Long time no text

I needed to cool down.  The last few posts were either really soap-boxy or just ridiculous.  I needed to wait a bit before I committed to something new.  Thank goodness for the Holidays!  As anyone who knows me, this year has been a trying one, right out of the gate.  Why?  The long and the short of it is because of texting while driving.

My family is the statistic used to scare teenagers into compliance.  If you're reading this, then I'm the guy you know whose family was upended by a truck driver who was texting while driving seconds before he plowed into my wife's car.  And, while, ultimately, the outcome has our lives back not-necessarily-to-normal, it was a completely avoidable accident if everyone who was operating a vehicle was doing what they should have.

This is what the FCC says about it:

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that in 2012 driver distraction was the cause of 18 percent of all fatal crashes – with 3,328 people killed – and crashes resulting in an injury – with 421,000 people wounded.
• Forty percent of all American teens say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put people in danger, according to a Pew survey.
• The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted.
• Eleven percent of drivers aged 18 to 20 who were involved in an automobile accident and survived admitted they were sending or receiving texts when they crashed 

We're now a statistic.  And, while this is just as stupid as putting on eye-liner on the Parkway, or drinking coffee in one hand, while holding a breakfast sandwich and shifting with the other, we accept it.  On your drive home from work or school, count the number of cars where someone's playing with their phone.

What's sick is that we have the technology to combat the numbers.  Bluetooth speakerphone/ear pieces exist to help, as does Siri, Cortana and Google voice activated operating systems.  You don't need your hands anymore.  And, more importantly, nothing is that important. 

So, please, remind yourself, when the text comes in while you're driving, ignore it.  Turn off the reminder.  If it's that important, they'll call.  If they don't call, then it wasn't that important.  It's nearly resolution season, and I ask that all of you, regardless of the circumstance, make it your business to be more responsible while you're driving.  If not for the drivers around you, then do it for my family.

Thanks, and have a happy and healthy holiday season. 

It wasn't enough so we try again

Last time I urged you to write your US congresspeople.  Now, if you're an NJ resident, I implore you to write your state legislators.  Today, a measure to overturn the Governor's veto regarding extra level of review when issuing gun permits to citizens who have been treated for mental illness, was nearly defeated. 

This isn't an issue with the 2nd amendment, but, instead, permits a judge to review the facts of a previously diagnosed mentally ill person prior to their receiving permission to purchase a fire arm. 

In the wake of San Bernardino, it is imperative that we start the reform NOW. 

I'll help.  Copy and paste and fill in what you need to, and send this to your legislators in NJ whether they be R or D.  Get this done!

"Dear Legislators,

I want to take this opportunity to voice what I believe to be the popular opinion of the general public: there needs to be gun control reform in this country, now.  That said, I am disappointed at the near defeat of the Veto override regarding potentially tighter review of gun purchase applications by citizens that had previously been diagnosed with mental illness.  To be quite honest, I don't know why this wasn't already in place.  Also, because it's not a straight denial of a purchase application, but supplemental review, I don't believe that this is an issue of the 2nd Amendment.

I ask that you reach across the aisle so that, on December 17, 2015, when this will be voted on again, there will be enough votes to sustain a veto override.  I don't care about statistics regarding the Governor's near perfect record regarding his veto power.  I do care about gun control in light of what has happened in Colorado and most recently California.  It's time to change our nations view on firearm accessibility.  This is a no-brainer.  However, if you don't vote to override the Governor's maneuver to pander to a right-wing National caucus while ignoring New Jersey, then you're part of the problem. 

I thank you for your time and I know you're going to do the right thing, and change gun reform laws for the overall benefit and safety of our society. 

Thank you for your time,"









And then click here and e-mail this mother out.  If you don't write your politicians, then you're no better than they are.

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp