We've all used the phrase, "I didn't know whether to laugh or cry." To this I will add there is a third option, and that is to do something about it.

According to Paul Craig Roberts, economist with the Kato Institute, the Washington, D.C., Rescue Service has an employee who is a carrier of hepatitis B, an infectious disease. The Department keeps him on but told him not to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He filed a discrimination lawsuit and Federal District Judge Joyce Green ruled that "public health be damned, the worker was covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act and the D.C. government could not prevent the infected worker from giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation."

And: The Justice Department gave Aurora, Ill., a surprise Christmas present — a lawsuit. It so happens that Aurora doesn't have any police officers in wheelchairs or any fire fighters with chronic back problems, so the city was slapped with a lawsuit for discriminating against the disabled.

In Jefferson City, Mo., a 5 pound, 1,000-page bill has become law without Gov. Carnahan's signature. It's goal — reduce state paperwork. This helps to explain why Eugene McCarthy was moved to say, "The only thing that saves us from bureaucracy is its inefficiency," which is highlighted by the fact that a new poll says that 58 percent of Americans feel the government is too big; the other 42 percent is the government.

This also helps explain why many politicians are unhappy because they are underpaid, underappreciated and under investigation.

Don't misunderstand. I'm opposed to discrimination, but I'm convinced common sense is more important for the common good. We need to work hard to make our laws not only fair but practical. If we take that approach, more of us can rise to the top!

To find out more about Zig Ziglar and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. Subscribe to Zig Ziglar's free email newsletter through [email protected].