pick your battles

Having children means picking your battles carefully. Since a lot of adults lack the maturity one expects of adults, I think the same rule applies to adults. That does not mean people can violate your rights because if we stop fighting for those we're on the slippery slope of a totalitarian state-- we may in fact already be there, for who is protesting the violations of the US Army? Molly Ivins wrote a column the other day about the White House blaming Newsweek for publishing the story about the Koran being flushed down the toilet as a torture technique. The White House was vilifying the press and this was like turning the world upside down because we should be vilifying the White House for violating the rights of Iraqi and Al Quaida prisoners. Once a society refuses to stand up for the rights of one group, the next group will be violated until one day, they knock on our door. And who knows, there may be no one left to stand up for us. We can't be wimps and we don't have to be heroes either, but we should always try to remember that our rights as members of a civilized society are worth the fight. So stand firm Lynn Ruth and take that woman to small claims court. She's a liar and a thief for not paying for the car she took from you and if you don't do it, I will.