Gun Safety; a Mom’s most-feared the oxymoron

A kid brought a BB gun on a Bullard school bus causing a serious stir on the rumor mill among worried parents, but fortunately no other disturbances.

Thanks to the alert and quick handling by school officials, and some well thought out policies and training, we are not reporting a tragedy in this week’s paper.

When I heard the rumors, my first thought was: There but for the grace of God go I.

My husband was in charge of gun safety at our house because, well, bluntly my dad did such a good job on gun safety over 40 years ago that I am paranoid of guns to this day.

Gun safety is an oxymoron, if you ask me.

Thank heavens God gave my children two parents because my husband has a more judicious, less hysterical approach.

I never worried about our daughters, too much, being hormonally predisposed to a sensible, practical approach to weapons.

In fact, one of our daughters recently finished her Concealed Handgun License, or CHL. I love to brag about her perfect score on the target shooting section of the training.

Her daddy rewarded her by buying her a sleek, small black handgun that looks like a toy. I have no idea how it feels cus I won’t get near it.

Knowing she is licensed to carry actually makes me sleep sounder at night.

My son is getting there, too, but that hasn’t always been the case.

As a 3-year-old, he would slip out of the house and stop traffic with his plastic cowboy pistols. The main danger was to his mother who suffered serious panic attacks on multiple occasions with that kid’s adventures.

Fortunately, the neighbors quickly grew to anticipate the unexpected and graciously proceeded with extreme caution while he outgrew the sheriff stage.

We took the obvious precautions with our guns.

-We locked them in a gun safe with a combination, not a key, lock.

-I insisted on trigger locks on each and every gun inside the safe.

-We kept the ammo in a separate, secure place on the other side of the house.

Our kids know “All guns are always loaded, even the ones you think are unloaded.” They also know to get the heck out of Dodge if they see anyone holding a gun in an unsafe way or place. Run, don’t walk.

We live in Texas. People keep as many guns as they keep Bibles in their homes. And that’s a lot.

But for heaven’s sakes, there are things you can do to keep guns out of the hands of children.

Do so, or suffer serious personal consequences, folks.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

What if? Abortion and Immigration May be Related Issues

What if we asked God to raise up an army of believers to bring justice to a difficult social injustice and - pause - He DID it?

What if we prayed for something and God gave us exactly what we wanted but wrapped it up in a box that we didn’t recognize?

I’m afraid there is a lot more to the topic of immigration that many Republican pro-life candidates and elected officials may be missing.

I was fortunate to attend the Texas Press Association summer conference one week after attending the Texas Republican Convention.

What a study in contrasts!

My brain was on overload by the time we left the GOP even though I heard later from friends that we missed more raucous discussion on the floor of the last general session.

One young friend shared how surprising it was to hear grown men have “temper tantrums” while amplifying it over a microphone. Clearly, it was his first convention. Welcome to American politics as usual.

A week later at the TPA a friend reminded me comfortingly that US politics was a “bloodbath” back in the 1800s, too, an era that this newspaper man/author often researches in his personal time.

In spite of the fact that downright meanness seems to be the standard of American politics, I’m tired of unkindness masquerading as “truth.” Truth can be plainly spoken without being vitriolic.

Being a passionate – okay, opinionated - person myself I too get the self-indulgent temptation to speak bluntly without taking a 10 second pause to measure the effect of my words on those hearing them. I try to keep in mind that while God is All-knowing, I’m not. And neither are any of our office-holding, public servants.

Usually, I enjoy the rough and ready nature of Texas politics.

But this time the stakes are high.

As one Texan friend with Latina heritage confided, “No one is in favor of abortion.” Then she added that rhetoric on immigration is “hateful.”

What if, hearing our entreaties for help in the effort to curtail and eliminate abortions in this country, God decided to send a deluge of hard-working, God-fearing people to our aid?

But what if in the complicated, often heart-rending issues surrounding immigration, we failed to recognize the prize? What if in our frustration we failed to have the useful and constructive public conversations that will produce solutions regarding immigration and, instead, settled for sound bites?

What if we simply told God, “Never mind, I’ve decided I’d rather keep my wallet in my pocket. What I asked You for is going to cost me too much in taxes?”

Just a thought.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Red, White, and Blue and Read All Over

July is the star-spangled time of year when I feel it is my patriotic duty, and my free speech right, to say why I love small town newspapers.
Don’t we all have a soft spot in our hearts for freedom of speech?
This year in particular I am counting blessings when I consider how many of our small towns around East Texas have careful publishers who are crunching the numbers and managing to stay ahead of the recession while the big boys in big cities across the US are closing down due to the weight of interest on old loans.
Of course, any student of history knows that our forefathers recognized that an independent news source would hold government leaders accountable.
Some folks these days think that the web can fill the need for independent news sources. That may be true when it comes to broadcasting news to Timbuktu. But, just ask yourself this….
Who are you gonna call with a rumor you heard from your kids about something fishy going on between a student and a teacher?
When you hear elected officials are thinking about raising sales taxes, aren’t you gonna whisper in the ear of the reporter who came out to the ribbon cutting on your new business? Emailing a blogger just doesn’t quite cut it.
When your county commissioners and state representatives aren’t listening as you helplessly fume about the new state highway cutting through your grandparents’ old farm place, where are you sending your letter to get public attention?
Any day of the week, our small town publishers, editors, and reporters are accessible. You can drop by the office for a free cup of coffee and a chat, run into ‘em in the line at the bank, or see ‘em in church on Sunday. Heck, you probably have their home phone numbers.
Okay, folks, if ever there was a time to vote with our dollars, now is the time to show support for our local newspapers.
If you have a business, buy ads.
If you can sell something in the classifieds, do it now. Not only will you give the paper a boost, but your own budget will get a bonus, too.
If you want to honor someone’s birthday or anniversary, why not do it with an ad in the local paper.
Instead of canceling your subscription, keep it, at least until we get past this recession. Think of it as a donation to a worthy cause. A really cheap donation.
In fact, why not buy a subscription for a friend? Tie today’s edition up in a bow, deliver it yourself, and tell your friend you love them. And you love a free press and a free country. You can sing “God Bless America” to your friend when you deliver the news.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.co

I Refuse to Be Poor

“I refuse to be poor,” said my friend recently with a big grin.
Don’t ya love it? In the face of all the negative economic talk, she’s made a decision to be rich.
Me, too.
Take, for instance, our dog, Lucy, who does not care if the bills get paid this month as long as there are scary and dangerous squirrels in her yard that she can chase away for the safety of our family.
Okay, it may seem silly, but I love the way Lucy passionately goes about her business in the present moment without any concern for what the folks in Washington or on Wall Street are cooking up.
Besides squirrel-chasing pets, here is the list of wealth we can all enjoy no matter what the economy does.
-Heritage. We are a people who are rich in our ancestors; those good folks who founded a nation on the principle of self-government, based on self-sacrifice and self-discipline. Then, they came to Texas and built a culture out of hard-work and vision.
-Family. We can be rich in family in any economy.
If our kids know that dad and mom are heroes who would starve before letting the kids go hungry, then we are rich indeed.
When our parents have committed themselves to a lifestyle full of dignity and service to others, we inherit a wealth.
-Friends. We are wealthy if we have friends who understand the real priorities in life and remind each other.
-Good Health and Brave Hearts. Folks who are enjoying good health always add this to the list of reasons to be thankful, but I’ve noticed that my friends who are fighting a health battle are the ones who inspire me most. So, give us hearts to be brave in the face of whatever happens. Let us inspire those around us as we face challenges with grace and courage.
-Community Values. Community values are expressed a thousand ways, but one of my favorites is in the hymns that ring out on any given Sunday in hundreds of churches across East Texas. There’s nothing like a good old rousing rendition of Amazing Grace to serve as a reality check.
Does it seem a little Pollyanna to be positive in the face of bad economic news? Maybe. Or maybe the reality isn’t what we see on the television at night.
Maybe, just maybe, the reality is the wealth we enjoy in the loving relationships we create as we struggle and succeed together in tough times.
Just like my friend, I refuse to be poor, even if our bank account fluctuates with the rest of the world’s economy.
My best wishes to you, dear neighbors, for your continued success in the face of uncertain times. May you be rich in all the ways that matter.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http:/checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.

Immigration Reform or Sound Bites?

Whatever happened to Compassionate Conservatism?
Good grief. I am so tired of trite quips that don’t even come close to telling the truth.
For instance, on the issue of immigration reform, one-liners don’t cut it.
Somebody tell the politicians.
Occasionally, I am happy when they get it right. For instance, when someone pointed out that “illegal immigrants” is an oxymoron.
Immigration is a tough issue, one that is centuries in the making.
In Texas, we understand that families have been living on both sides of the Rio Grande for generations.
When I was growing up, my history books left out the fact that, because slavery was outlawed on their side of the border, the Mexicans thought God was on their side at the time of the Alamo.
In fact, some immigrants to the Mexican territory from the US were looking to add Texas to the Union as a slave state.
You would think hassling with ruling governments would end with freedom from Mexico, but Texas had issues with the US government, too. It was still another five years before the US settled up with Texas, paying $10,000,000 in 1851 because of boundary disputes involving what are now other states.
Hmm…like I said, life can be complicated, even in Texas.
The issue of immigration won’t be solved by building a wall, not that walls keep people out.
On the other hand, if communist governments have taught us anything, walls do tend to keep people in. But that’s another story.
Then, there’s the whole welfare, government-provides-all-our-needs economy thing at work. When I was growing up that was labeled socialism.
American perspective has shifted to the point that we no longer view health care or education, for instance, as an opportunity and privilege available in a free country to those willing to make other sacrifices, but we tend view them as rights provided by our government.
I bet my grandparents would have scratched their heads over that notion.
What would happen if the government got out of the welfare business, reduced our taxes, and let us make our own decisions about our hard-earned cash?
I suspect that many Americans would enjoy giving away even more money to help others. Especially if charity meant education and health care for the needy.
Of course, that idea doesn’t buy votes. And lobbyist would have to find something else to do, something productive maybe. There’s a thought.
The growing pains associated with the current influx of foreigners won’t be solved without a lot of compassionate understanding.
Americans can handle the discussion; a good ole knock-down, drag out, lively debate all at once on the multiple repercussions of policy.
In fact, I’m bettin’ that many Americans think that debate is exactly what it is going to take to think creatively and come up with solutions along with consensus.
The American public is not stupid; if only our elected officials would leave off with the sound bites.
Sometimes I think “wise leaders” might be the more problematic oxymoron.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives, writes, and votes with a Texas twang. Comments are welcome at cathykrafve@gmail.com http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Amendment #1: July 4th, Celebrating a Free Press

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
That music you hear playing in the background is the Star Spangled Banner.
Yes, July 4th is the time of year when I like to salute our local newspaper.
I suppose this could be considered self-serving of me, since they do print my column after all.
My young friends tell me that to really reach people, my blog, not my column, is the way to go. Apparently, young people are not into reading newsprint, they prefer lap top screens.
Their loss, I say.
This paper has a website and it serves its purpose, I suppose, especially if you are young. The news industry is changing to keep up with the technology.
On the other hand, as a writer, I can’t help but be in awe of what our forefathers could cover in one sentence, even without a laptop. Clearly, they were not having a slow news day.
For instance, George Washington was elected our first president on February 4, 1789; a whopping thirteen years after the Declaration. Our forefathers had a lot of details to iron out.
Eleven of the original states first adopted the Constitution in 1787 and 88, but two states, North Carolina and Rhode Island, held out for many reasons.
So, what were the hot topics of the day?
The first ten amendments of the Constitution are what sealed the deal.
The hold-out states insisted that individual and state’s rights have some form of definition before they were willing to form an alliance with their fellow independence-minded States.
Which brings us back to the very first thing on their minds: religion, free speech, press, assembly, redress from the government.
What makes my heart pump red, white and blue is the way those things are so obviously related. Obvious to us now. Not so obvious then. You have to hand it to our forefathers for being far-sighted.
So, if you value the right to exercise freely your religion or lack thereof, to speak your mind in public, to assemble peacefully for any reason, to demand changes and integrity from our government, remember the service that a free press affords us. The patriots chose free press as a balance to our self-government in order to ensure those other primary rights.
The local news guys are the ones on the front lines, keeping our government honest.
Pick up today’s newspaper and for less than a dollar, you are buying more efficiency from our government. Certainly more than your tax dollars will ever buy.
Buy an ad from your local paper and not only are you getting media attention for your business, but you are supporting a worthy cause, the fourth estate. Plus, you can probably deduct your business’s media expenses from your tax bill.
Our forefather’s weren’t too keen on taxes; I am pretty sure they would have supported a tax deduction for media. But I bet they never imagined a blog.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, welcomes comments at CaeKrafve2@aol.com or http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Amendment #2: Guns

“A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” US Constitution, The Second Amendment, 1791
“Whenever guns are illegal, only criminals will have guns.” Yeah right, we’ve heard it all before.
Too bad, that quippy little saying really misses the point.
The View, that daytime girlfest of chatter, is a perfect wake-up call that not everyone has been reviewing their grammar school history lessons.
I happened to catch it one day when I was fighting off boredom on the treadmill with a magazine and a headset.
Elizabeth, the lone conservative on the show, is my TV action hero because she is bright, articulate, talks about motherhood like she loves it, and is outnumbered 3 to 1 by her more liberal counterparts.
When the topic was the right to bear arms, though, even Elizabeth missed the chance to remind America the real reason we should cherish the rights our forefathers established.
So why do we have Amendment #2 in the first place?
Amendments 3, 4, and 5 serve as a reality check.
Amendment #3 reminds us that at one time, the English monarch thought it was okay to force his subjects to house and to feed his soldiers, without compensation.
Amendment #4 reminds us that King George‘s soldiers thought it entertaining to bust in on folks’ private homes and search.
Amendment #5 reminds us that the king’s representatives in the New World had a bad habit of accusing folks, throwing them in jail, and confiscating their property without a trial.
Our forefathers were still in creating-a-self-governing-nation mode when they wrote the Bill of Rights. They were looking for ways to keep government for the people, by the people, of the people, as Abe defined it later.
They were creating not only three checks and balances to reign in government, but as many as they could think of, including a free press in the first amendment.
One balance of power was to ensure that government officials would be aware that every citizen was armed. That might slow ya down a mite when you are thinking tyrannical thoughts about world domination and power mongering.
Call me paranoid, but I stand with the patriots on this one.
Lately, there is talk about whether “the right of the people” refers to individuals or the military.
Really? We need to invest in history lessons for media-types.
Our forefathers were not worrying about criminals, although they had their share in a rough and rugged new country.
No siree. They were giving citizens the tools they needed to protect themselves from the very government they were in the process of designing. Just in case.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, welcomes comments at CaeKrafve2@aol.com or http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Private Property in Texas

Private property rights probably won’t make the news as a hot presidential election issue, but just wait ‘til the Texas governor’s race heats up.
In 2005, our Supreme Court took a pot shot at redefining eminent domain with the help of Kelo v. the City of New London.
Some folks claim that eminent domain is the friend of progress. Good point. We have roads, sewers, utility right-of-ways, you name it, all because of eminent domain.
Howev er, it is important to keep in mind that eminent domain is also the enemy of private property.
Kelo made it clear that the Supreme Court would tolerate redefining eminent domain to include allowing local governments to force private citizens to sell their land, in order to re-sell it to private businessmen who could develop the property. The idea is that the community will benefit with more tax revenue.
Make no mistake; this is a brand new reason for local governments to use eminent domain.
Given the current push coming out of Austin for a trans-Texas highway, don’t look for our state government to be too eager to limit the use of eminent domain.
If you are not generating enough tax dollars on your private property, folks, you have reason to be shaking in your cowboy boots.
Exactly which Amendment to the US Constitution defines eminent domain?
If you guessed Amendment #5, you are close.
“No person shall… be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
But, it turns out that we can thank the Brits, not the Bill of Rights, for eminent domain.
It comes to us out of English common law. It kinda makes sense in the context of English lords taking their opportunity to restrict the power of the English monarch, putting him under rather than above the law, as in the Magna Carta, signed in 1215.
When you add the context of the War of Independence and you read the words of the patriots in Amendment #5, you get the idea that they were looking for ways to restrict, not enable, governments, too.
Their commitment was to have citizen leaders provide guidance for self-government; apparently they intended for leaders, who would face the accountability of elections, to make decisions that reflected the concerns of local folks.
Personally, I like it best when the City Council or the County Commissioners are making these eminent domain decisions, because I can call ‘em up and chew ‘em out if I think they goofed. Me and a few thousand other citizens.
Local leaders have phone numbers in the local phone book. That’s what I call accountability.
Yep, folks, the issue of eminent domain is back to bite us, right here in Texas.
Our state government is currently staking out the right-of-way for a super-highway right across the farms and ranches of unhappy Texans.
And get this; it’s going to be a toll way. Somebody stands to make the big bucks and you can bet it’s not the farmers.
Of course, on this issue and so many others, I always rejoice when I see my friends in the newspaper business, local reporters, doing their job by asking tough questions.
As well as the Fifth Amendment, this might be a good time to reference Alexis de Tocqueville, the French guy who wrote Democracy in America and is famous for the concept of Tyranny of the Majority.
“When I see that the right and means of absolute command are conferred on any power whatever, be it called a people or a king, an aristocracy or a democracy, a monarchy or a republic, I say there is the germ of tyranny….”
Just a thought.

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, welcomes comments, particularly different viewpoints, at cathykrafve@gmail.com or http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.

Favorite Moments from the 2008 Texas Republican Convention

Drama! Laughter! Heartbreak! Hurrahs!
The Texas Republican Convention 2008 had something for everyone.
We all take our freedom pretty seriously in this state, but it can’t hurt to laugh along the way as we are getting worked into a lather with the Presidential elections drawing near.
As tribute to the hard-working men and women who put on the event with the intention of doing their part in the self-governing process, here’s my list of favorite moments at the convention.
-Favorite Missing In Action Candidate: John McCain who didn’t show up.
-Favorite Gag: The cardboard stand-up of McCain positioned in the aisle in front of the video crew and beamed to the big screens with delegates pretending to pose with the absentee candidate.
-Favorite Honor: Local guy and US Congressman, Louie Gohmert, received the Texas Eagle Forum’s Patriot of the Year award.
-Jazziest slogan: I have no idea what it means but my favorite stickers were the ones that labeled delegates “Red Hot.” Everybody was handing out stickers; some delegates reminded me of those VW vans that travel the world covered in stickers. This one actually said “Keep Texas…” in small font and was sponsored by the Growth, Opportunity and Prosperity PAC whoever they are.
-Favorite New faces on the East Texas Political Scene: William Hughey of Marshall in Harrison County who is running for District Judge, and his wife, Willie. His impromptu comments in the Congressional District 3 Caucus meeting received a long and enthusiastic standing ovation.
-Favorite political ad: The “Big Bad John” video put together by US Senator John Cornyn’s staff; it was the most entertaining of the lot. You can check it out at their website, but bet we won’t see the full version on TV. It’s funny, even if you’re not a Republican.
-Favorite Fashion Statement: People wearing Styrofoam elephants on their heads.
-Favorite New Face at the State Level: Dr. Robin Armstrong, Vice Chairman of the Republican Party. Okay, die-hard Republicans probably know this guy, but he was new to me. He is conservative, articulate, and took the time to listen to folks.
-Favorite Houston Restaurant near the Convention Center: The Grove, less pricey than most with a view of the sculpture garden that doubles as a park.
-Favorite fauxpas: When one of the national delegate nominees said he loved his wife and what she did to him…oops…for him.
Attending a party convention for the first time is an amazing and often bewildering experience. Sometimes it felt like a carnival, sometimes like a country western concert, and sometimes, for instance during the prayer breakfast, it felt like a call to worship.
There is something compelling about the process that has developed out of the foundation our forefathers designed.
No matter whose candidate wins in November, we really do live in a land where liberty is a celebration and a call to thanksgiving.


Cathy Primer Krafve lives and votes in Texas. Comments are invited at CaeKrafve2@aol.com of http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.