Mrs. Kerr at her finest - New editorial

[Guest KWW67]

Where's the common sense from Tennessee legislators?

By Gail Kerr • March 12, 2009

Welcome to Tennessee, where it's debatable whether driving while looking down is a bad idea, but bringing a commemorative bottle of wine home from vacation is a crime against the state.

Meanwhile, a new law allowing you to pack heat while feeding the ducks in Centennial Park — because you never know when one of those little boogers will scarf more than their share — is well on its way to becoming law over the objection of most police chiefs in the state.

We shy away from paying public school teachers raises based on how well they do their jobs, because somebody's feelings might get hurt. Yet we pay a college president half a million dollars to go away because he didn't do the job well enough.

Our government, which art downright kooky, hallowed be thy name.

Some of it is the legislature. OK, most of it is the legislature. But some of it is just how much government over-think goes on.

Take the whole text messaging thing. A bill to outlaw text messaging while driving is moving slowly because of questions like: Why is it necessary? Who will enforce it?

Is law necessary?

The Tennessean wrote a story about it. A photo showed a fellow driving down Broadway while text messaging. HE WAS LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN. Doesn't that say it all? You cannot use your little thumbs to find the little buttons that make the little message go to your buddies UNLESS YOU ARE LOOKING DOWN.

Is a law necessary? Yes. People are driving stupid. Teens have died. If the state doesn't tell them to stop it, they'll keep doing it. Is it enforceable? If a cop sees a guy driving like that fellow in the paper, of course it's enforceable.

Let's put it this way. Would you want to be driving on a narrow, twisting road when the driver on the other side of the yellow line is text messaging? Didn't think so.

Meanwhile, the popular bill to allow wine sales at the grocery is moving slowly. Its cousin was pretty well received. That would allow you to bring home wine from an out-of-state winery. Most folks didn't realize that the Cabernet they brought home after their Biltmore tour made them a state felon.

Over-thinking, definitely. But sometimes, there's under-thinking. Like the bill allowing hidden handguns in bars and parks. Yes, bars. Where whiskey is sold. Guns are legal. Guns should be legal. But over cocktails and at your kid's Little League game? The law does say only the unarmed shall quaff. But pity the poor bartender who tries to enforce that one. Road rage? Meet sports bar rage. Table for two? Packing or not packing?

The debate over merit pay for teachers has been over-thought for decades. How can you measure good teaching? How can you do it fairly? Oh, good grief. If the state has figured out what behavior is good enough to free a prisoner, surely it can figure out who's a good teacher.

So please. Spare us from the nutty and nonsensical. Give it a thought, will ya?

Gail Kerr's column runs on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Contact her at 615-259-8085 or gkerr@tennessean.com.

There has got to be a some kind of penalty for reporting false information by a journalist???!!!!!!

Edited March 12, 2009 by KWW67

[ftncityfatboy]

i didn't realize they were going to allow carry in bars, yes bars.....someone seems misinformed in the media, imagine that.

[Guest sharpshooter01]

Seems to me these writers and reporters think it is going to be like a wild west bar scene, most of these idiots that write these stories think we can drink while we carry. I wish they would do us all a favor and report on something they actually know something about, but I guess they wouldn't have a job.

[Guest savvysteve]

Seems to me these writers and reporters think it is going to be like a wild west bar scene, most of these idiots that write these stories think we can drink while we carry. I wish they would do us all a favor and report on something they actually know something about, but I guess they wouldn't have a job.

+1 Well said.

[Guest KWW67]

Seems to me these writers and reporters think it is going to be like a wild west bar scene, most of these idiots that write these stories think we can drink while we carry. I wish they would do us all a favor and report on something they actually know something about, but I guess they wouldn't have a job.

+2

[Guest mustangdave]

I worked at the TENNESSEAN 11 years ago...it was kooky then...and still is.

[bubbiesdad]

Seems to me these writers and reporters think it is going to be like a wild west bar scene, most of these idiots that write these stories think we can drink while we carry. I wish they would do us all a favor and report on something they actually know something about, but I guess they wouldn't have a job.

Well we drive while we carry, she spoke of road rage, where are the dozens of daily shootings over fender benders?

[Guest jackdog]

another idiot article about guns from a another idiot. Seems our papers have a abundance of such people.

[Guest betobeto]

Well we drive while we carry, she spoke of road rage, where are the dozens of daily shootings over fender benders?

+1

Hell Ya! If Im going to get pissed it will be on the road! Not at the table next to me, or my server that messed up my order.

[kwe45919]

The whole gun/bar debate is awsome. While carrying into a "drinkin'" bar that has dancers and pool tables is a no-no for me, I happen to enjoy places like Applebee's, O'Charlies or many other "steak" houses that serve liquor/beer. Having to disarm for those establishments seems kinda petty considering they have the "family/sports environment" and aren't really bars but restaurants. Yet because they sell liquor/beer, I can't protect my family while eating there. It's not whether I drink or not while I'm there, I'm smarter than that, it's the fact that as a sober law abiding adult, I can not protect myself and my family against those who break the law and carry into those types of establishments and whom might drink a little to much and pull their firearm.

(BTW...don't tell me to not eat at those places. Tell the wife!!

Edited March 13, 2009 by kwe45919

[Guest SUNTZU]

The whole gun bar debate is awsome. While carrying into a "drinkin'" bar that has dancers and pool tables is a no-no for me, I happen to enjoy places like Applebee's, O'Charlies or many other "steak" houses that serve liquor/beer. Having to disarm for those establishments are kinda petty considering they have the "family/sports environment" and aren't really bars but restaurants. Yet because they sell liquor/beer, I can't protect my family while eating there.

(BTW...don't tell me to not eat at those places. Tell the wife!!

Yeah, I tried explaining to my girlfriend why I was taking her to Waffle House for Valentine's Day. We almost got out of the driveway before I was told no without a word being said. BTW, my driveway is more of a parking space, so we rolled about five feet.

Also, Rafferty's was good, even with an empty holster.

[Volzfan]

Kerr wouldn't be an issue if the sheeple that read her rantings could actually do their own thinking but they can't or just won't.

It is so much easier to let these misguided writers make up their minds for them. Anyone that had even half of a brain would know better.

Sad.

[Guest VolMickey]

I worked at the TENNESSEAN 11 years ago...it was kooky then...and still is.

What to they put in the water for the folks that work at newspapers?

Whatever it is is not only causing "liberalism", but also the demise of the newspaper industry...

[Guest crotalus01]

Watch i with the guns in Waffle House - they are posted (not properly posted but they will still ask you to leave if they see your firearm).

[Guest SUNTZU]

Watch i with the guns in Waffle House - they are posted (not properly posted but they will still ask you to leave if they see your firearm).

I've never had a problem.

[Guest bkelm18]

As I told a friend recently who thought it outrageous that we might allow guns where alcohol is served, out of all the states that have some form of carry permit (48/50 I think), Tennessee is only one of a handful that doesn't allow carry where alcohol is served. Yet where are all the reports of outrageous violence and gun battles in the bars and restaurants that serve alcohol in other states? Do they (our legislators and fellow citizens) think that we, as Tennesseans, are somehow dumber or have no intelligent thought processes in place that would allow us to carry a gun and be in the vicinity of alcohol without going Charlie Manson and murdering everyone in sight? I don't get it.

[Guest nraforlife]

Wrong post - sorry

[Guest archerdr1]

and what's with the whole park thing? We are going to shoot the duck that takes more of his fair share? Do these people ever go into the parks? do they not know what kind of creeps and the assaults/rapes that happen there? Jackasses! I'll bet that if they do go there THEY are carrying something!

[Guest pws_smokeyjones]

Reason #217 why I don't give my money to the Tennessean.