Term of the Day: CONSPICUOUSLY SHALLOW

On Tuesday this week, the Florida House of Representatives, with students who survived the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School sitting in the gallery, shamefully voted down taking up the issue of a ban on assault weapons.  Even with survivors of a terrifying attack, the likes of which none in the Florida House had to endure as a high school student (or likely ever) themselves, refused to do the right thing, voting 36-71 against.

One day later, that same legislative body had a bill introduced as its first official response to the shooting.  Bill HB 839 would require every public school in Florida to display the state's motto of "In God We Trust" in a "conspicuous place".  This bill passed the state's House overwhelmingly by a vote of 97-10, followed by a standing ovation in the chamber.  (There is also a similar bill in Florida's Senate that has not been taken up yet.)

That's it.  That is the Florida legislature's initial response to the murder of seventeen high school students.

While much of the blame can rest on Republicans, although both parties have dropped the ball on gun control, this bill was introduced by a Democrat, Rep. Kim Daniels (pictured above) from Jacksonville.  Daniels also runs the online ministries Kimberly Daniels Ministries International and Spoken Word Ministries as well as the online school Word Bible College.  

In introducing the bill, Rep. Daniels stated, "[Jesus] is the light and our schools need light in them like never before."  She added, "We cannot put God in a closet when the issues we face are bigger than us."  If implemented, Daniels said that it would be "so simple, just saying put a poster up to remind our children of the foundation of this country."  While acknowledging Florida has "gun issues", Daniels said that addressing "issues of the heart" is more important. 

I agree that politicians have been described as having black hearts or being heartless regarding gun control, but her approach in the House is not, in my opinion, the most effective way to go about it.

Let us look at this: Mass murders of school students, from elementary school to college (as well as teachers and other adults in non-school settings), are allowed to go on and on.  The people are crying out for change.  The politicians, at large, give them none.  It is a hot button issue.  The separation of church and state is also a hot button issue.  (Although I'm sure Rep. Daniels and many of her colleagues will simply say, hey, it's the state motto, but the way she has couched this negates that argument.)  Not to mention the piece of church-state separation being the ongoing argument on whether or not the United States is a "Christian nation".  So, the answer to one hot button issue is to inject another hot button issue?

Rep. Kimberly Daniels, your desire to legislate the display the state's motto of "In God We Trust" in every public school in Florida in a "conspicuous place" as a response to mass carnage is conspicuously shallow.

Terry