The Texas-side City Council is considering a proposal to extend the hours alcohol can be served for on-premises consumption.
Right now liquor service in restaurants must end at midnight. The proposal would allow sales until 2.a.m.
That would match the closing time on the Arkansas side. Some restaurant owners say they are losing money after customers leave at midnight to go to establishments across the state line.
We want to know what you think. Should Texas-side establishments be able to compete with those on the Arkansas side by serving alcohol until 2 a.m.? Or should the current midnight closing time remain?
Send your response (50 words maximum) to [email protected] by Wednesday, March 7. You can also mail your response to the Texarkana Gazette Friday Poll, at P.O. Box 621, Texarkana, TX 75504 or drop it off at our office, 101 E. Broad St, Texarkana, Ark. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. We will print as many responses as we can in next Friday's paper.
Last Week: School Shootings?
Last week's question was about school safety in the wake of the Parkland tragedy. Is there a realistic chance anyone can come up with an effective way to stop this madness? Any way to ensure our children are safe at school?
In 1995, Joe Biden proposed the idea that all schools should be gun free zones and it was made law. 1995 was the first school shooting. I do believe school staff should be allowed to be armed if they want. Take the $550 million that Planned Parenthood receives each year and give it to schools to use for security.-D.S.,Texarkana, Ark.
Second Amendment was written when guns were flintlocks. We have had ownership restrictions on some guns since the 1930s because of criminal activity. No one act will prevent mass shootings, but a combination of reasonable restrictions on ownership, mental health evaluations, and better enforcement of existing laws will reduce them.-W.B., Texarkana, Ark.
Guns are a tool, like many others, such as media, educational Institutions, and government, that can be used for good or evil, depending on the character of who is in control. Guns can kill the body, but these other "tools," in the hands of evil people can destroy souls, and indirectly the body also.-D.H.M., Texarkana, Ark.
Blaming it all on mental illness is a cop out. Ban the sale and ownership of AR-15, AK47 weapons. Elect representatives who value lives more than the pocket of the NRA which is part of the problem. We really do need representatives who recognize and do something about the problem.-D.M., Texarkana, Texas
Lets address some core causes of mass violence first and foremost. Violent movies, TV shows and video games. Unsupervised children watch the violence portrayed at a very young age and see it as acceptable behavior. Poor and non-existent parenting-young boys need a father who leads by example and shows them the way to be caring, responsible adult men. And, sadly, some people just lack a conscience.-P.A., Texarkana, Ark.
Guns of mass destruction are for our protection-meaning military, SWAT teams, police. Stop making mass destruction ammo for the public that already have those guns. Harder rules should apply to bullying in schools.This can be done. It's harder to open a prescription bottle than it is to buy weapons that do not belong in unqualified people's hands.-K.W., New Boston, Texas
From www.facebook.com/texarkanagazette
- Enact more gun laws, all you'll do is take hands out of law-abiding citizens. Criminals won't pay attention to laws. You'll never stop these shootings from happening, but maybe we can save lives by arming those that are charged with protecting our students from 8-4 every day.
- Spend the money on armed security and metal detectors if the teachers are willing and are properly train let them be armed as well don't advertise which teachers are armed or not armed the schools can take. The responsibility of protecting our kids spend the money on security instead of sports programs that Thousands of dollars are used for which is more important protecting our kids or playing sports
- Yes! Parents need to become more involved in what their children are doing! Watch what they are doing on social media, talk to them about school and what is going on in their lives pertaining to that. If they see any signs of bullying DO something about it! Police need to take things more seriously when something is reported to them. So does the FBI and school officials. Let retired armed police and Veterans stand guard over our children. Have the teachers that are willing to carry a gun and who have had extensive training, as well as background and psychological tests do so.
- Start with parenting. Tide pod eating millennials are being raised by a cell phone.
- Simple fix. All firearms must be registered. If you are caught with an unregistered weapon , you go to prison for 10 years. Automatically. No exceptions. Butbutthe " bad" guys won't register theirs, you say?. You're damn right they won't. And cops stop and frisk thousands of people in this country every day. And in 6 months half of the " bad guys" will be sitting in prison. And in another 6 months 80% will be off the streets staring at 4 walls.
- Parenting.
- To make the schools safer, many changes must be made. A well dressed individual in slacks and a dress shirt that denotes he/she is law enforcement is all that is needed. Just remember if they are a thug with a badge then it's over. Kids will not be drawn to them or trust them in any way. Controlled access points with double entry doors that can be locked remotely. Every classroom should have reinforced doors with a panic lock that can be activated at the door or remotely. One of the #1 causes of this behavior that is not being properly handled is bullying. Deal with the bully jerk kids first. If they won't stop bullying others then send them to the house!
- I am a military vet from the area with family and friends in the school systems as students and teachers. Hire me and my veteran brothers and sisters. Pay me a teacher's salary and I will supply my own small arms, ammo, and gear. I will pay for my own recertification qualifications. We as vets have the training and have signed up to lay our lives on the line for strangers. Imagine what we would do for our community.
- More gun laws are not going to help protect the kids from people who do not respect the laws we have now. We need prayer in school, respect of parents and teachers taught at an early age. Less or no cell phones at school. Video games need to be monitored. Parenting, home ec. and shop classes. Instead of having a metal detector at the door of the school we need to have the drug dogs at the front door. If a student disrespects a teacher they need suspension, the teachers need the admins to back them. Hire some retired vets who have had training to help guard the schools. Involve the kids into programs that really will make a difference in their lives.
- Security guards in the schools. Metal detectors
- Keep your children at home and teach them yourself.
- They have a no-bullying movement that's isn't working. Kids are vile creatures. They are mean to others in in order to feel better about themselves. If they really stood for something they would stop. But they want to be in control of something they don't understand, they want everything given to them. They want what they have not earned.
- Common sense.This incident could have been prevented. Stay tuned.
- Arm the teachers, remove gun free zones. Hire armed security and have metal detectors at all school entrances.