Your Grrrs: April 18, 2006

Your Grrrs. Don't forget to play Spot the Oblivion below...

James in Cyberspace on my last column when I said the truth will come out in the Duke case: Mike, still waiting on the truth to come out on who was the guy on the grassy knoll on Nov. 22, 1963...

Mark in cyberspace: Mike, I have just read your piece on the Duke team scandal. I am in complete agreement with you as I have known MANY athletes and others that expect everything be given to them. I am currently a teacher in the public school system; threatened often, watch children be defended by parents who are both ignorant and blind, refusing to see their children do wrong and need guidance. I was once a pro musician and traveled the world entertaining, and there are plenty of that ilk who expect the same. It's our society and quite frankly the lack of discipline. It is also the prevailing opinion that if you just hang around or complain loudly enough, you'll get what you want without that age-old ethic of work for what you get. As a former dean told me, "a microwave society". That's what the real deal is!!!

Drew responds: I love the column and 99 percent of the time, I agree with what you have to say. But I had to take exception to your column on the whole Duke rape case. You think you might be generalizing an entire group of people into a single category? Jeez! Just because these kids are smart (they go to Duke) and they are star athletes, that makes them fall into a class of people who feel a sense of self-entitlement? Huh? You can't be serious. Instead of the mere few lines you spew out regarding the ever-growing possibility that this young lady is lying, how about talking about the folks that go after the more well-off folks in society for a quick pay day? I am certain that is what this young lady was looking to do. Let's pit the poor single African-American mother against the big bad well-off white kids. She knew the frenzy it would create. Shame on her. The only reason the D.A. is holding the case open and not dismissing is because he cannot have egg on his face for trying his case in the media a mere three weeks before he is up for re-election. If this young lady was as brutally attacked in that bathroom as she said she was, then there would have been DNA all over the place. Shame on you for buying into all this entitled rich white kids crap, you know better. College [kids] party, drink and do crazy stuff regardless of race, creed and upbringing.

Jack Y. in Saddlebrook, Ariz.: While college SPORTS continues to far overshadow college EDUCATION and college coaches command 10 times the salary of college educators and sport luminaries receive obscene amounts of money for hitting, throwing or bouncing a ball, things will only continue to deteriorate. What's so surprising?

KC of Oceanside: Grrr to all those who claim "you MUST see United 93!" I don't have to see any movie just because it'll "help remind us what we should never forget." For some Americans, the hurt is still too near. Those of us who truly lived horror on that day do not need to see some movie to remind us why it hurts

Phil F. in Twentynine Palms, Calif.: You forgot the fast foodidiot. Overwhelmingly female, the fast foodidiot will stand third or fourth in line for several minutes at a McDonald’s, Burger King or whatever. Only when s/he reaches the cashier and is asked for her order does s/he actually look at the menu board to make a selection. Finally, after spending several minutes to order a hamburger and a Coke, s/he will wait until the clerk tells her the price of the order before opening her purse/zipper pocket/wallet/change purse/folded bills to select a bill to pay with. Then there will be more of a wait while she finds 12 cents in the bottom of the purse.

Buddy S. on suicide bombers: In regard to Iran's supposed 40,000 trained suicide bombers, could someone please explain how you train someone to blow themselves up? Does this take practice? Does Iran have experienced veterans leading the unit? I bet the life insurance policies are pretty cheap if you're in this unit. It sounds like Iran has finally put together a crack unit. Too bad the members won't be around to receive all the medals they'll probably earn.

Gary in Fla.: I believe that parking lots are some of the most dangerous places in the world. What ticks me off the most are people who drive through parking lots like they’re on the freeway. And when you cross in the crosswalk, they look at you like you’re an idiot for making them YIELD FOR PEDESTRIANS. People need to take a deep breath and SLOW DOWN in the parking lots!!

Casey B. in Okinawa: Today (Saturday here in Okinawa, Japan) my husband and I took our 2-year old daughter to an Easter egg hunt. There was a $5 admission fee and the place was packed. Our group was for 1-3 year-old children and I could tell from the beginning that there would not be enough eggs to go around for all the toddlers. The masses gathered on the sidelines and awaited the word to start. When they gave the signal to start, it was crazy. Adults were gathering eggs for their children and practically knocking other children out of the way to get the eggs. My husband and I said that we would not be one of those pushy parents — we would let our daughter enjoy herself. I would be happy if she came away with only one egg. My daughter did not even get ONE egg! I saw some children that had baskets with six eggs or more. Grrr! to the selfish parents and also the people in charge. That won’t sour my holiday though. Happy Easter everyone!

Steven M. in Plain City, Ohio: How about a new set of tax laws?

1) The first law is that a computer engineer can understand and fill out his taxes in four hours between 2010 and 2015.
2) The second law is that the tax code must be streamlined to the point that a senator can explain the tax code without error in two hours. This should start in 2016.

3) After 2016, no changes may be made without proof that the new law does what the writer thinks it will do and it has no harmful side effects.

Please remember that a good income tax code will allow 90 percent of the people to fill out one side of a standard sheet of paper in 25 minutes without error or confusion. If this does not cause apoplexy in Congress, I will try harder the next time.

Harry G. writes about my last column: If you're dying to tell how everyone how bitter you are that you got beat up by "jocks" in high school, go to a support group. Don't abuse the powerful media and the unfortunate influence FOX News has over small-minded sponges who do not question where their "news" is coming from. Privileged athletes just happen to be the alpha males in our society. If you don't like it, move to another country.

Privileged athletes do graduate from good schools. We do get most of the things we want out of life. We do demand the best, including the highest salaries. We do those things because we come from good stock. We do not apologize for that. And when we read articles written by guys like you, the very person we would trip in high school hallways for fun ... the very person whose girlfriend or sister we would sleep with just for laughs ... the very person who we pitied because they are so pathetic, we laugh. Because we still do all of those things to you. And you know it. And that is why you are so bitter.

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