I'm a fan of talk radio. Unfortunately, here in the Boro we don't really have that much variety.
But one of the talk show hosts that I do like is Colin Cowherd, a host that appears on 850 AM around noontime.
Though he is a sports guy, I find his critical thinking skills to be some of the best I've heard in a while.
One of his pet phrases is "Reasonable people can agree." He usually busts this phrase on some over-the-top. die-hard fan who calls in to talk about how great his 1 - 4 football team really is. That is, someone who is so emotionally smitten with his team, he refuses to see the reality staring him in the face.
I see this trend in other areas, as well. I see it in politicians and especially see it in people who take up the banner for emotionally charged causes. It always amazes me how people can get so caught up.
So, I've decided to make a list of items - some serious, some not so much - that most reasonable people should be able to agree upon.
Here we go.
Reasonable people can agree that a life worth living inherently has some element of risk. No matter how much insurance you carry and how careful you are, a meteor could still fall out of the sky and crush you.
Reasonable people can agree that if you spend your entire life looking up for that meteor to make sure it doesn't hit you in the head (which it never will), your life will be filled with worry. And you'll have serious neck problems to boot.
Reasonable people can agree that eating too much fast food is bad for you. But reasonable people can also agree that you can't tell someone what they can or cannot put into their own mouth.
Reasonable people can agree that discouraging parking in the middle of the front yard is not really that big of a burden on anyone, especially when you can park on the side of the house, in the backyard or along the street.
Reasonable people can agree that while torturing animals for fun is a sure sign of mental illness, killing animals for food is part of natural law. Lions do it. Bears do it. People do it.
Reasonable people can agree that, from a personal economic standpoint, if you spend more than you make, over time you will put yourself into serious financial trouble. Why is it we are not able to translate that idea to the national debt?
Reasonable people can agree that that if young people are in any way counting on Social Security to help them during retirement, that they're just plain 'ole dumb.
Reasonable people can agree that if the Canadian dollar was worth 65 cents five years ago and it's now worth one dollar, we are poorer as a nation than we were five years ago.
Reasonable people can agree that just because you don't care for war - a.k.a. shooting people - it doesn't mean you don't love America.
Reasonable people can agree that George Washington would never have agreed with a "preemptive" strike policy nor would have believed in getting the nation entangled in the internal affairs of another.
Reasonable people can agree that there is no country on the planet that poses an "imminent threat" to our national security, especially one over 8000 miles away.
Reasonable people can agree that if Google Earth can spot a pair of thong underwear from space then our defense agency should be able to spot a large, invading force floating across the ocean.
Reasonable people can agree that if Iran has one nuclear bomb and Israel has 200, then, in a fight, Israel would probably win.
Reasonable people can agree that most illegal immigrants do jobs that no Americans want to do.
Reasonable people can agree that most politicians are usually lying through their teeth.
Reasonable people can agree that the service level of most federal government agencies really blows.
Reasonable people can agree that Muslims who wear blue jeans or Armani suits are not hell bent on the destruction of the Western way of life.
Reasonable people can agree that Christians, Jews and Muslims all have a commonality of religion in the Old Testament.
Reasonable people can agree that most Muslims are just trying to live a simple life and are just trying to take care of their families.
Reasonable people can agree that if you can't use Gandhi, Mother Teresa or Martin Luther King to support violent acts, then you certainly can't use Jesus either.
Reasonable people can agree that no one hates freedom and that absolutely no one wants to live under tyranny.
Please be reasonable, because reasonable people can agree.
But one of the talk show hosts that I do like is Colin Cowherd, a host that appears on 850 AM around noontime.
Though he is a sports guy, I find his critical thinking skills to be some of the best I've heard in a while.
One of his pet phrases is "Reasonable people can agree." He usually busts this phrase on some over-the-top. die-hard fan who calls in to talk about how great his 1 - 4 football team really is. That is, someone who is so emotionally smitten with his team, he refuses to see the reality staring him in the face.
I see this trend in other areas, as well. I see it in politicians and especially see it in people who take up the banner for emotionally charged causes. It always amazes me how people can get so caught up.
So, I've decided to make a list of items - some serious, some not so much - that most reasonable people should be able to agree upon.
Here we go.
Reasonable people can agree that a life worth living inherently has some element of risk. No matter how much insurance you carry and how careful you are, a meteor could still fall out of the sky and crush you.
Reasonable people can agree that if you spend your entire life looking up for that meteor to make sure it doesn't hit you in the head (which it never will), your life will be filled with worry. And you'll have serious neck problems to boot.
Reasonable people can agree that eating too much fast food is bad for you. But reasonable people can also agree that you can't tell someone what they can or cannot put into their own mouth.
Reasonable people can agree that discouraging parking in the middle of the front yard is not really that big of a burden on anyone, especially when you can park on the side of the house, in the backyard or along the street.
Reasonable people can agree that while torturing animals for fun is a sure sign of mental illness, killing animals for food is part of natural law. Lions do it. Bears do it. People do it.
Reasonable people can agree that, from a personal economic standpoint, if you spend more than you make, over time you will put yourself into serious financial trouble. Why is it we are not able to translate that idea to the national debt?
Reasonable people can agree that that if young people are in any way counting on Social Security to help them during retirement, that they're just plain 'ole dumb.
Reasonable people can agree that if the Canadian dollar was worth 65 cents five years ago and it's now worth one dollar, we are poorer as a nation than we were five years ago.
Reasonable people can agree that just because you don't care for war - a.k.a. shooting people - it doesn't mean you don't love America.
Reasonable people can agree that George Washington would never have agreed with a "preemptive" strike policy nor would have believed in getting the nation entangled in the internal affairs of another.
Reasonable people can agree that there is no country on the planet that poses an "imminent threat" to our national security, especially one over 8000 miles away.
Reasonable people can agree that if Google Earth can spot a pair of thong underwear from space then our defense agency should be able to spot a large, invading force floating across the ocean.
Reasonable people can agree that if Iran has one nuclear bomb and Israel has 200, then, in a fight, Israel would probably win.
Reasonable people can agree that most illegal immigrants do jobs that no Americans want to do.
Reasonable people can agree that most politicians are usually lying through their teeth.
Reasonable people can agree that the service level of most federal government agencies really blows.
Reasonable people can agree that Muslims who wear blue jeans or Armani suits are not hell bent on the destruction of the Western way of life.
Reasonable people can agree that Christians, Jews and Muslims all have a commonality of religion in the Old Testament.
Reasonable people can agree that most Muslims are just trying to live a simple life and are just trying to take care of their families.
Reasonable people can agree that if you can't use Gandhi, Mother Teresa or Martin Luther King to support violent acts, then you certainly can't use Jesus either.
Reasonable people can agree that no one hates freedom and that absolutely no one wants to live under tyranny.
Please be reasonable, because reasonable people can agree.