[HARDCORE]

At a point in time when knighthoods are being handed out to well-healed $$$$ people who already have every other toy imaginable, some of the big boys are certainly proving what they are made of, and how they rose to the top to begin with! (opinion)

Like most of you, I have spent much of my life honoring the Golden Rule. Not because I had to, but just because it was the right (though often painful) thing to do! I never asked what was in it for me, quite to the contrary in fact. And as a result of my straight in your face way of doing things, I was once informed by a member of a national representative?s staff that, and I quote: "I would never amount to hill of beans because of my unshakeable Achilles' heel - IT BEING INTEGRITY ITSELF!?

Early last month, my son was seriously injured in a bicycle accident in Arizona where he attends university, not on the basis of his (non-existent) money, but rather for his abilities! The accident was the result of what we believed to be a defective bike that he had just bought (brand new), some 20 minutes earlier from a well known department store!

The very next morning after the accident, with my son suffering from a head and back injury, not to mention assorted-busted bones, shattered teeth, and severe pain, a store manager at this retail giant attempted to pull a fast one!!

This individual called the bed-ridden kid in his dorm and said that they were coming right over to his dorm room to pick up the bike, the boy?s receipt for said bike, and to take a statement on the accident from this severely injured and (then) highly medicated for severe pain, young man!!!!

When I got wind of this move, I immediately had the bike and the receipt for same, placed under lock and key. I then phoned this ambitious store manager to inform him that he was going to do no such thing!

Well, this irate manager soon called corporate down in Dixie and brewed up a storm, saying that my son was not being co-operative with him! The manager also said that he was going to file an accident report. A report that, to my knowledge, he never did file until some time later, and then under pressure?

As a matter of fact, when my son was finally forced to hire a very capable bike accident attorney, and that attorney?s sweet mannered assistant called this retailer to attain a copy of the accident report number, I was informed that the manager of that store went nearly balistic and screamed at the gal, in a very ungentlemanly manner! ?It finally took a call from the lad's lawyer's office, to the corporate offices of this retailer, to get this manager to finally file the report I believe??

Well in panic over my son's many injuries, my wife and I (being proud but broke), immediately set about the task of trying to put enough money together to get from our home to the University, many hundreds of miles distant, in order to check on the multiple, severe injuries to our son!

In this effort, we called a few friends, the Salvation Army, the bank that we deal with in a small way, the multiple charities that people always direct you to in time of need, and even the car rental agency that we have dealt with for years!

To make a long story short, two of my true friends helped as much as they could, and the Salvation Army helped out with some gas! The rest of those mentioned above, however, as much as told us where to go, and how to get there!!

Well, with a potential civil action pending against that retailer, one of my inventive ideas looking promising, and a lawyer in the Mid-West diligently pursuing my claim for past (VA) benefits, should any (or all) of these matters ever come to a positive fruition, I can assure you of a few things for sure -

A- I know what western themed bank I won?t be dealing with!

B- What car rental agency, after years of doing business with them, shall never again see my business again!

C- What major retailer is now on my excrement list, and last but not least - I can assure these heartless individuals that my memory is long and that I shall never forget their demeaning attitudes!

"SO HOW IS YOUR MEMORY THESE DAYS??

VERITAS