The title above of my column is It’s Only My Opinion, and last week I offered my opinion on some of the best quotes of last year. In the interest of space, I pared my list down. But now I am looking at several bonus quotes that are informative, entertaining, and sure to stimulate conversation when it slows down at your next cocktail party
• “To save money, the Postal Service announced the end of next-day service. That’s a good way to get people to come back, isn’t it? Make your service even slower that it already is.” There’s a rumor going around that Jay Leno no longer receives his mail.
• “I did not sext.” Those four words — the shortest quote on my list — received an awful lot of ink and airtime. The very popular congressman who said it was loved by his constituents and would still be in office today if not for Charlie and Nancy. Their encouragement for him to resign cost the Democrats another seat in the House.
• “Sometimes you’re the pigeon, sometimes you’re the statue.” This is an old one that keeps coming back. I heard it several times this year, just like this one, which is a lot older and repeated more so in 2011: “The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
• “Every single time we arrest a state senator or assemblyman, it should be a jarring wake-up call. Instead, it seems that no matter how many times the alarm goes off, Albany just hits the snooze button.” I read that one early in 2011 and I’m convinced that it should be inscribed on the wall of the Red Room in the state capitol.
• “We don’t have to teach America to be anti-union. The thugs in Wisconsin are doing that.” I laughed when I read this one, and I don’t know of any demonstration anywhere in the United States that caused as much damage.
• “There’s a Mr. Nobel out here. He says you have something of his and he wants it back.” That was the caption to a political cartoon. Can you guess who was in the cartoon?
• “A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in … and how many want out.” You cannot argue with no matter how hard you try.
• “Racial profiling is good police work!” Oh, come on already. It is good police work. If the crime is committed by a short brunette female, why bother to question a tall blonde?
• “Somewhere out there, the devil is dancing tonight.” This one was the topic of many discussions. Why was it said?
• “We don’t need new taxes. We need new taxpayers.” True, but those sitting on the left side of the room will argue that we need both.
I finish with a quote from a letter to the editor of this newspaper. In her communication Patricia Levine wrote:
“Shavana Abruzzo and Stanley Gershbein never fail to give thanks to our brave military and veterans who have defended our way of life in this greatest nation on earth.”
Most people take the time to write only when they disagree. Some of them are just plain old nasty and rude. Ronald Reagan said, “You can disagree without being disagreeable.” I am StanGershbein@Bellsouth.net sending you, Ms. Levine, a great big thank you for being nice.
Stanley Gershbein's column appears every Monday on BrooklynDaily.com.
