A Test for Governor Perry

"Local Control." Seriously, Governor?

Maybe it's time for you to take a state-mandated test. Please answer the following questions.

In what universe should Texas educators carry guns to their workplace, which happens to be  classrooms filled to overflowing with innocent young minds?

Should educators create an atmosphere that encourages learning or a prison-like police state that implements scare tactics?

Budget cuts have resulted in ridiculous work loads, leaving teachers with no free time to attend concealed handgun classes. Should these classes, along with target practice, become scheduled inservice days?

Who should supply the guns? The underpaid teachers who already buy school supplies their districts can no longer afford? Or should school districts stop wasting money on books, buildings, and technology and start purchasing more weapons?

Where would these guns be stored during the day? Will underpaid teachers have to provide their own safes to keep their weapons away from students who might steal them? Or should each teacher just strap a holster onto his or her belt, just for effect?

What happens when an overstressed or under-medicated educator with an overcrowded and/or under-motivated class has access to a gun to brandish to "get the students' attention"?

Don't teachers have enough responsibilities to juggle already? Do you know what teachers and administrators already do on any given day?

Is this your idea of a cost-cutting measure? Are you trying to tell our students and teachers their lives are not really worth the cost of hiring at least one well-trained law enforcement officer -- armed with a gun (or two) and a taser -- per campus to protect lives?

How do you feel about vigilante justice?

What did you learn from the Sandy Hook tragedy?

It's time to talk

We must address mass violence now -- while our hearts are broken, while the faces of those precious, innocent children and heroic adults are etched in our minds, while our emotions are raging -- because we tend to forget too quickly.

Here's a reminder: 54 people in the United States have died in mass shootings in the past nine months. 

Some of the shootings were in schools; some were not. And since the vast majority of schools have never and will never experience violence, the odds of never facing a crazed gunman are in our favor. However, playing the odds is no longer enough. The life of even one first grader is too much to risk. We need to step forward and become the adults, the innovators, the leaders who deserve our children's trust. 

I am not anti-gun or anti-NRA, but I have a few thoughts: 

1. Ban assault rifles. They are not handguns, nor are they hunting rifles. We do have a Second Amendment right to protect ourselves, but no individual needs a military style assault weapon to fulfill that right. Apparently we need tighter controls on gun shows and individual sales, too, because no one should be able to buy a gun without a background check. When kept in homes, guns need to be secured in places children, adolescents, and "mentally or psychologically disturbed" young adults cannot access. Our tragic reality demands such measures. 

2. Address mental health issues and and upgrade treatment for those who need it. I'm no mental health expert, but the dialogue needs to begin on political, professional, and personal levels. Congress needs to talk. Medical professionals need to talk. Individuals need to talk. Identifying those in need is everyone's job, i.e. if we know someone who needs counseling or medication, we become proactive. We talk to their family members even if it feels awkward or uncomfortable. We make sure we talk to the people who are in a position to secure that help. If necessary, we resort to talking to law enforcement officials about individuals who set off our internal alarm system.

3. Rethink the way we commercialize violence in the media and in video games. Devise more stringent rating guidelines. While violent movies or games will never influence most of the people who enjoy them, they do warp some minds, and too many of our mass murderers fall into the latter category.  Financial gain should never trump public safety. The creative and gifted writers, producers, and programmers can surely find ways to produce entertainment that does not have the potential to damage minds or perceptions. 

4. Do our job as parents. Be the parent; raise the kids. Know what they're up to, what and who they're involved with, how they spend their time, how they think. If they need an intervention, provide one. If you need an intervention, find one. Discourage all teen drug and alcohol use. Science has proved that the teen-age brain is not developed enough to handle these substances. Teach them to respect other people, young and old. Forbid profanity. Push them to be involved in an activity they love. Know who they're spending time with; check out their friends. Monitor and limit their computer use. Eat together as a family as often as you can. Say grace. Take them to church. If they need counseling or rehab, find a way to make it happen. Err on the side of caution. Model character and integrity. Listen to them. Laugh with them. Hug them. Tell them how much you love them.

On behalf of Sandy Hook Elementary School, we must find answers or we lose this very real war. We cannot forget this weekend and we cannot survive in fear. Most of all, we must protect our children's innocence. Until we take action, all we can do is grieve. 

J.K. Rowling has nothing on me

OK. Maybe she does.

But best sellers and movie royalties notwithstanding, Ms. Rowling, other writers, and I share the incredible feeling that accompanies this photo. And today this makes me happy.

Six months, 90,000-plus words, a couple of revisions, and 356 pages later, this is what a "finished" manuscript looks like. I'm still seeking the perfect title, but now I can finally begin query and synopsis writing, agent hunting, and probably another round or two of revising.

Content has already changed significantly; even the protagonist has undergone a name change. And since I'm already second guessing the ending, I guarantee additional revisions are more than a mere probability. No matter what happens next, I find immense happiness in the journey.