On Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010, Haiti was hit by a magnitude-7 earthquake that devastated the capital, Port-au-Prince, and the surrounding areas.  Assistance has been given from many parts of the world and we at home can also take part in helping with the relief.  Here are links to different organizations where donations can be made:

Red Cross
Americares
Yele Haiti
MercyCorps

Sen. Royce West (D-Texas) has proposed a new bill that will change the name of the portion of Interstate 20 that traverses Southern Dallas County to Barack Obama Freeway.  Currently, state legislature limits the bestowal of this honor to deceased individuals and former presidents only.  West’s proposal, bill SB 1510 will alter the stipulations to include current presidents.  He believes the renaming process would be an expression of gratitude for the overwhelming support Pres. Obama received from the district that encompasses this particular stretch of roadway.

Opponents of the bill believe Sen. West may be acting in haste.  After all, they say, Pres. Obama hasn’t even been in office long enough to prove his worthiness.  His final reputation has not been decided yet, and in the end, it may not even warrant this honor.  Naming the highway after him is completely presumptious and may be a much-regretted decision.  Some of the strongest dissent has come from the Young Conservatives of Texas, who provided several reasons why this idea shouldn’t be considered.  However, they were nice enough to agree to a compromise by offering several creative stipulations to accompany the name change, such as prohibiting SUVs and trucks from the road and implementing a toll that is set to correspond with an individual’s salary increases.

Supporters agree to the change—just not in Dallas.  They cite the fact that he didn’t even win Texas in the presidential election.  Besides, should all other areas that overwhelmingly supported Pres. Obama change their highways to reflect it?  The fact that former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry has a portion of highway dedicated to him has been argued as a point supporting the act. Drivers commuting along Landry’s honorable portion of Interstate 30 can see his signature fedora engraved along the overpasses.  They ask, will a football coach’s contributions ever outweigh those of a president? Other supporters say that Pres. Obama has already proven himself by winning office, and the name change is completely appropriate.

If approved, Pres. Obama’s namesake would join former Presidents George W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson who have a tollway and freeway named in their honors, respectively.  Renaming the highway so soon kind of feels like receiving the diploma before completing the coursework.  I have faith that Pres. Obama will receive far higher honors than having a freeway in an individual city bearing his name.
As a resident of Dallas, it is a wonderful city, but it has its share of problems that deserve immediate attention.  The constant upheaval among school board members affecting the student’s quality of education can’t wait.  The county jail failing its inspection for the seventh consecutive time can’t wait.  Perhaps, the name change can.