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Thinking about the "Florida Loophole" after watching the newly released documentary 'Newtown'

This article was originally published on a now defunct progressive blog.  The repost tonight is in honor of the release of the documentary Newtown which chronicles the 2012 shootings at Sandy Hook that took the lives of 20 children and 6 school teachers.  Since I first penned the original post, Pennsylvania has taken steps to close the loophole in their own state so that their citizens cannot make use of Florida gun permit laws to purchase and carry weapons that their own state would not want them to be able to access. Florida Gun Laws and Pennsylvania Politics…The “ Florida Loophole” Written by R.S. Pienta on 22 September 2010 — It may be Florida ’s Gun Law Loophole but right now it is Pennsylvania ’s problem and it is that state’s law that has to be changed. Via what has been dubbed the “Florida Loophole”, Pennsylvanians with revoked concealed-carry gun permits re-arm themselves with relatively quick-and-easy permission from the Florida Department of Agricult...
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Back to the Future...what happens after 2015? Warning: Star Wars "The Force Awakens" spoiler...and Marvel Universe previews: Alternate post title, "when Rachel gets her geek on..."

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Manufacturers fell over themselves rushing hoverboards to market in time for the 2015 holiday season. Small wonder the contraptions have turned out to be a fire hazard. http://www.wired.com/2015/12/why-hoverboards-keep-exploding/ Really, 2015 was a bittersweet year for this Age of Aquarius baby turned forty-something.   From now on, the time in the DeLorean will always be in the past. 2015 was the year we found out what happened since we left Luke, Leia, and Han partying with the Ewoks back on Endor in 1983. The thrill of seeing characters I first met in 1977 back on the big screen after so many years was tempered by watching Han Solo's death.  Sure, I get all the parallels with Obi Wan Kenobi's death in the original 1977 movie but we did not spend years with Ben Kenobi the way we did with Han! And what surprises do we have to look forward to in 2016? For starters, there will be another Star Wars prequel. This franchise is starting to feel like the Marvel universe....
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Have a little faith...

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The photo that appears above was posted on the Facebook page of a local elected leader.  Some of the comments that this photo elicited were disturbing to me.  A number of commenters seemed to take the sight of Muslims praying on the beach as an affront to their Christianity at best and, at worst, a sign that terrorists were invading Wakulla County. A few comments represented less alarmist, more accepting perspectives. Reading this thread reminded me of something that happened when I was a teacher at Wakulla High School.  I occasionally wear a Star of David and I tend to be very open about my Jewish faith.   My identity as a Jewish woman was not an every day topic of conversation, but I did not hide it and during the holidays my classroom decor reflected the diversity of my students. In my second year teaching at Wakulla High, several Jewish students approached me and asked if I would be the faculty sponsor for a Jewish Student Association.  They told me...
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Missed Calls. August 25 ... from 2008 to 2015

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Tomorrow will mark a year since I checked my phone on the way out of a job interview and listened to a message from the American Cancer Society. Tomorrow will also mark seven years since I stepped out of my first period classroom at Wakulla High School to check a missed call from my mother.  Seven years ago, the call from my mother was a message telling  me that my sister's battle with liver cancer had ended.  Sara had celebrated her 31st birthday in May and her son Aidan was a few months shy of turning five. The miles traveled since that August school morning have taken me down some winding roads. In 2009, I had an opportunity to make a professional move to teaching full time in an online graduate program for Valdosta State University. This career move opened doors for me to research and write. Over the course of the next five years, I would publish a textbook, author numerous articles and write several book chapters. Making the move to higher education allowed me to...
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Rules of Engagement

I never really get used to it. When I was growing up in New York, it was “hey, aren’t you related to so and so (insert name of well-known family member).” As a child, these moments reinforced the idea that I represented my family and that my family impacted how I interacted with people around me. As an adult, the illusion of public anonymity is pierced by the question, "Aren't you Rachel Pienta?" or sometimes, "Aren't you wakullawriter (on Twitter)?" Such a moment last night spurred me to consider how the way I engage with the community has evolved over the years. I was out celebrating a friend’s birthday at a local watering hole. Late in the evening, someone approached me and said, “Aren’t you Rachel Pienta?”  In general, these conversations range from someone who has read my writing, taken a class with me, or wants to compliment or complain about some decision I made related to one of my community leadership roles.  On this particular night, it was a ...
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Full Response to the GOP Debate - Winners & Losers

The candidates were introduced in the order of their rank in the polls. At the outset, the field was asked, “Is there anyone unwilling to pledge to Republican nominee and not run an independent campaign against that nominee?”  This question set the tone for a debate that would be lively, loud, and combative. Donald Trump refused to make the pledge not to run as an independent if he is not the Republican nominee.  The only reaction from the other men on the stage came from Rand Paul who fired off a terse response, “Trump is hedging his bets.” One theme sustained throughout the debate was a critique of the current Republican leadership in Washington.  Commentary ranged from Trump’s indictment of America’s political leaders, whom he termed “stupid” to Ted Cruz’s assertion that Republican leaders refused to enforce immigration laws. The topic of terrorism elicited a shouting match between Chris Christie and Rand Paul. On the topic of experience and qualificat...
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What is your starfish?

I have had starfish on my mind lately. Have you ever heard the story? Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions. Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching.  As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea.  The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning!  May I ask what it is that you are doing?” The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun...
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