Monday, November 16, 2009
Don't blame all for the stupidity of a few
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Gibson Brown
Brown, of Salem, is a Coast Guard aviation veteran and writes for the Voices of the Valley editorial panel in The Roanoke Times.
I'm not much on stereotyping. One particular stereotype making the rounds lately is the constant bashing directed at those choosing to smoke.
Not all smokers have the exact flick-a-butt mentality, same zero respect for people and nature, same disrespect for anything resembling manners, or smoke the same amount, at the same places, or for the same reasons.
Granted, there are butt-heads throwing butts out of car windows daily. But know, too, there are butt-heads throwing gum, gum wrappers, drink cans and trash out of car windows daily. I ride a motorcycle more days than not, and trust me, I take offense at burning embers flicked my way at speed or stopped. Beer cans, soda cans, Jiffy Burger trash, even chewed gum chucked out the window can ruin a great day in a hurry.
After doing the math and pondering a bit, best I can figure is 7 percent of the population simply does not know better than to be stupid. Daily, they flick cigs, chuck trash, crush beer cans, text while driving drunk and too much else to list.
Somehow, maybe under the pressure of the moment, this 7 percent of us are able to focus enough to pass the road test. A few had to resist the temptation to open the door at a red light for all to see them spit enough "'baccer" juice to knock down a large dog. With license in hand, it is instant manner regression for this 7 percent. In their minds, we and the universe immediately began to revolve around them.
My conclusion is this: The 7 percent born stupid is across the board. Some smoke; some don't. One will find a "7 Percent Club" member wherever a worn-out tire thrown into the river is spotted, half a Slurpee on a sidewalk is stepped in, a diaper in a ditch finally makes it to the creek or a diesel truck chokes three city blocks with thick black smoke.
Surely it would be wrong to deem stupid all tire changers, all Slurpee drinkers, all moms who change diapers or all truck drivers simply because the 7 percent stupid people do such stupid things. My bet is smokers are people too, and 93 percent of smokers have manners, have a clue and are good folks.
It is wrong to bash the 93 percent of good people, in any given realm, for the stupid performed by this 7 percent born-stupid group, which I have now brought to your attention.
