Summary

Don Martin announces the creation of the Department of Common Sense to address the perceived decline in common sense across generations, starting with the Woodstock Generation.

Abstract

Don Martin reflects on the cultural shift that began with the British Invasion and the Summer of Love, leading to a generation that, in its pursuit of new ideals, inadvertently neglected to pass down common sense. This oversight resulted in subsequent generations adopting overprotective parenting styles, contributing to a society with diminished practical wisdom. To counteract this trend, Martin establishes the Department of Common Sense, aiming to serve as a realistic guide and a beacon of common sense for future generations, without criticizing existing viewpoints.

Opinions

The Woodstock Generation, including Don Martin, acknowledges a collective failure in transmitting common sense to their children.
The author criticizes the overprotective parenting style that has emerged in recent generations, suggesting it has led to a dependency on being bribed to engage in outdoor play.
Don Martin positions himself as a prolific observer and reporter of truth and common sense, ready to oversee the Department of Common Sense.
The Department of Common Sense is presented as a non-critical, realistic aid to civilization, intending to tackle societal anomalies through special reports.
There is an underlying tone of personal responsibility and a desire to correct the course of society regarding the perceived lack of common sense.

The Department of Common Sense

I am finally announcing its creation

It was the Summer of Love.

Or as the British put it in their typical understated manner, the Summer of Intense Admiration.

The problem

The Beatles gave us a new exaggerated stereo sound with two guys singing out of the left speaker and the other two in the right one.

The rest of the wonderful British Invasion was anything but understated.

Oh, and I also discovered life during that period. My head blew up.

After the brits were Springfield, Byrds, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Joplin. WOW. I got involved in campus and local radio. We all built a recording studio.

Woodstock happened.

“Turn on, tune in, drop out,” Leary told us. If it feels good, do it.

We had our heroes. We had our causes. We wore army field jackets, long hair, and wire-rim glasses.

The result

We in the Woodstock generation were anything but parents. We didn't listen to our own parents (they were war kids, but that's another story) so we didn't pick up on much common sense. And we sure didn't have time to be great parents to our own kids as they came along.

Common sense is not taught in school or available by book or correspondence course. It is usually passed from generation to generation. Suddenly, a generation was skipped, leaving the following generation totally unprepared to pass it on to their children.

To compensate, our and the subsequent generations have frequently taken to over-protectionism, being helicopter parents, the parents who park their car at the school bus stop even on bright sunny days to give the kids a comfortable and safe place to sit and wait for their bus.

The result is a crop of kids who have had so much done for them, they need to be bribed to go outside and play.

So I finally admit I am a part of that slippery slope called the Woodstock Generation who collectively have failed our children, (though not me and mine personally, of course, but as a generation) causing them to collectively fail their own children until there is very little common sense left in the people at all. My bad!

The solution

I feel therefore compelled to admit my guilt and even go so far as to establish the department of common sense. Some may call it the bureau, or even the ministry of common sense, but however you term it today, I announce its inception.

My motto has said it for years,

“Don Martin is a keen observer and prolific reporter of truth, common sense, humor, and life during the 21st century, author of More Than 3000 Essays & 19 books.”

So I will volunteer to oversee this endeavor, not in any way to be critical of any person or any existing viewpoint, but rather simply as a beacon of realism to aid civilization in the future.

We will be tackling different anomalies in the future with special reports. We hope to be up and quietly running in the tray of your perception from henceforth, just to help keep you safe.

For now, thank you for your time. (my profile — Twitter)

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