After reading the post I found here on Tyler TX Directory about Tyler going wet, I found myself in a family debate on the issue. As a devout, practicing Christian, I drink wine every week at Eucharist; I enjoy wine with friends at dinner and a cold beer on a hot day, especially if I’m working outside. And I voted for the right, as a responsible adult, to buy an occasional case of beer at my local Brookshire’s, rather than drive a half hour to the county line liquor store. Now I’ve grown up in Tyler. I’m obviously not Baptist but I have family members who are. And yet with all of this being said, I’ve still been amazed by how contentious the wet / dry issue continues to be.
I’ll go one further. I’m a pretty conservative, traditional guy, and I vote that way. But I have acquaintances in Tyler who were just as devastated by the results of the wet / dry election as they were by those of the nation. Honestly, I almost wish I had simply abstained from voting on the issue altogether, so that I could honestly answer no to any inquires as to my vote.
Look, allow me to break the suspense. There are going to be people who do not exercise their liberty responsibly, I understand that. But I prefer not to be held captive by the poor choices that others may make. I know we all have our worries and concerns one way or the other. I guess for me it’s all about living simply and enjoying (responsibly) that which God gave us to make the heart glad. I have no desire to relish my liberties in a way that brings offense to those who don’t share them. But I’m also tired of the moralizing and admonitions coming from the other side of the issue. So, I guess my purpose for composing this piece would be to pose the following question: Can we let the issue be for a while Tyler?
Honestly, it seems like everywhere I go lately I’m treated either to vitriol, “finally Tyler has stepped into the modern age!” or commiseration and hand ringing, “I just hate seeing beer in my favorite grocery store!” Ok, regardless of how some of us feel, all moral restraint is not going to melt away. Tyler is not going to be pelted with fire and brimstone because of the retails can now maintain an aisle with adult beverages. How about we all just take a deep breath, make allowance for other’s feelings on the issue, (and this most importantly), behave like grown- ups.
Texas to Ban Texting and Driving
May 27th, 2011Well, the Texas Senate has passed a law banning texting while driving, but the ban has yet to become law at this point. Instead it has been sent back to the House to approve a change in verbiage that is actually a significant change. The bill’s author, Senator Judith Zaffirini, a Democrat from Laredo, included reading texts, (or anything), in the band. The changes to the bill would make it a crime to write or send a text while the vehicle is moving, but not specifically to read them. Senator Zaffifini was not pleased with making the ban less restrictive, but wanted the process to go forward despite the change. Now this is going to strike some readers as ridiculous, but I have to say that, at this point, I’m not for it!
On the surface it seems like a slam dunk. We all have stories we could tell of people becoming involved in accidents because they were trying to text while driving. I certainly don’t deny that it’s extremely unwise. But the question for me is; where does the legislation end? Should we pass a law that says you can’t tune the radio and drive? Or how about eat and drive? Maybe drink and drive, (and no I don’t mean alcohol, I mean anything). Cherry lime-aids are particularly dangerous if one goes rooting around the bottom of the cup looking for cherries when the drink is gone. This seems like more nanny- state legislation to me. And for some reason, we in Texas are really susceptible to peer- pressure. If a big fancy state like New York has it, we should too! It’s the same thinking that brought that ludicrous smoking ban to Tyler.
No one can possibly argue that texting and driving are, two things that go great together; nor is smoking good for you, nor is eating too much red meat! Hey! And you know what? Sitting too close to the TV is hard on the eyes! Oh and it’s a bad idea to swim after eating! Maybe pools should be held liable if I cramp up while swimming. Government, local, state, or national, does not exist to protect us from every risk. But we have lost the ability to distinguish what is unwise, from what is unlawful, and given a few years, we’re all going to be so mired down in petty rules and regulations we’re not going to be able to turn around without some do-gooder or other handing us a ticket.
“So what would you do? HUH?!” Well I don’t know… For starters, I’ve no opposition to raising the driving age a bit. I’d wager that a large portion of the offenders are young people anyway. Surely not all, but most I expect. But maybe we as citizens just need to be more responsible. I understand the good intentions here. Honestly I’d probably be hard pressed to find anyone who defends the right to text and drive. But at some point we’ve got to stop trying to legislate common sense.
Tags: Accidents, Aids, Alcohol, Bad Idea, Cherries, Cherry Lime, Cramp, Democrat, Hard On The Eyes, Judith Zaffirini, Laredo, Nanny State, Pools, Reading Texts, Red Meat, Slam, Smoking Ban, State Legislation, Texas Senate, Texas texting and driving, Tyler Texas, Verbiage
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