Column 84 for May 27, 2001

"Writers block" comes in many forms and is responded to in many ways. What I’ve felt were my best columns were those where I was really emotionally involved in my comments. Without emotional involvement, you usually end up with either a narrative, or a collection of quotations.

I feel I’m risking both tonight. There are many issues I feel passionately about, many of which I’ve already covered here before. There are others that I haven’t talked about that involve issues either too close to home (my job at risk), or obviously so unpopular locally that I’d be thought a fool. Maybe it’s in the timing…

Whatever, I’d like to talk first a bit about the new bills in Congress about the use of cell-phones in our vehicles. Of course, all the legislators in Washington that happen to be for limiting our use of these phones freely admit that they are guilty of doing this too. Now they have proposed making it a federal crime. Will they change their habits? Or maybe they’re feeling a little bit above the law???

I have seen statistics showing/blaming several thousand traffic accidents a year supposedly caused by the use of cell-phones. I’m puzzled over the fact that for years, drivers have conversed with other passengers, but only now have wrecks blamed on conversation when using their phone. At the risk of sounding sexist, I have to admit that I’ve seen many, many women, driving minivans, cruising down the Carrollton bypass at a high rate of speed, using their cell-phones, that I have considered an additional risk on the highway. Strange… In the past six years I’ve seen many young folks vehicles and other "sporty" cars stopped along the bypass and Hayes Mill Road, but I have yet to see a minivan pulled over. Could it be they become invisible at speed? Or maybe Dodge builds in a degree of stealth into their aerodynamic design?

Inquiring minds want to know. I’m reminded of the fact that Hayes Mill, a road I still consider rural, has a maximum speed limit of 35 miles per hour. Contrast this with Maple Street past the college, much of which still has a posted limit of 45… Does the fact that Hayes Mill has many "hidden" spots for radar units, while Maple Street has none have anything to do with it? Again, inquiring minds want to know.

Part of what I promised was to jump around a little. A plethora of thought, a virtual cornucopia of ideas… George Carlin, the white equivalent of Eddy Murphy, (at least when it come to the use of profanity) has some interesting current social comments. These were sent to me by a distinguished professor of English at our local college, and I think worth repeating. The comments however are Mr. Carlin’s, but I think they should provoke some interesting thoughts…

"I believe the money I make belongs to me and my family, not some midlevel governmental functionary with a bad comb-over who wants to give it away to crack addicts squirting out babies." And …"I think that being a student doesn't give you any more enlightenment than working at Blockbuster. In fact, if your parents are footing the bill to put your pansy a** through 4-7 years of college, you haven't begun to be enlightened. " And one more for the managers of our local Wal-Mart shopping center property: "I hate those b*st*rds standing in the intersections trying to sell me crap or trying to guilt me into making 'donations' to their cause. These people should be targets." And finally, "I don't think being a minority makes you noble or victimized. I believe that if you are selling me a Big Mac, you'd better do it in English."

I’ll finish with my own thought: I’m getting really, really tired of listening (feeling) someone else’s music while stopped at a traffic light here in Carrollton. Listen to whatever you want, but pleeese don’t subject me to it! I like quiet. Peace. tomiswho@mindspring.com