Yes, he’s the President. That doesn’t mean you have to blindly obey him, or, worse, adopt his methods.
I am referring to a tempest in a teapot that has been brewing in the Dear Abby column of late. It started when a worried mother rightfully asked for advice from Abby about her “multi-tasking” teenage dauaghter and her newly acquired driver’s license.
First, some clarification: (1) I believe that if you are writing to Abby about how to handle your life, you have bigger issues than whatever you are writing to her about (Dear Abby: I can’t decide if asking a total stranger a common sense question will damage my reputation. What do you think?) (2) “Multi-tasking” is another way of saying “doing many things in a half-crap way” which is a wordy way of saying there is no such thing as multi-tasking. You can only do one thing at a time. You may have several things going on at the same time, but your attention and your actions are only concentrated on one thing at a time. (3) I read Dear Abby because it’s in the same section as the comics, and that’s what I read while sitting – well, let’s just say even THAT isn’t a true “multi-tasking” environment.
Anyway – the mother of the teenager figured there was nothing she could do about her daughter texting and talking on her cell phone while she was driving, and the grandmother was very harsh in her criticism of the mother’s parenting skills. Several readers wrote in, with the usual pablum about “If someone calls me while I”m driving, they know to leave a message…” and “Texting and driving is a danger to all on the road!” to which I say “DUH!!” And, to the mother, I say, take AWAY her cell phone, or her license, and tell her she can have it back when she grows up and realizes what the dangers are.
Obama rears his ugly head in the last letter published in the column today. A woman who works for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wrote in to report that Obama has asked that all government employees pledge to not drive while using tech devices. She then went on to say that the grandmother should report her daughter (the mother) to the authorities for child endangerment.
Now, I believe that if you are using your phone (talking or texting) while you are driving then you are a complete moron. Yes, I have answered the phone while driving – in order to tell TMBWitW that I would call her right back – but I do not initiate calls while driving. Having a three year old in the car is distraction enough, thank you.
The point I am leading to is the lady who works for the Obama administration is adopting his tactics of reporting your loved ones to the authorities. Hello? Anyone else think this is just a touch controlling? How about shades of Big Brother? First, we have the snitch line, now we are thinking we should report everyone around us to the authorities? Whatever happened to raising your own children IN THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE RAISED without government interference? Personal responsibility, anyone? Holding people accountable for their actions? Having control over your children is not only necessary, but imperative for their safety, and if at the age of sixteen your child isn’t aware of the dangers around her, then the child shouldn’t have a cell phone, much less an automobile, to further distract her from the world. It also sdoesn’t say much for you to be letting her continue to operate in a state of obliviousness.
I sure miss the days when people could straighten their own families out because everyone involved knew the difference between RIGHT and WRONG.
Chat ya later…
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