Penny’s thoughts, missing a chance for unity, obit observations

Maybe this coin shortage thing should tell us something. Last year, the U.S. Treasury churned out more than 7 billion pennies, which represents close to 60% of its coin production.

And each penny cost America 2 cents to make. Heck, even Democrats and their cracked economic views think that’s bad math.

So as stores become more and more comfortable rounding up or down during the coin shortage, should now be the time to phase out the penny?

MISSED CHANCE

Everything is political these days. That’s a fact.

It’s in health care — by the truckload when you discuss coronavirus — and has been for months.

It’s in sports — by the truckload when you discuss kneeling — and has been for quite a while considering the levels of conversations about race we’ve had.

Pick an issue, and politics are there.

But if you are new to this space, I’m Jay. I voted for Trump and have been a conservative all my life.

And with that caveat, I’m embarrassed that Donald Trump skipped the visitation at the Capitol and later the funeral of John Lewis, a truly great American who died earlier this month.

I don’t care if Lewis did or didn’t attend Trump’s inauguration. I don’t care about the beefs, the battles or the barbs.

Heck, I don’t care that Trump was in the politically charged Catch-22 that his haters would have groaned if he went and squawked when he didn’t. That’s the atmosphere in which we live, and the climate that got him elected.

But in the end — especially in the end of life — there is what is right and there’s what is decent.

And the president of these United States simply must be at the ceremonies when our country says goodbye to an American as great as John Lewis. Period.

IT’S MASKING UP, PEOPLE

In Berlin, Germany, people on public transportation are subject to fines if they do not wear masks. But the growing concern there is that a majority of people wear the masks below their noses, which is, in the grand scheme of things, useless.

So, because the American government certainly does not have the patent on questionable leadership decisions, the head of Berlin transportation is now asking citizens to skip deodorant as they get ready for work so body odor smells will increase the number of masks over noses.

Wow, talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

OBIT OBSERVATIONS

Most of the time we stay in the greater Chattanooga area for our obit observations.

Today we venture much further north, heading to Buffalo, N.Y., and the obit of Carole Scarsella, who died on July 19.

Her family started with the traditional references about her being a loving grandmother and family person. Then it got into some of her other beliefs beyond being an involved parent.

Carole “loved the New York Yankees and LeBron James. She HATED Tom Brady.” She was a big fan of reading, smoking cigarettes, slot machines and Facebook games.

Hers was a life lived with passion, there’s no doubt.