Scary Idea

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! I was listening to a radio show. The subject was, "What should you buy as a Father's Day gift?" A poll of middle-class fathers, conducted by one of the universities resulted in the following:

• Don't give your father a new tie. 53% had worn the last two ties received exactly one time.
• Don't give your father a new shirt, underwear, etc. The numbers were not too different, but the fathers complained of getting the wrong kind of underwear--briefs instead of boxers, or the reverse.
• Don't give your father a book. (Here's the scary part) Over 40% of the fathers stated that they had not read even one book during the previous year.

Now I don't like to receive gift books because very often the giver gives a book that she/he liked without considering what I might like. I can't tell you how many "spiritual" books I've received. Why would I want another book by Wayne Dyer? I think this guy is a phony guru who has had few original ideas. Because I'm a counselor, I've received a couple of John Gray's garbage books. But Gray has absolutely no research to back up his assertions, no experience and no credentials (Even his doctorate is from a diploma mill that was shut down by the state.) Worse yet, he's basically wrong.

But I am always reading several books. If you want to give me a book, ask me what I want first. How can any person consider himself intelligent and knowledgeable and then admit that he has not read even one book in the last year? How can he be a responsible citizen? How can he even be competent in his own chosen profession?

Given the damage done by the policies of the last thirty years of regressive government, we need citizens who are more, not less, knowledgeable politically, socially, culturally, scientifically, and spiritually. We need men and women who do read and consider new ideas. Most of those come in books.

"Over 40% of the fathers stated that they had not read even one book during the previous year." That is really frightening.