Why Now

I have been asked, why go to the trouble of having a Blog at this point in your life.  Well, I guess, that’s a reasonable question.   I am comfortable, have a decent retirement, have a very good family life, including a supportive wife and kids who have done well with their lives.   Have had a professional career that has had a measure of success.  Indeed, I have the requisite aches and pains.  We all seem to have a cross to bear and I, certainly, have mine; however, I remain on the green side of the grass.

The initial post, One More Shooting is One Too Many, was an op-ed article that was submitted to the local newspaper, The Tuscaloosa News, shortly after the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, and they did not print it.  Obviously, there were no reasons given, but this experience mirrored other experiences in recent months with this news outlet.  Given the absence of a means for sharing opinions, thoughts, concerns and suggestions on a variety of issues I decided to have the Blog developed.   In the future, I will be posting articles about relevant and current subjects.  There is a myriad of topics that lend themselves to a variety of perspectives, including, the safety of children in schools across the county; the local, state and national political arenas; the ever-changing environment in Washington with the present administration; the intrusion of technology into our lives; and, pending cases before the Supreme Court, to mention just a few examples.  There will also be opportunities that arise due to a current event.

Considering my background in higher education, some of what I will be sharing will be specific to this venue.  It is my belief that there are several issues in higher education that require some scrutiny and discussion.  Examples include, salaries of administrators, faculty and staff; the level of productivity of faculty; the reliance on out-of-state students at public universities to bolster the financial coffers; the astronomical amount of debt that so many students incur and the impact this can have on their future; the for-profit programs that have arisen and modified the educational landscape; the overuse of the Internet to teach classes at the expense of face-to-face communication; and, the lack of personal interaction between faculty and students.

I do hope that you will be willing to indulge me and consider what I include in the ensuing days.  I know that what I include will not resonate with all who might read a specific post and “Flying with the Crow” will offer you the opportunity to comment.  Please take the time to send me your comments.  I welcome you to do so.

One more shooting is one too many

The tragedy of the horrific and senseless school shooting that occurred in Parkland, Florida last week is that nothing different will be done.  Those advocating for ownership of guns will argue that guns don’t kill, people do”.  These same advocates will point to the 2nd Amendment and further argue that it guarantees people the right to “keep and bear arms.  In a recent article in the Alabama Political Reporter , Josh Moon wrote a very poignant article about the absurdity of this argument.  His article, entitled, “Your pro-gun arguments are stupid”, pointed out that these same pro-gun proponents fail to include the first part of the sentence in the 2nd Amendment which reads: “A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free state,…” as they beat the drum for gun ownership.  It would appear that the right to keep and bear arms was related, specifically, to a well-regulated Militia.  States have the National Guards, local and state law enforcement to provide for this protection,

Let it be stated, that those of us who have serious reservations about the proliferation of guns in our country are not arguing that guns cannot be owned by the citizenry.  What is of concern is the type of gun.  Pistols for individual protection, rifles and shotguns for hunting are not the problem.  The problem is the assault rifles and weapons of destruction that can fire rapid rounds of ammunition in milliseconds.  Why are these weapons needed?  How does restricting ownership of such weapons undermine the 2nd Amendment?  How are these weapons used other than for mass shootings?  It is my recollection that in each of the school shootings and recent massacres, such as Las Vegas, it was this type of weapon that was used.

As noted earlier, the tragedy that words of condolence will be forthcoming, individuals will point out how something must be done, yet politicians will send their “thoughts and prayers” and go about their other business.  Following the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, the Connecticut Legislature did act and passed some of the most stringent gun-control legislation in the county.  In a recent article in The New York Times, data from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, stated that: “with few exceptions, states with the strictest gun-control measures, California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, have the lowest rates of gun deaths, while those with the most lax laws, Alabama, Alaska and Louisiana, have the highest.” It would certainly appear that there is some correlation between the laws and the results.

Let us hope that politicians in Washington and the state capitols around the country will have the backbone and the fortitude to do what needs to be done.  Short of this we will just be waiting for the next Parkland, Sandy Hook or Columbine to happen.  Listen to the Parkland students, they are begging for action, not words.