It’s not always easy living in Texas. The state has a lot of great things going for it, but like other states there are times when one has to shake their head in bewilderment.

Take for example the recent run-off election for a seat on the Texas State Board of Education. Mary Lou Bruner was a candidate who received 48 percent of the vote in a three-way primary, just two percentage points of winning, and since Texas is a red state, becoming the presumptive candidate to join the board.

The 69-year-old candidate, who looks like someone from the SNL Church Lady sketch, ran on a platform of keeping gay “subliminal messages” out of text books. Now you would think most conservative Republican voters would support that position, but then a funny thing happened; somebody started looking at her Facebook page and found these pearls of wisdom:

• The United Nations launched a plot to depopulate the planet.

• President Obama is a former gay prostitute.

• Democrats secretly assassinated JFK because he was conservative.

• House Speaker Paul Ryan’s beard made him look like “a terrorist.”

• Dinosaurs and people lived at the same time.

• The climate crisis was Karl Marx’s idea.

In a released statement, Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller said, “Texas escaped an education train wreck tonight. If Bruner had ultimately won election to the board, she would have instantly become the most embarrassingly uninformed and divisive member on a board that already too often puts politics ahead of making sure our kids get a sound education.”

In the end, the voters decided that Keven Ellis, Lufkin school board president might be better suited for the position proving that even a blind squirrel can find the nuts, even if they look like a church lady. 

“We have nothing to fear, but fear itself” – FDR

Fear is an incredibly powerful motivator. Fear can influence the decisions we make, even if it makes little sense.

Fear is also a powerful tool in politics. Take two recent examples; Campus Carry and the city of Houston’s embattled equal rights ordinance.

When Campus Carry was being debated in the hallowed halls of the Texas legislature, both sides brought fear into the equation. Those in favor of Campus Carry pointed out that allowing CHL holders to bring a gun into a classroom would make it safer by discouraging anyone from going “postal” while opponents warned it would spark violence during an heated open discourse when opposing views were being discussed.

In reality, neither argument really carries much weight. If someone is set on doing harm, they are not going to worry about a law, or that there may be a person who would be able to stop them. These types of killers seem to relish going out in a blaze of glory. If another student/teacher were to have a concealed handgun, they might be in a position to reduce the carnage, but it also opens up a slew of other questions such as are they trained to react in that type of situation and how will police officers know the difference between the good guys and the bad guys.

Which leads us to equal rights ordinance. Opponents have started running a television ad showing a little girl entering a bathroom stall and about to be attacked by a male. He is presumably in the women’s bathroom thanks to the ordinance. One cannot imagine a more frightening scenario, but how likely would that be?

Do we think this will open the door (sorry) to males having an easier access to assaulting women? Similar ordinances have been passed in Dallas, El Paso and San Antonio with no reported problems. Are we afraid Houston would be different?

And is this just about bathrooms? What about the pregnant women, the disabled, minorities, military veterans and others in this community who may be victims of discrimination? Do we want to have a conversation about that, or is that not scary enough.

I do find it interesting no one seems concerned about a women using a men’s bathroom. I remember during a recent visit to Sienna, Italy, I went to use a public restroom (and yes, it was the men’s room). In many European cities, women act as washroom attendants, making sure the facility is kept clean which in my view is much appreciated. There is usually a plate of coins by the door to tip them for their service.

Some other American tourists came in to the men’s room and were taken back by the fact there was a lady in there. One even commented he had “performance anxiety” and couldn’t go. I hope he still had the decency to tip her.

Here is my fear with this bathroom issue. When I’m at sporting events and other large venues, the line to the women’s room is always ten times longer than the men’s room. I’m afraid women are going to start “identifying” themselves as men just to take advantage of the shorter line and make me wait longer.