Driving While Texting, Texting While Driving

After reading Vanessa's commentary Distracted driving is blind driving, I have really put some thought into how we could turn this dire situation around. I agree that we need stricter laws for distracted driving as I will admit that I occasionally use my phone while driving. One option would be to somehow link the driver's cell phone with the ignition and consequently turn off texting capabilities while the car is in drive. The texting feature would be enabled once the car is put into park. Another option would be to disconnect all cell phone services while the car is in drive, although this could possibly hinder emergency calls.

I think that going forward all vehicles should be equipped with the necessary technology to link up with cell phones. This would allow the driver to make calls from the car rather than directly from their phone. This would free up the driver's hands, and still allow them to make "emergency" calls. Some may argue that phone calls distract drivers regardless of whether or not their hands are free, but I believe that it is impossible to eliminate every single distraction from a driver.

I thought Vanessa's blog was very well thought out, though I would have liked to see her include her suggestions for how to solve this problem. She did a great job explaining the problem and giving the reader the relevant background information, I just would have liked to have been presented with options.

"F" as in Fail

      With more and more Texas schools failing to meet national and federal standards, one has to wonder: what are we doing wrong? Unfortunately, it's not just Texas, but schools nationwide. Recently, Texas lawmakers have considered doing away with the Early Start Education Program as a way to close the budget gap that has become so deep. I believe this will only increase the percentage of students that fall behind. If we do not get our youth off to an early and appropriate start, then it will just be downhill from there. Some have argued that it is up to parents to provide their children with education in the home until the child enters kindergarten. With many children living in broken homes, or within families with two working parents, this is often unfeasible. Also, many parents are uneducated and therefore may not value the importance of an education. According to More area schools fail federal standards, schools that fail to meet these federal standards may be uneligible to receive federal funding. In my opinion, this will create even more problems. Lack of funding could mean fewer teachers and below-average programs.

      So where do we go from here? We need to teach our youth the value of education, especially those in low-income and working-class families. We also need to provide incentives for students to complete their education. With such a grim economy and lack of jobs, it is no wonder that graduation rates are down. I believe that there need to be mentor programs and career counselors in each school to provide guidance for students. I can remember being lost in college trying to choose a major. While working on my first degree I wish that I would have had someone accessible to me to discuss my options with. While I am thankful for my business degree, looking back I wish that I had chosen a more focused career path.

      My point is that we need to help steer the youth of Texas in the right direction. Children come from different backgrounds, have different talents, and therefore need different levels of assistance. I also believe that schools should implement work-study programs. I also highly suggest that students take some time between high school and college, maybe a year or two, to enter the working world and discover their talents, travel the world, and experience life outside of their current situation. Then, should they choose a career that requires further education, they will value their experience and become a better person for it.