’t think we should lower his value any.” We didn’t.
One more example. Old man got an advertisement for a new “News” magazine. The publisher, we’ll call her Carolyn because that is her name, wrote a letter about the magazine and its benefits.
She began to show her intelligence by stating that, “...I understand the Doppler effect.... I’ve heard the sound of one hand clapping...Kant’s categorical imperative does not daunt me... I can prove Einstein’s Theory of Relativity...” and more about her intelligence. She got your attention, and presumably is giving you credit for the intelligence to understand some of these ideas.
Now the Hook, “But I don’t understand why most people choose to get their news from one bland source.” OK, so now I know I need several sources to get a clear impression of the news, right? Not so. She explains that her magazine looks worldwide at over 1,000 periodicals so that we can get the news, “distilled down to 1 brilliant magazine.” How does your intelligence stack up to hers now? Don’t get your news from one source, get it from one source – ours!
Carolyn, let’s hear that again. Prove to me Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, and why your one source is better than my one source. Sorry lady, but you have proved too much to me, so you’ve proved nothing. Oh, by the way, I read you material closely and those four free issues you are giving me are only free if I do not subscribe to your publication. If I choose to subscribe, you are charging me for those “four free issues” right along with the rest of that 25.
Well, folks, the advertising agencies are filled with people who either think we are sure dumb, or they themselves are dumb enough to realize that we get television out here, too! See you next week and here’s my quote for today.
“Religion should be our steering wheel, not our spare tire.”
FREEDOM OF RELIGION
By C. Cat, Jr.
“Amendment I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;” and that is all there is. There is no more mention of Religion in our Constitution. No mention of a “Separation of Church And State.”
Yet our high courts have enacted many “legal” interpretations that have become “Law,” and mess with our rights to “the free exercise thereof” of our religion. It is happening more and more. We are told we cannot pray in schools, we cannot post the “Ten Commandments” in our schools or public buildings, our Pledge of Allegiance is threatened because of the phrase “Under God,” and some are suggesting that our money will soon be considered illegal because of the phrase, “In God We Trust.” We worry that our country is rapidly declining into an atheistic society and God being left out.
Not So. Yes there are threats and dangers to our religious freedom and to our country, but we are still a land of freedom and still governed by God-fearing leaders.
It was a thrill for the Old Man and his Lady to visit on Sunday night for the services of the Sherman First Baptist Church. They had a special service to honor American Heroes: firemen, lawmen, military, and others who help protect our citizens from harm of all types. This was done through the singing patriotic songs intermixed with praise songs to God.
As we looked through the choir of some 65-70 members, we spotted our County Commissioner singing with them. We also saw several business people we have had the privilege of dealing with over the years. There was a lady who is in charge of a large multi-government agency in our area singing with them. There were teachers in the choir, who spend much of the week educating our children.
At one point, the minister invited those who wished to pray to come up to the altar and do so. While many choose to remain in their seats and pray there, we did see our County Sheriff, along with several of his officers in uniform, join the group kneeling in prayer for our country. They were joined by the chairman of the Grayson County Republican Party, our state Representative, Larry Phillips, and many others we were not familiar with.
This took place at one location in our county. There were possibly as many as 100 more places in the county where people were gathered together in prayer and asking for God’s blessings and guidance on our great country. There were also multitudes that were in the privacy of their homes speaking with our Creator for our nation and our leaders.
Yes, there are those who would love to eliminate God from everything in our country. We recently heard of a man who states that he is offended by the very mention of God, and is demanding that it be stopped. Sorry about that, Sir! You live in a free country where you are free to have your opinion, but that same freedom gives the Christians of our country a right to express their opinions too. The freedoms you enjoy carry a responsibility to respect the freedoms of the others in this country. If you truly are offended by the mention of “God” then perhaps you should choose another country to call home.
While our country often gives in to those who speak the loudest, and we have made some mistakes and given up some of our freedoms to those loud voices, we still are governed by men and women who love God and trust in His guidance. For over 225 years we have had leaders who established our country on principles of the Bible and guided our country on those same principles. Each of us must continue to stand up for those principles. Someone has said that all it takes for evil to win is for good men to do nothing. Don’t be that one who does nothing.
While this cat has often pointed to the quirks of people, and noted that they will many times do the most illogical things, I still have hope that in our country we will continue to elect good men to govern. We pray to God that those men will govern and do the right thing, and not run from their elected duties.
