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The Death Of Common Sense

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Oct 292014

Obituary

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

– Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
– Why the early bird gets the worm;
– Life isn’t always fair; and
– Maybe it was my fault..

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers:
I Know My Rights
I Want It Now
Someone Else Is To Blame
I’m A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone…

If you still remember him, pass this on.
If not, join the majority and do nothing.

An American With A Remington

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Oct 092014

Country singers Larry Gatlin and Billy Dean recorded a video of a song they had just written with a special message to ISIS. The song, called “An American with a Remington”, is a shot across the bow of ISIS warning them that they will face fierce resistance from Americans, most likely coming from the barrel of a gun. They intend to actually record and release a studio version in the near future.

Hell Yeah!

When I do master classes in songwriting, I open the class by saying, “It was either Plato, or Socrates, or…(pregnant pause) Johnny Cash, who said, “Take me not to those who write your laws, for they will lie. Take me to those who write your songs, for they will not.”

Then, after another pregnant pause, I confess to my class the neither of the three above-mentioned great philosophers said that. Rather, it was a not so great philosopher, but a fairly decent songwriter who said it…me!!

That brings me to another songwriter, a great songwriter, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, and a great friend, Billy Dean.

We sat down with our two guitars, our two hearts, our two God given talents, and our singular love for America, and poured our two hearts out in a song, “An American with a Remington.”

Last week, in Joplin, Missouri, Billy, my brothers Steve and Rudy and I, along with our buddies T.G. Sheppard and Leroy Van Dyke did a benefit for the tornado victims of Joplin.

Backstage Billy said, “Hey L.G., I have a song idea I want you to help me write.” When he sang the “hook line” I said, “I’m in. Let’s do it.”

So, last Tuesday night, at the Starlight Theatre in Branson, in the dressing room that Billy and I share, we sat down with our two guitars, our two hearts, our two God given talents, and our singular love for America, and poured our two hearts out in a song, “An American with a Remington.”

The response has been unbelievable — more than 15 million hits and thousands of “hurrahs” from like-minded Americans — in only five days.

Please know that neither Billy nor I are trigger happy cowboys lookin’ for a fight. We just know that the fight is looking for us and for all Americans.

So we decided as 2 of “those who write the songs” it was up to is to write the truth, because so many of those who write our laws will not.

In closing, I don’t know how my friend Billy Dean was brought up, but my dad, the Marine, Curly Gatlin, taught me to shoot with a Remington 12 gauge pump shotgun out in West Texas.

We ate what we shot. That was, and still is the deal for the Gatlins. If you trophy hunt, that’s your business. The Gatlins eat what we kill, or we make damn sure that someone who needs the meat gets the quail, dove, or venison.

So that’s the story about the song “An American with a Remington.” Billy and I hope you like it. If you don’t, that’s none of our business, but I will say this, a lot of good men and women have fought and died or have been wounded to preserve and protect your right to disagree and say so. Is America a great country or what?!

Yours truly,

Larry Gatlin, an American with a Remington

P.S. And Billy Dean, an American with a Remington

P.P.S. One thing J.R. Cash did say to me long ago was, “Pilgrim, if something makes you mad enough boy, you’ll damn sure write a song about it.” Well, J.R., Billy and I are mad as hell about those cowardly, beheading bastards, so we did just that!!

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