Garcia Media Life

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Really, it’s not that bad an idea and it does appear to have support out there; a day in which we just stop ourselves and others from bitching.  Kind of like a day riding the Quiet Car on the Acela.  Missouri Democratic Congressman Emanuel Cleaver has sent out a letter soliciting support from colleagues to designate the day before Thanksgiving as Complaint-Free Wednesday.

Ironically, conservative media wiz, Andrew Breitbart and his Big Government web site report this story in a rather bitchy way.  They clearly will not be getting with the program if this bill becomes law.  They don’t like the idea, think it’s an example of Congressional idiocy and argue the times are too difficult to waste effort on such ridiculous declarations.

I think Congressman Cleaver’s letter is actually rather charming.  Here are some excerpts from the copy Big Government published:

From time to time, we all experience anxiety, frustration, stress, and regret. And often, we respond to these feelings with a criticism or a complaint. Regrettably, complaining keeps people stuck on current problems, inhibiting them from thinking constructively to find solutions. Research has also shown that complaining can be harmful to one’s emotional and physical health; relationships; and can limit professional career success.

Well, yeah, ok, that’s not so bad.

In the spirit of hope, optimism and positivity, and in honor of its efforts to encourage people to look forward, not backward, the group a Complaint Free World is to be recognized. A Complaint Free World’s goal, in fact, is to motivate 1% of the global population (about 60 million people) to become complaint free.

Setting aside that I don’t think “positivity” is actually a word (spell-checker is totally freaking out over it); this seems a fairly modest goal- just one in a hundred people not bitching.   The letter goes on to point out that the resolution is revenue neutral and is a good way of teeing up Thanksgiving; you go from being not bitchy to being grateful.

A Google search of “Stop Complaining” yields the following results:

Amazon.com is selling A Complaint Free World: How to Stop Complaining and Start Enjoying the Life You Always Wanted.

Petitiononline.com urges people to, uh, sign a petition.  It’s frankly, just a tad angry:

If you are tired of: polotics-vegans-environmentallists-colleages-bosses-minorities-nascar fans-sports-paris hilton-feminists-your local mayor-gay rights-drugs-cops-video games-peta-disney-stupid lawsuits-abnormally obese people-maricle diets-mcdonalds-parents-in-laws, then sign here and shut them up!

Propeller.com has an identity crisis; it republishes the scathing Big Government article criticizing Complaint Free Wednesday, followed by another Google entry dating back to August in which the same website promotes “best tips on how to stop complaining and criticizing.”

And my personal favorite, from consumerwarningnetwork.com, is an article headlined: Crybaby Doctors Want Patients to Stop Complaining. Apparently doctors are making people sign contracts that prohibit their patients from making snarky comments on-line.  If true, it seems evident that even Doctors are joining the stop bitching movement.

If not this year, possibly next year, but I think it is clear- the stop-bitching revolution is gathering serious momentum.   And it would seem only right that the Friday after Thanksgiving be designated National Complaint Day.  Sort of fitting for Black Friday, don’t you think?  After all that not complaining/being grateful stuff we get to vent our gathering rage in one gigantic, national and communal bitch-fest!