City View by John Terrell, Mayor of Southlake
What more can we do? It can be asked in a moment ofbrexasperation, or as I prefer to look at it, a moment of opportunity. I’d likebrto explain why I think there’s an opportunity we need to embrace.
We mourned with the rest of the nation when the tragedy ofbrNewtown, Conn., unfolded. After the initial shock and horror, many began to askbrhow something like this could happen and what could be done to stop it frombrhappening again. I believe there are no easy answers to those questions. Reasonablebrresponses take time, and they demand that we go beyond the obvious and look forbrsolutions that will not only enhance our sense of safety and security, but alsobrmake that sense a reality, a cornerstone of how we live.
After days and weeks passed, the events in Newtown werebrstill fresh in our minds when two Carroll High School students died of presumedbrdrug overdoses. Again, we asked why? What did we miss? How could we havebrprevented it? Again, there were no easy answers, but the challenge remained: Whatbrmore could we do?
I have learned that there is a lot more we can do to helpbrparents and kids feel even safer at school, to support parents as they raise theirbrchildren and to ensure everyone's safety and security. I am so encouraged to see what will happen whenbrwe come together and work through the tough issues that challenge our families,brsuch as school safety, drugs and alcohol use, bullying, depression and mentalbrhealth.
In the coming months and years, I think you will see subtlebrand not-so-subtle changes to the ways this community approaches safety. Ibrbelieve nothing is more important than keeping this conversation going. I hopebryou will get involved, maybe starting conversations around the dinner table,brparticipating in school and city dialogues or joining a prayer group at church.brI know for many of you, these conversations have already started. For that I ambrgrateful, because those exchanges will form the legacy we leave children whobrwill eventually become the new leaders of Southlake. It's our responsibility tobrprovide a firm foundation.
Why is this so personal for me? The answer is simple and yetbrharsh: horrific things can happen to any family at any time. And whilebrprevention isn't always possible, making people aware of what's out there andbrhow it could affect our community is critical to our well-being. As I look atbrmy kids, my wife and my extended family, I want them to know that they arebrsupported by a community that cares and is willing to challenge the status quo tobrmake things even better than they were before. I want them to feel confidentbrthat Southlake doesn't just feel safe; it is safe.
We will continue to ask the question, “What more can we do?”brMy answer is wherever our innovation and ingenuity can take us. This communitybris so blessed to have so many people who care about one another and have abrwillingness to share their expertise to make our community safer and morebrsecure. As always, I look forward to hearing your ideas and seeing how we canbrmake them work.
See you in Southlake.
John Terrell, vice president of commercial development for DFW Airport, has spent countless volunteer hours in service to the City of Southlake. He served two terms on the city council prior to becoming elected Southlake's Mayor in 2009 and again in 2012. Married to wife Joanne and father to two Dragons, the 2012 Southlake Citizen of the Year has called Southlake home for more than 15 years.