You may have noticed that the commercials lately warning against texting and driving have been escalating in intensity. They have started to become scary, convicting and — well, lets face it — too real for our comfort zone.

In August, the state of Alabama enacted a law against texting and driving. According to The Birmingam News, the bill includes a fine of $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second offense and $75 for a third or subsequent offense. Each offense is a two-point violation on a person’s driving record.

Governor Robert Bentley signed the controversial law into action saying that it will surely save some lives. Even if the law is difficult to monitor and crack down on, the law is a sure sign to the public — here in Selma and on the highways all over the state — that it is not okay to text and drive at the same time.

When laws like Hammurabi’s Code were written in the ancient world, the philosophers who wrote them believed that laws guide and show the public right from wrong.

This texting law does just that. Even though we might brush off a small fine like $25, the law is there to tell you what you are doing is wrong. As much as we try to admit that we are great at texting and driving, we are not. When we look at our phones, even holding our phones in front of our windshield, we are not focused on the road and other drivers.

“But how can an officer tell if I was texting and driving or just switching songs on my Ipod or Iphone?”

Well does it really matter?

Our streets in Selma are narrow, full of houses and children playing on the sidewalks. As harsh and unwanted as those “no texting and driving” ads are on television, we should always fear doing something that could put other lives in danger.