Many readers would have heard the phrase ‘there is nothing common about common sense’. Unfortunately there is increasing evidence that common sense is becoming one of our rarest commodities.
Not only is its absence noticeable in many areas of public policy, there is a growing tendency for individuals to suspend their own judgment in deference to ‘public opinion’.
Of course ‘public opinion’ is more often than not determined by the inner city left who have little, if any, connection with mainstream Australia. That’s why the majority of Australians feel so detached and isolated by the direction our country is heading.
Their innate common sense tells them that what they read and hear from much of the mainstream media cannot be true. Whether it be climate change alarmism, rampant political correctness or a ‘government knows best’ attitude, instinctively the silent majority know they are being had.
However, too many of us choose to remain silent when confronted by a myriad of examples that make our blood boil.
How many times have you read a story in the newspaper and muttered to yourself about how ridiculous it is or lamented the loss of ‘common sense’?
Well, there are millions of Australians who share that view.
However, if they continue to remain silent the problem will only get worse. We will see a replication of the ridiculous policies enacted by the PC brigade in places like England where it is deemed discriminatory to advertise a job vacancy for ‘reliable’ people because it offends the unreliable.
Or in the United States where one school deemed that Easter eggs should be renamed ‘Spring Spheres’ to salve the left’s demands for inclusiveness.
In Australia we are treading down a similar path. We already have public prosecutions of individuals who voice opinions that might offend – even if the words they use are not offensive at all.
We have kindergartens and schools dismantling Christmas messages of goodwill in favour of ‘happy holidays’.
We even have segregated swimming times at some public pools on the basis of one’s religious beliefs.
Make no mistake, if we proceed along this path our future can be observed in the dysfunction and social dislocation evident in one of our closest allies – the United Kingdom.
That is not the future I want for Australia and I know it is not the future most Australians want either. To reclaim our future we first need to restore common sense into our lives and into our public policy.
To do so effectively, more of us need to stand up and be counted in the fight for common sense.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
