Life in America has changed greatly over the last 200-plus years since the founding of this great country. Certainly many changes have occurred that have made our lives easier for the most part. Technology, communications, healthcare, jobs and all the things that we take for granted have provided us with the highest standard of living the world has ever known. But along the way something else has happened. We have been slowly but surely brainwashed into a pattern of thinking that we no longer live in the greatest country on earth, but rather we simply exist in a state of moving from crisis to crisis. I call this the crisis mentality of modern American life. I also believe the only real crisis out there is the crisis of common sense, or more correctly, the lack thereof.

Living the crisis

Most of us don’t expect that when we start our day it will be impossible to get through it without some crisis crossing our path. We have crises in almost every area of modern life: water crisis, energy crisis, transportation crisis, global warming crisis, immigration crisis, education crisis, subprime lending crisis -- you name it, and there is a crisis in or of it. Most of us would not even venture out of the house each day if we knew all of the crises we would encounter. As a matter of fact, it would be safest to just stay in bed and pull the covers over our heads, so as to not accidentally stumble into, or, heaven forbid, contribute to some yet-to-be-named crisis, possibly of our own making.

It’s not my crisis, is it?

Most of these crises are not of our own making, but we are told that somehow we are distantly at best, and/or directly at worst, related and culpable because we are Americans. We are told our very existence has created these crisis situations, and our wastefulness, extravagance and basic uncaring for the earth, the poor, fuel economy standards, or some endangered plant or animal that doesn’t even know it is endangered or even exists are to blame. Never mind facts that point to a totally different reality. We have been spun by the media to believe that we’ve created this crisis and it is our duty to live it and to accept it. No smiling either. We need to feel bad about what we’ve done and who we are. These crises would have never happened had we not only not created them, or been here to create them, or even been born in the first place.

The “what” turtle?

So, we live in these crises of common sense, but what does that mean? What does it look like? A perfect example is the story of the Bog Turtle, or the crisis of the potential Bog Turtle “habitat” in Union County. You see, the Bog Turtle is an endangered species. Therefore, under the Endangered Species Act, it is unlawful to destroy its habitat, even if you’re the State, even if it’s for public safety. The bridge on old route 76 in Blairsville was to be replaced per the DOT in 1993 at a cost of one million dollars. When I met in June with Commissioner Lamar Paris, Mayor Jim Conley and district DOT engineer Russell McMurray, the question was asked, “Why was the bridge now scheduled for replacement in 2009 at a cost of 2.5 million dollars?” The answer was the “potential” Bog Turtle habitat. Because this turtle has more rights than you or I, an environmental survey must be done. Even though no Bog Turtle has ever been seen in the area, since the ground next to this two-lane road looked like a Bog Turtle might like to live there (or stay a few nights during leaf season if he was passing through), the law has caused the price of this bridge to increase by over 150 percent and the replacement time to stretch almost to the next decade! Is this a crisis in transportation or transportation funding? Not hardly. Rather, if every project is operated like that, it’s no wonder we’re not getting dollars into concrete and pavement, but spending them on useless study, bureaucracy and delay. This is a crisis of common sense!

Words mean things

The American Heritage Dictionary defines a crisis as, “a crucial or decisive point or situation; an emotionally stressful event; a point in which a conflict reaches its highest tension and must be resolved.” Conversely, the same authors define common sense as, “sound judgment not based on specialized knowledge; native good judgment.” By these definitions, we can deduce several things. First, it would seem that nearly every ingredient of a crisis is negative – emotion, fear, conflict and tension. Second, the only ingredients in common sense are positive and proactive – sound, good, native judgment. Finally, it seems that by definition, it would be impossible to ever have a crisis if we simply employed common sense. We have a saying at work that’s common to many offices, “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute a crisis on my part.” You cannot have a crisis in anything if you are proactive, not reactive, and employ sound (free from defect) judgment prior to a situation getting to a conflict or tipping point. This should be standard operating procedure for government at all levels, but sadly it seems that quality is what’s missing the most. The “specialized knowledge” crowd (typically bureaucrats, academics or special interest lobbyists) has so convinced everyone that they know best in every instance that common sense thinkers are unable to join the discussion on important issues, or question the extent to which they will go in pursuit of their special interest or agenda – even if that means right off a cliff (see Florida mussels and Lake Lanier water releases).

The sheep or the shepherd?

In this world of instantaneous, 24 hours a day, seven days a week media, one can easily become overwhelmed and confused with the often conflicting news of the situations we find ourselves in. We have two choices: we can be sheep or we can be the shepherd. We can decide life is truly a crisis in every area and we can only wait for the inevitable catastrophic end to come (sheep). Or, we can be a shepherd and show good judgment, stewardship, be practical, proactive and live with the comfort that things are never quite as good or bad as they seem. Rather, things are what we make them. Fear, ignorance and procrastination did not make this the great country it is today. Rather, common sense, proactive response and positive directions are what make our country great. The crisis of common sense cannot be our future, and it cannot continue. It is up to each of us to do our part to resolve these issues that we face in a practical, sensible, cost-effective way. In doing so, we all can be the shepherd, not the sheep, and certainly not the turtle. That is our call, our rolls, and our duty as Americans.

In the upcoming months, I plan to revisit this subject and highlight examples of Crises of Common Sense in Georgia and throughout the country. For now, I look forward to my constituents input and comments. You can all start smiling now!

Please feel free to contact Sen. Chip Pearson at his office in Atlanta at 404.656.9221 or by email at chip@team51.org.