STFU

by Thomas Greco, Publisher

There are a lot of things that fascinate me in today’s world. More so than anything else, the bitching and complaining I see on social media not only fascinates me; it also drives me nuts.

There’s no escaping it. On the national level, I see all these protests and all these people causing trouble because of one issue or another. Right or left, it doesn’t matter. The first question that always comes to my mind isn’t, “Hmmm, what are they protesting?” It’s actually, “Don’t these assholes have to work?” 

Now look, I have said this before. I have always hated protestors, whether I agreed with them or not. Yes, I know about their rights, yadda yadda yadda. But what about the rights of the truck drivers and civilians whose roads they are blocking? Why do one group’s rights supersede another group’s? Where is that in the Constitution? Go the f@#k home and vote! Or run for office. Do SOMETHING that matters – instead of making me have to spend five hours getting across the George Washington Bridge.

Or how about these idiots who go around yelling and screaming about what a horrible a country we live in? Seriously? My dad used to get furious when he’d see these people. I guess the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. I remember when we were kids, there was a saying: “America: Love it or leave it.” Try getting away with saying that THESE days. You would be called a racist, a bigot or worse. But I never understood that. I mean, if you hate something so much, why would you stay? It’s like all these celebrities who say they will leave the country if Trump gets elected. Didn’t they say that in 2016? Last I looked, Cher was still living in Malibu. (I don’t really know if Cher lives in Malibu, but I “believe” she is somewhere in California…see what I did there?)

Take my hometown. Every year, our taxes go up, and every year, it’s the same people bitching and moaning, saying, “Once my kids graduate…” or “Pretty soon I won’t be able to afford to live here…” blah blah, freaking blah. But they never leave! 

And here’s the catch. Earlier this year, Realtor.com ranked our town 34th in the top 100 hottest real estate markets in the nation. Last week, the same site listed it as the top home buying town in Essex County. Four years ago, the average price of a house was $394,000. Now, it’s $665,000! Houses are selling on the average of anywhere from $34,000 to $144,000 over asking price! 

So unless their house is a total piece of crap that they haven’t taken care of, they could sell it, take their tens of thousands in profit and their bitching and complaining and move the hell out of here! And please don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out. 

I will never understand it. Yes, my taxes are high. Yes, we have some problems in our school system. But unless my business fails, I am never leaving here, and I will never complain about it. And if God forbid that DID happen, and I were to sell my house, I would make THREE TIMES what I paid for it. Yeesh. 

 In the immortal words of famed philosopher, the Wicked Witch of the West, “What a world.”

Want more? Check out the September 2024 issue of New Jersey Automotive!