The title of my column might sound like a reference to the often used phrase bantered about way too often. I concur with Albert Einstein’s quote “Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by the age of eighteen.”Rather, I choose this title due to its significance in American history and as an homage to Thomas Paine, who wrote the best publication bearing this moniker in 1776. Paine’s work challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy.