WERE YOU BORN IN A BARN

"SHUT THE DOOR, WERE YOU BORN IN A BARN?" SEEMS TO ME THAT UNCOMMON SENSE OF OUR ANCESTORS HAS BECOME UNCOMMON. WHERE HAS ENERGY CONSERVATION GONE? TO POOR PIONEERS, WASTE WOULD HAVE BEEN ANATHEMA. NO SELF-RESPECTING PEASANT, HOMESTEADER, SQUATTOR, SELECTOR, COLONIST, NATIVE, SETTLER, PLEB, PEON, PROLETARIAN, NOMAD, VAQUERO, TATTERDEMALION, HUN OR NEANDERTHAL WOULD HAVE LEFT THE FLAP OPEN ON HIS OR HER TENT (OR ANY DWELLING) WHEN THE CHILL OF THE EVENING DESCENDED UPON THE HUMBLE ABODE. NOR WOULD PREDECESSORS OF ANY PEOPLE BENT ON A COMFORTABLE SURVIVAL IN THE BIG, BAD WORLD.

JIMMY CARTER, NOTWITHSTANDING HIS SILLY SIMPLICITIES IN ALL OTHER AREAS OF EXISTENCE, SUGGESTED PROPER, SENSIBLE AND CONSERVATIVE METHODS FOR ADAPTING TO LIVING CONDITIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, PUT ON A SWEATER, KEEP THE THERMOSTAT AT 68 OR 70 DEGREES, CLOSE THE DOORS AND WINDOWS TO "CAN THE HEAT" AND PRACTICE RESPECT FOR, NOT WASTE OF, NATURAL RESOURSES.

IN CONTRAST, SPOILED CITIZENS IN RICH, DEVELOPED NATIONS CRANK UP THEIR THEMOSTATS, DRESS FOR SUMMER YEAR ROUND AND DELIBERATELY NEGLECT OPEN WINDOWS OR DOORS WHICH DRAIN HEAT. THEY ALSO HYPOCRITICALLY DECRY THE DESTRUCTION OF NATURAL RESOURCES BUT INDULGE IN DAILY SHOWERS, WASTING WATER AS IF IT WERE "GOING OUT OF STYLE." ONE MILLION CANS OF WATER, FROM DONORS INCLUDING COCA COLA COMPANY TO VICTIMS OF KATRINA, WERE RECENTLY DESTROYED. 18 TRUCKLOADS OF DRINKING WATER DRAINED. AT LEAST THE CANS WERE RECYCLED. THIS ACTION OCCURRED WHEN ASSAULTS WERE HYPOCRITICALLY HURLED AGAINST FEMA FOR ITS INEFFICIENCY! CAN YOU NOT HEAR THE ECO GOD SOBBING UNCONTROLLABLY SOMEWHERE, WHEREVER HE REIGNS?