Why Didn’t You Wake Me Up?

“I myself will awake early.” Psalms 108:2

It’s a familiar scene: you oversleep and miss an important appointment. You stayed up too late the night before, morning light has not yet seeped through the window, and the soft, warm bed is just too cozy. Suddenly, the realization that you are going to be late rudely interrupts your glorious rest. Unfortunate sleepyhead that you are, you then bolt upright, rush around furiously brushing teeth, combing hair, ransacking drawers for socks or belts, and venting frustration at other people in the house for letting it happen.

“Why did you let me sleep?” you charge. “You knew I had to get up at six!” It’s hard for the rest of the household not to feel guilty when the barrage starts.

“I don’t know, dear. I thought you knew…I thought you were up…I got busy watering the flowers…I’m sorry…”

Come on. The truth is that the responsibility to roll out of bed belongs to you alone. If help is needed, alarm clocks have been around for a long time, and they’re not that hard to operate. Failure to get up in the morning lies with one’s own laziness, lack of motivation and indolent attitude. But, rather than admit such character flaws, it’s much easier to blame everybody else. The slothful man only has himself to blame. “[As] the door turneth upon his hinges, so [doth] the slothful upon his bed.” Proverbs. 26:14. In the same vein, several other basic truths to life need to be mentioned as well.

Learn to talk. Quit growling, grunting and slurring. Speak up, say it right, say it kindly.

Learn to Read. Not how to read, but the practice of reading. Know what’s going on in the world. The more you know, the more interesting you become. Learn new words. If you don’t use them, at least understand them.

Get a job and keep it. “And that ye…do your own business, and to work with your own hands.” 1Thessalonians 4:11 . “…If any would not work, neither should he eat.” II Thessalonians 3:10

Use manners. “Manners are of more importance than laws…Manners are what vex or soothe, corrupt or purify, exalt or debase, barbarize or refine us, by a constant, steady, uniform, insensible operation, like that of the air we breathe in.” Edmund Burke. “Please”, “thank you” and “excuse me” still work. Respect and courtesy still work. Consider the feelings of others.

Be on time. When you are late, you are stealing from the other person’s time.

Don’t expect special privileges. “For I say…not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:3 Earn your keep. Only God gives us grace.

Keep your word. You will never be taken seriously unless you keep your word. “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” James 5:12

Tell the truth. “Provide things honest in the sight of all men.” Romans 12:17 “Walk honestly toward them that are without.” 1Thessalonians 4:12

Pay your bills. You are the only one who is responsible for your debts. If you cannot control your credit cards, tear them up. “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8. This means denying yourself luxuries you can’t afford. You live a lie when you pamper yourself with things you can’t pay for. For momentary pleasure, you ruin your peace of mind.

Don’t freeload. Human parasites cost somebody money. Don’t force someone to throw you out on your ear, and then complain that they are so mean.

Stop wasting time . TV, videos, trashy magazines and books waste time as well as cause moral and spiritual harm. Stop other non-productive activities such as excessive day-dreaming, addiction to games and general laziness.

What’s the bottom line? Stop counting on others to wake you up, prop you up, pick you up or pump you up. Do the basic tasks that life requires. As long as you continue to manufacture truckloads of excuses to cover your faults and failures instead of addressing the real problem, you will never win. God’s word places the responsibility for yourself on your own shoulders. “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” II Corinthians 13:5

A Concern for Conservatives

(March 4, 2006)  I am way too busy to do all the research necessary for this critique, but I want to express my opinion anyway. I could be wrong, or I could be exaggerating my belief. In a nutshell, I think the conservatives, especially in the conservative press and blogosphere, are starting to focus more on attacking liberals than on proclaiming positive values and virtues.

For example, today’s “scoop-du-jour” for the conservative media involved blasting the wacko geography teacher in Denver who open criticized George W. Bush’s State of the Union speech and compared him to Hitler. A student recorded the spiel on an MP3 player and sent the file to a conservative news agency. Another example is Ed Lasky’s story on “Myths the Beltway Journalists Peddle” in The American Thinker. Lasky makes his point in a superb fashion, so I do not criticize or rebut his content. While these are just two illustrations that come to mind, all one has to do is read the table of contents of e-publications like NewsMax, WorldNetDaily or The American Spectator to draw the same conclusion. A daily perusal of blogs like PowerLineBlog, HughHewitt, MichelleMalkin or AceofSpadesHQ further supports my contention. Rush, Sean and Laura also make the case.

I am concerned that the conservative movement seems to be heading down a reactionary path. Admittedly, liberals make themselves easy targets with their daily smorgasbord of idiocy and bias. Dan Rather’s forgery faux pas, Algore’s vituperations, Hillary’s shrillaries and Harry Ried’s vacuities literally beg us for derision. But that’s the point. It has become far too easy for us to pick them off as the predictable liberal sideshow dangles them in front of us. The harder work is to continue pumping substantive concepts and stories about conservative values into the public arena.

I would like to see more stories and articles which validate freedom, stress the triumphs of capitalism and glorify the heroes of democracy. Tell me why the war on terror is right, not just why the opponents of the war are fools. Tell me why we need a strong military, not just that the San Francisco council which opposes the military is made up of idiots. Tell me why we need to lead the world, not just that the leftists’ accusation of American arrogance is outrageous. Tell me why this is the best nation in the world, not just that liberals are stupid for thinking otherwise. Tell me about celebrities who are good, not just the ones who are bad. And when you tell me these things, don’t just spout off. Use history, charts, graphs, statistics, quotes, reason and logic. Sure, this demands hard work. So what? I work hard at my job, too. When we spend most of our time beating down the opposition, we forfeit valuable energy that could be used to strengthen conservative ideals. We say that the liberals are driven by their hatred of Bush. We must not be driven by our hatred of liberals.

I do not speak in absolutes. Certainly, many of the positive articles to which I refer exist in the conservative media. I do speak in terms of trends and perceptions. Yes, we must answer our enemies and counteract their lies, but we must not substitute these rebuttals for positive proclamations of our values. Today, the liberals run academia. We must out-academe, out-educate, out-work, out-research, out-think, out-write and out-publish them if we are going to out them from their entrenched positions. They may not have facts and logic on their side, but they do have tenure. That may be strong enough to insulate them from our broadsides without a convincing demonstration to the world of our superiority of ideas.

Homework Assignment: Get Education (due tomorrow!)

Published in the Pentecostal Herald 2.07

Beneath the sketch of snow-covered hills crisscrossed by bungling skiers, the scribbled caption joked, “Learn or Die: A Cartoonist Looks at Skiing.” Succinctly put, the doodler got it right. If you’re going to buckle on a pair of skis and hit the slopes, it might be a good idea to find out about slide slipping, moguling and crud. And it would be nice if you could tell a pole plant from a face plant. A skiing education has spared many adventuresome types some fractured femurs or even an untimely demise or two. Ignorance can get expensive.

It is no accident that Jesus labeled the twelve men he chose to follow him mathetes, or disciples. He could have just as easily called them learners, although disciple is a more appealing term. The bottom line is that discipleship means learning, and learning equals education. Education, then, is the essence of discipleship. Those who disparage education undermine the very process Jesus set up to follow him. The phrase, “learn or die,” may be apropos to skiing, but it also applies to basic Christianity.

Jesus validated the learning process several ways. Besides calling his followers disciples, He spoke of fishing, shepherding, farming and carpentry as honorable occupations during his earthly sojourn. These jobs required a modicum of training if one wanted to provide for his family. He referred positively to merchants, financial investors and landowners, positions in which expertise depended upon learning. Moreover, Jesus related to the educated class of his day—-doctors, lawyers, scribes and others—- demonstrating his healthy respect for education. If Jesus had a problem with the elite, it was with their attitudes, not their professions.

Admittedly, Jesus would not have endorsed much of today’s education industry. Elitist pride, insufferable arrogance and a humanistic mindset have become common by-products of our modern liberal arts education. Godless professors and frat houses have stripped far too many Christian youths of even a vestige of the faith they had as matriculating freshmen. Universities also serve as training grounds for every radical social movement in America. To deny these realities would be dangerous. Still, even factoring in the caveats, our economy makes a good education indispensable.

Farms and factories comprise the bulk of our economic past. The meteoric ascent in the information base during the last century, however, reflects on our continual accrual of knowledge, and it demands an educated populace to sustain it. We may still depend upon the land for our food, but we can no longer exist as an agrarian society. We have even moved far beyond an industrial society that makes its living from tools and machinery. Economists now characterize our world as an information society. What we know has become more important than what we do. This fundamental shift in our economy may not have fully registered on the senior generation, but the transition moves inexorably forward. No one can stop it. Education has become vital to modern life.

Education is important to getting a good job. All of our lives we have heard that we need to go to college to get a good job. This advice has become paramount in the information society. Out-of-work people know that they can hardly walk off the street into a shop or office somewhere and land a great job. Better jobs with higher salaries almost always require a college education. Common laborers and unskilled workers hover near the bottom of the wage ladder. Alan B. Krueger, an economics professor at Princeton argues that an additional year of schooling beyond high school is likely to raise an individual’s earnings about 10 percent. For someone earning the national median household income of $42,000, an extra year of training could provide an additional $4,200 a year. Over the span of a career, that could easily add up to $30,000 or $40,000 of present value. (National Forum for Higher Education, 2005).

Education is important for self-improvement. Knowledge and understanding greatly enhance self-esteem. God created us with an innate curiosity about the world around us, and when we learn, we gain a sense of fulfillment and well-being; when we fail to learn, we stagnate. Generally speaking, societies that have repressed educational progress have suffered from fear, superstition and helplessness. But even on the personal level, the more an individual learns, the more he or she unlocks the vast potential for progress within the human mind. Education is its own reward.

Education is important to technological advances. Few people want to go back to the days of the horse-and-buggy, the quill and parchment or outdoor plumbing. We cannot even imagine a world without electricity or combustion engines. Think of your dentist using no Novocain, your doctor prescribing no antibiotics or your surgeon having no access to x-rays before proceeding with a delicate operation. Yet, none of these innovations would exist without education. Moreover, the shared data from one discipline show intense inter-connectedness with other fields. Automobiles, for example, could not be manufactured without drawing from physics, chemistry, electronics and other sources. It has been said that the value of by-products from space exploration runs into trillions of dollars. On July 20, 1985, in proclamation of Space Exploration Day, President Ronald Reagan said, “The ever-increasing knowledge gained from peaceful space exploration, and the uses to which that knowledge is put, potentially benefit all those aboard Spaceship Earth. The spirit of July 20, 1969, lives on.”

Education is important to a civilized society. Our great country was founded by highly educated men upon Biblical concepts. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States could never have been framed without these mental giants whose broad knowledge of government, politics and history matched their religious fervor. Education not only made these unprecedented freedoms that we enjoy possible, their maintenance will continue to require educated minds.

Education is important to the work of God. In order for each of us to develop into the person God envisioned us to be, we must grow in knowledge and expand our minds. In Psalm 119:20, 24 David said, “My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times; Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.” (NIV). This admonition means more than acquiring knowledge of the scriptures. We are also commissioned to exercise dominion over God’s creation. That makes study and learning a necessity. Christians employed as research scientists, medical doctors, finance brokers or music teachers all use their brains to bring glory to God. If all of us were theologians, we would lead meager lives. The world is filled with God’s glory and he invites us to embrace it emotionally, religiously and intellectually. Some of the most prominent figures in the Bible were men of education. Moses studied in the courts of Pharaoh. Daniel was an accomplished governmental advisor and rose to the top of two administrations. Luke was a physician. The Apostle Paul was schooled in the arts and sciences of his day. Others, like Isaiah, used writing skills that show evidence of a good education, although the scriptures do not specifically comment on their schooling. A strong case can be made that these men became even more useful to God because of their education.

Education is not a panacea, and it often gets in the way of the will of God. A popular saying goes, “Get an education and get over it.” Education must always be seen as a means to glorify God. If it becomes an end in itself, it is misguided. Those who pursue education out of intellectual pride are as wrong as those who pursue great wealth because of their greed. Let us remember, however, that the mind is a gift of God as much as any other physical, spiritual or material commodity. It is subject to misuse, abuse, but it may also be refined, cultivated and channeled to produce marvelous benefits to the kingdom of God.

Term Papers and Essays That Your University Professor Will Love

(You’ll Get An “A” Just For the Topic)

The U. S. Constitution: A Twisted Document
The Constitution: Living or Dead?
George Washington’s Dark Side
The Aristocratic Roots of Capitalism
European Success with Liberal Democracies
The Influence of “Landed Gentry” on the Bill of Rights
The Unjust Demonization of Communism
Is Freedom Fair?
The Federal Government and Exploitation of the War on Drugs
Can the Religious Right Control America?
What’s Right With Castro’s Cuba?
Repeal the Second Amendment Now!
Marching Toward Utopia: The Redistribution of Wealth
The Role of the Media in Shaping Political Outcomes
The Social Burden of the Supreme Court
Electoral College or Popular Vote?
Religious Repression: The Social History of Christianity
Why Public Education Must Stay Public
Karl Marx: A Sympathetic Portrait
How Communism Might Have Succeeded In Russia
The United Nations: An Inevitable Hegemony
Waging Peace: Creating a New Army
The New Imperialists: American Business Takes Aim at Global Markets
Competition in Transition
Social Justice Uber Alles
Neo-Nazis by Other Names: Naming the Bigots
Why Terrorism? The Guilt of America
The Tyranny of the Majority
A Return to the Pristine Wilderness
The Plot to Keep the White House White

Signs of the Times

Sorry for the play on words, but did you ever notice how the signs posted around our environment are so relevant to real life? Although they were written for one purpose, it often seems like they cover a lot of additional territory as well. We have a sign in our church printing office, copied from an actual road sign in rural England that says, “Keep Thin.” I assume it means the same thing as “ Narrow Bridge ,” but it sure applies to our diet-conscious generation in America . Look at this list of common signs that regulate life in general.

Keep Off the Grass . Human beings and marijuana don’t mix.
No Parking Anytime. Don’t park by trouble, defeat, doubt, worry or fear.
Slow: Children Crossing. Be an example to the children. They’re watching.
No Driving On Shoulders . Stay away from life’s edges. You’ll slide off.
Sharp Curves Ahead. When life’s road bends, take it slowly or you will flip out.
In Case of Fire, Use Stairway. Old-fashioned ways may serve you best.
Take A Number. Don’t cut in line to get ahead. Impatience reaps a thin crop.
Caution: Wet Floor. You just can’t always go where you want to go right now.
Dead End. Nice street …waste of time. And, you’ll have to back your way out.
No Edge Lines. Don’t count on somebody else to always watch out for you.
Quiet: Hospital Zone. Healing in progress. Be understanding, not demanding.
One Way. You can’t always choose your direction. God’s way is the only way.
Hidden Drive. Prepare yourself for the unforeseen circumstances.
Construction Zone. All of us travel through an incomplete, imperfect world.
Run-a-way Lane. Make room for the out-of-control person. Don’t get run over.
Don’t Feed the Bears. Cute and cuddly situations may eat you alive.
Hazardous Materials. Why play around with tobacco, alcohol or drugs?
Stop! Look! Listen! Take responsibility for your own safety.
Scenic View. Taking in the scenery is part of the trip. Appreciate it.
Fasten Seat Belt. You are not above the law of physics.
Watch Your Speed: We Are. Eventually, lawbreakers get caught.
No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service. Maintain a certain sense of dignity.
Beware of Dog. Approach every unknown situation with a degree of caution.
Turn Motor Off Before Refueling . One spark may cause a great conflagration.
Bump. Nothing is ever 100% smooth. Expect some opposition along the way.
For Sale . Ultimately, all dreams get expressed in dollars and cents.
Read Before Signing. Whether or not you trust the person, read the fine print.
Walk/Don’t Walk. Wait your turn. Oncoming traffic may not see you.
Rest Area Ahead. Take a break when you can. Eventually, you will need one.
Check Out Time 12:00 Noon . You can’t stay forever. Move on.
Private Drive. Sometimes, it’s just none of your business.
Don’t Litter. Don’t foul up the lives of others with your garbage.
No Children Allowed. Preserve innocence. Keep grown-up issues from kids.
Express Lane Only. The simpler you keep your life, the easier it will be.
Batteries Not Included. Don’t look to others for motivation.
Pay Here. Eliminate entitlement thinking. Pay your own way.
Rental Car Return. Never forget the kindnesses others have given to you.
Handicap Parking. Give some advantage to the less fortunate.
Stop At Office. Directions and permission make your time more enjoyable.

These signs, and others, exist for our benefit. They warn, protect, and inform us about the conditions around us. As we travel farther down the road of life, the more we understand how important they are. Pay special attention to God’s signs he has posted along your path. His word will guide you through the dangers of life and you will see the sign, “Pearly Gates Just Ahead!”

The Trouble With the Army

I was never in the military, but I have read and observed enough to know that the army reeks of turmoil, oppression and everything unpleasant. It’s just so bad! Even as it surrounds itself in state-of-the-art technology, I marvel that it remains stuck in its primordial past. It inherits more from Genghis Khan, Ivan the Terrible and Napoleon than it does the calmer minds of our enlightened millennium. Sweeping changes need to engulf today’s army. Here are a few beginning points.

First, lose the uniforms. The drab colors, unfashionable styles and stodgy materials foster a demoralizing mindset among the enlistees. Beneath their false sense of bravado and plastic smiles, I am convinced that army personnel suffer from chronic uniform suppressed syndrome (CUSS, a recently diagnosed emotional disorder) caused by uniforms. Soldiers cannot possibly feel at ease and comfortable with themselves when the high command orders them to wear standard issue with suspicious cultic overtones. What gives the effete snobs at the Pentagon the idea that they know what clothes everyone beneath them ought to wear? If one looks close enough, he or she will detect subtle signs of rebellion anyway, i.e. tattoos, facial hair, and loud music. These are more than nameless soldiers. They are human beings who need respect and deference. They must have ways to express their individuality. Either the top brass backs off, or I predict that the entire armed forces will one day go up in smoke.

Second, relax the stressful demands. It is widely known that a number of sincere, eager men and women have been severely traumatized by the cruel and inhumane treatment they received at the hands of drill sergeants. They endured ridicule, screaming, hazing, humiliation and other sadistic acts committed against them simply because they could not run as fast, jump as high, exercise as rigorously or listen as well as their peers. In civilian society, these acts would be considered criminal and the perpetrators would be locked up. Added to these insensitivities, army officers regularly demand that the troops spend long weeks and months on maneuvers, or war games as they call it (exposing the juvenile nature of their ways). This enforced isolation separates the recruits from their local support groups and subjects them to frightful elements of cold, heat, near-starvation, deprivation and both physical and psychological abuse. The majority of those who do manage to successfully finish their torturous regimens reportedly experience nightmares, see flashbacks of an in-your-face instructor shouting epithets at them and insulting their mothers, and spend much of their adult lives seeking to block out harrowing memories. Such barbaric practices can lead to warped personalities. Many former military men and women have been scarred for life by their stint in the army. For example, some insist that their children say “Yes, sir,” and “Yes, ma’am,” take their hats off indoors and conform to other superficial courtesies of yesteryear.

Beyond these points, one could easily construct an entire litany of evils that the army willfully imposes on unsuspecting recruits. Included in the list would be dictating to them how much sleep they need each night; the types and amounts of food they eat; invading their privacy by requiring them to keep their bunks made-up, insisting that their clothes be hung in a particular manner, maintaining a shine on their shoes, how long or short their hair will be and other violations of the human code of behavior. Frankly, it is nobody’s business how a person does any of these things. Also, military leaders attempt to indoctrinate their minions with archaic army values such as patriotism, respect for the U. S. flag and the Constitution. This teaching arrogantly ignores the global society of which we are only a small part, and smacks of old-fashioned nationalism and dangerous fascism. One need only to keep in mind that the right-wing extreme militias and domestic terrorist organizations (of the kind that Timothy McVeigh represented) are all army clones. Actually, the whole business of the army: the ranking, disciplining, promoting and demoting, assigning career paths, shipping overseas and controlling the destinies of individuals for three to four years is an affront against humanity.

One can only imagine how serene and enjoyable the army could be if only each soldier could remain in charge of his or her own life. Gone would be the stifling rules and regulations that restrict the soul. In its place, the enlistee’s life would overflow with joy, love, laughter and positive experiences. Add to that sensitivity training, touching-feeling encounter sessions, culture appreciation and affirmation classes and nature walks.  It could end up being so nice that war will simply cease to exist.

Next, we will turn our sights on hide-bound institutions like colleges and universities that suffocate students with silly codes and stuffy standards of so-called excellence.  After that, we’ll investigate the church. Yes, it will be a brave new world indeed!

Headlines You Will Probably Never See

Dad Puts Son Up For Adoption, Cites Failure to Be Good Role Model
Mom Turns Herself In For Spiritual Negligence of Children
Rescued By Police, Rapper Artist Recants Cop-Bashing
Lawyer Resigns Bar, No Longer Wants to Free Known Criminals
Warden Says Rehab Programs Don’t Work, Turns to Churches for Help
Psychological Study Condemns Lying, Profession in Shock
School Teachers Reject Humanistic Curriculum
Welfare Agency Closes, Too Few Requests for Handouts
Public Library Features Bible As #1 Best Seller
Planned Parenthood Backs Monogamy, Nuclear Family
Jesus Christ Awarded Man of Millennium
University Affirms U.S. Judeo-Christian Roots In New Course
Liberal Judge Declares Partial Birth Abortion Barbaric, Wrong
Social Worker Admits Anti-Family Bias
Divorce Has Crippling Effect on Children, Study Says
Class Action Suit Filed, Millions Graduated Without Learning to Read
Court Finds Rock Music Publisher Guilty Of Encouraging Teen Drugs
CEO Pays Back Money Because Of Obscene Profits
Basketball Star Refuses To Make Higher Salary than School Teachers
Actor Quits Movie, Will Not Betray Marriage Vows in Steamy Scene
Student Apologizes For Cheating, Disqualifies Himself for Scholarship
Animal Rights Activist Admits She Did It for the Sponsors’ Money
Denominations’ Decline Linked To Atheism in Seminaries
Twelve-Year Old Says TV Is Bad Influence, Wants It Removed
Media Mogul Vows to Stop Using Sex to Sell Magazines
Internet Shuts Down Entire Porn Industry
Golf Courses Close on Sunday, Encourage Customers to Attend Church
National Enquirer to Stop Running Bogus Stories
PETA Admits Ties to Eastern Religion/New Age Beliefs
Community to Promote Christian Heritage Week
National Organization of Women to Endorse Abstinence
More Couples Staying Married Longer
NEA Says Sunday Schools Provide Good Moral Training
Children Fare Better In Traditional Homes
Casino Operator Discloses Gambling As A Losing Bet
Breweries Found Guilty For Alcohol-Related Deaths
Body-Piercing Shown To Stem From Demonism
Militant Environmental Group Targets System of Capitalism
Seductive Clothing Leads to Promiscuity, Fashion Designer Declares
Prayer Allowed At Graduation
Newspaper to Halt Liquor, Sex Ads
Kids Cartoon Producer to Stop Promoting Violence
Judge Says Constitution Can’t Be Circumvented
Hallmark Corporation Says Homemade Cards Mean More than Retail Cards

Drivers, PLEASE…Just DO IT!!!

I’ve been waiting for the government to put up safe driving signs, but so far they haven’t seen the need. I see lots of signs telling drivers what NOT to do, but very few telling them what they should do. They tell us to buckle our seat belts, but don’t tell us how to avoid the crash that makes seat belts necessary. I’m tired of waiting. Here’s my list.

Keep up a steady speed. Don’t go 55, then 50, then 65, then 55, then 70! You are driving every driver who shares the roadway with you crazy!

Use your turn signals. You’re not going to like someone slamming into the rear of your car…and the person who hits you isn’t going to like it either.

Stay a safe distance behind the car ahead. One car length for each ten miles per hour is a good rule of thumb. Sooner or later, tailgating is going to get you in big trouble. You could kill someone…or yourself.

Drive in the right lane and pass in the left lane…only! Also, when you pull out in the left lane to pass, then PASS for Pete’s sake! Don’t pull even with and match the speed of the car on the right. If you want to drive the same speed as that car, you can do it just as well in back or in front of it.

When you merge into traffic, do it right. If you are ahead of the parallel car, accelerate to get in the traffic flow. If you are behind, slow down and get in the traffic behind the car. Don’t compete for the exact same spot.

If you see a YIELD sign, it means what it says. If you said speed up, you’re wrong. If you said merge at traffic speed, you’re wrong. If you said YIELD, you guess it right. The traffic in the lane you’re trying to enter has the right-of-way. That means slow down and wait for an opening.

If the pavement is wet or icy, slow down. You must respect the physics of wet or slippery pavement. You cannot stop as quickly as you can on dry pavement. You have a greater chance of sliding. If you slide, you may strike another car, a bicycle, a light pole, or another person.

Drive the minimum speed. Drivers have a reasonable expectation of moving at a legal speed to get to their destination. People have time schedules and appointments. If you are looking for an address or you are unsure of your directions, don’t slow down or stop in the middle of the roadway. You are endangering other drivers when you do! Pull over to the side and figure it out.

Use your rear view and side view mirrors. If you cannot see adequately with your mirrors, turn your head and look around you. It is your obligation to know what the traffic is like at all times.

Remember, if you’re driving erratically, making unexpected turns, tailgating, hogging the left lane, paying no attention to yield signs, going too fast in the rain, crawling along slower than the speed limit and clueless about other drivers on the roadway, then beware! You are a major cause of road rage! The only reason you haven’t had an accident yet is because the other drivers have been skillful enough to avoid you. One of these days, you are going to meet up with a driver who is as bad as you are. May God have mercy on your souls!

Readers, if you agree with this article, copy it and send it out everywhere!