I wish I knew why so many people are so stingy with commas. I just finished editing an otherwise wonderful petition for review that suffered greatly from comma deficiency and I've edited way too many other papers and documents afflicted with the same disease. I do hope the problem is not contagious. I would hate, for example, to find myself suddenly trying noticing that every paper from Tom, Dick, or Harry was missing obligatory commas.

Are people afraid that the world supply of commas will run out? Do they not believe in the visual pause? Does the surface problem reflect a deeper fear of properly punctuated lists?

See, people, I, can, even, use, far, too, many, commas, and, not, run, out. The supply is infinite.

This has been a public service announcement of the Society for the Proper Use of Commas. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled bad grammar.

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