“TICKED OFF”

For years I have enjoyed receiving and reading a weekly newspaper entitled Green Hills News. I believe there is a similar one named West Meade News that circulates in the West Meade area and there may be others I’m not aware of. But the one I get is the Green Hills one, which carries political and society items of interest to people living in this part of Nashville.

A few months ago they began carrying a column entitled “Ticked Off,” which is nothing more than a forum for people to send in their complaints about any subject they desire. The kicker is that it is anonymous, so a person can say almost anything they want.

When I first heard about it, my reaction was, “Oh, my gosh! People will use this as a platform to say outrageous comments.” I was right, and some of them are hilarious to read. Others, of course, can at times be hateful and racist to an extreme. In fact, I sometimes suspect that the authors are just writing to goad others into reacting.

It’s amazing what can upset people. Of course, abortion, homosexuality, politics, and religion are regularly discussed, but some people get huffy over street signs, neighborhood cats, and a sparrow drowning in the downtown fountain.

Many of the complaints are legitimate: bumpy streets, speed bumps in unnecessary places, stop lights instead of four way stops, etc. After many people protested the condition of the street that runs in front of the Post Office and the Library, it was repaved. And speed bumps were removed in at least one instance that I know of.

One woman became so incensed at reading the column that she wrote a scathing letter, strongly suggesting that “Ticked Off” be removed from the paper. Subsequently, there was such an outcry that the editor had to write a note assuring the readers that the column was here to stay.

I’m very glad because the entertainment value of this weekly forum is second only to the obituaries!