And THAT is how you work your opinions

Props to Jeffery Gardner and his opinion section "Wrong Forums" in the April 6, 2007 Albuquerque Tribune. The piece was titled "Neither a restaurant nor a funeral is proper place to vent".

Reading any opinion piece makes me skeptical, and the ABQjournal's own Polly Summar has really soured me on opinion writers of late.

Imagine my surprise when I got to the bottom of Mr. Gardner's piece and thought, "hey, I can agree with that".

Mr. Gardner takes on the gloating folks in Taos who cheerily report how they publicly insulted former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on a recent visit. Now, I'm not a supporter of the man but I cringed when I read this article where Taos residents boasted of their rudeness.

I will brook no rudeness in this world, especially the self-satisfied kind.

Mr. Gardner seems to agree. Regarding Rumsfeld, Mr. Gardner says, quite rightly, "... any figure who has stepped out of the public square and isn't acting in a public fashion that opens the door for criticism, has as much a right to live his life in peace quiet as you or I do."

Well said, Mr. Gardner. This is something that the vast majority of the world does not get. They think it's their right to harass any public figure whenever and wherever they please.

It's why paparazzi still have jobs.

Mr. Gardner also takes on a group of folks from a Kansas church who use the funerals of fallen soldiers who served in Iraq to launch antigay protests.

Things are well beyond rude in that instance.....

Best to let Mr. Gardner's words speak: "Though cloaked as righteous acts of protests, these displays are actually petty, disgusting acts of egoists who think they're privy to some special insight you and I just don't have. They are simply despicable."

While I agree with Mr. Gardner's views so far, that is not what has endeared him to me enough to cause me to write an entire blog post singing his praises.

THIS is what inspired me enough to take to my Mac and get to typing....

"... it's really none of my business what anyone thinks of me or anyone else."

I almost let out an evangelical "halleluhjah!" when I read that quote. It's a position I wish more people would take. It. Is. None. Of. My. Business. Let people live their lives. Stop getting up into their business and telling them how to run their lives. Stop being so self-centered you expect the world to bend to YOUR will. Maybe a little self-awareness and a lot of tolerance goes a long way.

I'm just sayin'.....