I came across an article in the Statesman entitled, West Texas Rancher Shoots 2 Alleged Trespassers. This article encompasses several issues that Texas itself is facing along with the rest of the US. First of all , the article directly addresses a major issue that is currently being debate in the capital, guns. There should definitely be stricter laws in place for anyone who owns or wants to own a gun in Texas. Many kids cross my yard daily chasing after a ball, that does not give me the right to shoot them down. I think this is a very important article that people should take into account before making a decision that we might later regret.
Secondly, this article brings to light the war that America has waged against its Mexican American population. This shooting took place in El Paso, near the boarder. This irresponsible rancher shot at two innocent people men without taking the time to actually consider that they might just be lost. Are we now hunting Mexicans like we hunt deer, this is inhumane! I am a proud Mexican American and i certainly do not appreciate the way America is treating the Mexican population here in the US. We, unlike other races, are not outsiders, this was partially our land before it was American. I ask myself this everyday, why do they hate us so much? We are hard working people, and we contribute a lot to this country. Little by little Mexican immigrants as well as Mexican Amerians are being singled out for discrimination.
Lastly, this article briefly discusses the boarder problem we are facing. I do not agree that we should open our boarders, but we should try to secure it properly, not illegally like the anonymous rancher in the Statesman article. As for the immigrants already in the US we should work towards fixing the problem rather than singling out a race, as do some controversial laws in other states already.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Baggy Jeans, Doo Rags, and Government
Conservative blogger Robbie Cooper expresses his discontent about the low level of employment among African Americans in UrbanGrounds. I hate to admit it, but he is right. Unfortunately it is not necessary to look up statistical information to conclude that a lot of them do not work. Cooper states that only fifty-one percent of African Americans currently hold a job. Another point that Cooper brings up is that blacks continue to support President Obama and the democrat party at a high ninety percent, even though they might be setting them up for failure. Being a teller at one of the biggest banks in the US, i can attest that many benefits that the government offers might be giving many people a reason not to look for employment. If we really think about it, why work forty hours a week when the government can pay almost all expenses necessary to live? Several people that benefit from government aid usually have money stashed away from under the table cash, and refuse to make deposits into their accounts to prevent the government from cutting them off. It makes me wonder if they're support for Obama is genuine or if they simply want a free ride.
Although I do agree with Cooper's main point, I disagree with the way he down grades the black population. Its actually quiet interesting because I completely agree with everything he says , but the way he expresses himself seems a bit harsh. It seems that he, as well as I, highly disapprove of the baggy jeans and doo rags, but its their choice to make and not for us to criticize. The way they dress does not prove anything for or against them. It would be like saying that sombreros and panchos are what keep Mexicans out in the fields, but then again they probably do. Now I'm just confusing myself, but regardless i agree with Cooper.
Although I do agree with Cooper's main point, I disagree with the way he down grades the black population. Its actually quiet interesting because I completely agree with everything he says , but the way he expresses himself seems a bit harsh. It seems that he, as well as I, highly disapprove of the baggy jeans and doo rags, but its their choice to make and not for us to criticize. The way they dress does not prove anything for or against them. It would be like saying that sombreros and panchos are what keep Mexicans out in the fields, but then again they probably do. Now I'm just confusing myself, but regardless i agree with Cooper.
Don't Mess With Texas, we Have Guns!
I agree with Rivera, although some statistical information would have been useful. Pertaining to SB 321, it is absolutely unnecessary. We live in Texas, we do not need more guns than we already have. Like Mr. Rivera mentioned, SB 321 allow people to keep their guns in their vehicles. What good will a gun do locked away in your car? I suppose our cars will be able to defend themselves for the eight hours a day they sit out in the parking lot? I understand that their are risk of being attacked in parking lots, but when or if you are attacked, the gun will most likely be out of your reach. If anything the criminal might not even own a gun of his own, but now thanks to SB 321, we might be providing them with one. If the purpose of SB 321 is self defense like Mr. Rivera says, wouldn't pepper spray do just as well?
According to Texas Less Traveled,Texas owns about twenty percent of guns in America. This twenty percent is approximately fifty- one million guns owned by Texans.Texas Less Traveled also brings up a very interesting point, maybe the saying "Don't Mess With Texas" is more of a threat at gun point than an environmentally friendly quote. Ironically and article in The Austin Chronicle, Texas scores a nine, out of one hundred possible points, on laws aimed at keeping guns from criminals and dangerous people. These numbers are scary, this idea is ridiculous.
Another important point that Mr. Rivera brings up is that we cannot fix a problem by adding another. It is crazy and naive to believe that people can e responsible with guns. I, personally, am a very bad tempered individual. It would not be wise to allow me to keep my gun anywhere within my reach, especially during one of my little outbursts. It is impossible to think rationally when one is upset. Allowing Texans to keep guns outside their jobs is extremely dangerous. A normal boss, if he or she is doing their job right, is most often not anyone's best friend, lets not make them a bulls-eye.
According to Texas Less Traveled,Texas owns about twenty percent of guns in America. This twenty percent is approximately fifty- one million guns owned by Texans.Texas Less Traveled also brings up a very interesting point, maybe the saying "Don't Mess With Texas" is more of a threat at gun point than an environmentally friendly quote. Ironically and article in The Austin Chronicle, Texas scores a nine, out of one hundred possible points, on laws aimed at keeping guns from criminals and dangerous people. These numbers are scary, this idea is ridiculous.
Another important point that Mr. Rivera brings up is that we cannot fix a problem by adding another. It is crazy and naive to believe that people can e responsible with guns. I, personally, am a very bad tempered individual. It would not be wise to allow me to keep my gun anywhere within my reach, especially during one of my little outbursts. It is impossible to think rationally when one is upset. Allowing Texans to keep guns outside their jobs is extremely dangerous. A normal boss, if he or she is doing their job right, is most often not anyone's best friend, lets not make them a bulls-eye.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Denying Women the Right to Live Their own Life, Their way
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute, does anyone else see how unfair House Bill 15 is? On February 11, 2011 , Republican Sid Miller introduced House Bill 15 which would require woman to view a sonogram 24 hours before going through with the abortion procedure. It amazes me how far this bill has gone in congress. I was sure it wouldn't even pass the first stage, i was obviously wrong. I underestimated how closed-minded our disproportionate representatives can be. Statesman article, Senate OKs sonogram measure, says House Bill 15 has now reached stage five in congress, where it is voted on by the senate. This bill is very controversial because it is deeply interrelated with other already "touchy" issues themselves. I foresee many problems if HB 15 was signed into law.
First of all the proposed bill would do absolutely nothing to change a woman's situation or final decision on the mater. The only affect this would make on abortion is that it could possibly guilt a woman into having a baby they do not desire. Do you, reader, see how this could backfire and come back to bite us in the rear end? We cannot afford to have anymore unwanted children on this planet! Unplanned or unwanted children equal a very unhappy and depressed mother, which in turn could ruin further a child's life. I can imagine that child protective services would have new files on their desk toppling at the height of Mt. Everest. I might be exaggerating just a little but it paints a good picture of the impending doom.
Secondly, why do men continue to think that woman's sole purpose in life is to reproduce like some animal? Ironically HB 15 was authored by a man. How can he possibly understand a woman's mind set??? More often than not men disappear from the picture after they've had their fun, its no wonder they think raising a child is easy. Not to mention the very dreaded money issue. Child support is useless, if you owe money you aren't even obligated to pay up. We can absolutely not afford to provide free childcare or medicaid for even more disadvantaged children. In the end women carry 99% of the burden and thus should be able to make their own decision without being guilted into having an unwanted child.
Finally and most importantly, the emotional distress of having an unwanted baby is almost the same as the emotional compromise that victims of rape and incest face. An unwanted child is just that, unwanted, regardless of how or when it happened.
In conclusion, this is a woman's choice and government should stay out of it. I say someone could have a blast pulling a filibuster on this particular bill, it would be very interesting and even funny to hear.
First of all the proposed bill would do absolutely nothing to change a woman's situation or final decision on the mater. The only affect this would make on abortion is that it could possibly guilt a woman into having a baby they do not desire. Do you, reader, see how this could backfire and come back to bite us in the rear end? We cannot afford to have anymore unwanted children on this planet! Unplanned or unwanted children equal a very unhappy and depressed mother, which in turn could ruin further a child's life. I can imagine that child protective services would have new files on their desk toppling at the height of Mt. Everest. I might be exaggerating just a little but it paints a good picture of the impending doom.
Secondly, why do men continue to think that woman's sole purpose in life is to reproduce like some animal? Ironically HB 15 was authored by a man. How can he possibly understand a woman's mind set??? More often than not men disappear from the picture after they've had their fun, its no wonder they think raising a child is easy. Not to mention the very dreaded money issue. Child support is useless, if you owe money you aren't even obligated to pay up. We can absolutely not afford to provide free childcare or medicaid for even more disadvantaged children. In the end women carry 99% of the burden and thus should be able to make their own decision without being guilted into having an unwanted child.
Finally and most importantly, the emotional distress of having an unwanted baby is almost the same as the emotional compromise that victims of rape and incest face. An unwanted child is just that, unwanted, regardless of how or when it happened.
In conclusion, this is a woman's choice and government should stay out of it. I say someone could have a blast pulling a filibuster on this particular bill, it would be very interesting and even funny to hear.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Unnecessary Funding for Inmates
- I completely agree with Mindy. How can anyone in their right mind support a program like this when the state of Texas tries to wobble its way towards a better financial situation. Wouldn't this college program for inmates make their sentence more of a reward than a punishment? We are forgetting why they are their in the first place, they did not get their by being good samaritans. On the contrary , they should be happy they are getting anything at all. We really should expect more from them by making them work for the food they eat, the clothes they wear, and their housing expenses, instead of paying their education. Why give them more? I strongly agree with Mindy when she says that budget cuts should come from programs like this, not education for the students who absolutely deserve it. I am all for a second chance at life but not this way. I am not even sure offenders deserve a second chance, but if they did it would definitely not have to come at the expense of other more eligible students or the state of Texas for that matter. We should be working towards rewarding regular college students rather than inmates. If inmates truly want a second chance at life, make them work for it. It seems that the only people that are not being affected by budget cuts are inmates. If they want to better themselves they should be expected to wait at at the very back of the line instead of placing them at the very front, even ahead of hard working students. It hardly seems fair that inmates get handed an education at no cost, because like Mindy said, most of them pay little or nothing back, while regular students work two jobs to make minimum payments on their tuition. More importantly, how much can we honestly expect to get out of this college program for inmates, not much. How many of them will even be out of jail long enough to make a difference in our communities. Prisons and inmates are already a financial burden to the state, therefore it is reasonable to discontinue additional funding for unnecessary programs. Although I do agree that such programs reduce recidivism rate, it should not come at the expense of innocent taxpayers. It almost seems that everyone is being punished with budget cuts except the people that deserve it the most. Texas already ranks very low in education, why worsen the situation by cutting funds in this crucial area. Education is an investment, and should be a priority of the state. Cutting funds for schools is ridiculous when inmates are getting a free education with taxpayers money.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Paying Criminals for their Crimes
At a time when unemployment rates are sure to soar, as a result of budget cuts, criminals are getting paid to be criminals.If a school principal or teacher is forced out of work in order to make ends meet here in Texas, then certainly we cannot afford to extend wages to criminals for pulling their weight around in prison. Representative Jerry Madden introduced an amendment to the budget that would eliminate funding for the Youth Commission, and ultimately the "student employment" program. Hundreds of government employees have already lost their jobs with no hope of relief, yet we continue to unknowingly pick up the tab for the "student employment" program with taxpayer dollars. To make matters even worse, their wages are tax-free! If the point of this program is to rehabilitate youths and bring them back into society, then why have they started crippling them with special privileges. If anything this program might get them off to a bad start. Youths should not be allowed to think that they have to be paid for taking care of their responsibilities, their will be no colorful incentives to keep them going after they do their time.
The student employment program at the Texas Youth Commission allows for youths to be paid from fifty cents to two dollars an hour. Our young offenders earn their wages by contributing to the custodial, administrative, food service, and maintenance chores. This year alone the program is costing the state one hundred and sixty-seven thousand dollars. It might not seem like much right away but when you think of the hundreds of jobless , well-educated government employees, that number is suddenly magnified. The student employment program is only adding to the already high, unnecessary cost of placing a youth in one of these facilities. In 2010 the average cost per day per youth was three hundred and fifty-nine dollars. People learn from their mistakes the hard way, if not, they have no consequences to encourage positive behavior. The young offenders of Texas must learn that everything they do comes with consequences and that it takes hard work to fix their mistakes, therefore they will hopefully learn not to make the same mistake twice.
The student employment program at the Texas Youth Commission allows for youths to be paid from fifty cents to two dollars an hour. Our young offenders earn their wages by contributing to the custodial, administrative, food service, and maintenance chores. This year alone the program is costing the state one hundred and sixty-seven thousand dollars. It might not seem like much right away but when you think of the hundreds of jobless , well-educated government employees, that number is suddenly magnified. The student employment program is only adding to the already high, unnecessary cost of placing a youth in one of these facilities. In 2010 the average cost per day per youth was three hundred and fifty-nine dollars. People learn from their mistakes the hard way, if not, they have no consequences to encourage positive behavior. The young offenders of Texas must learn that everything they do comes with consequences and that it takes hard work to fix their mistakes, therefore they will hopefully learn not to make the same mistake twice.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Got Milk? Real Milk?
Currently Texas law prohibits the sale of raw milk anywhere, unless it is directly off the farm. Kate Clabby strongly advocates that every Texan has the right to choose the kind of milk they want to consume. Likewise, I believe the very same thing. This is Texas, if someone wants to take the risk of drinking raw milk more power to them, we can laugh about it later or maybe even convert to raw milk ourselves.
The Texas Raw Milk Bill, if passed, would make such a minor change that it would effect no one but the big milk companies if at all. This bill would allow farmers to sell raw milk outside their farm so long as they adhere to and maintain Grade A Raw Milk Certification. This certification would ensure the cleanliness of the milk as well as testing it for bacteria counts.
Although I agree with Clabby, I do not believe that the evidence she has offered to her audience is sufficient enough to convince anyone about the positive side of raw milk. Kate Clabby might have offered far more support to contradict herself about the safety of raw milk. I personally believe that raw milk is far superior to pasteurized milk, but my decision is based on personal experience rather than Clabby's argument on the subject. My family owns a farm in Mexico and I've had the opportunity to try raw milk every summer morning with cereal, and it is delicious!
The Texas Raw Milk Bill, if passed, would make such a minor change that it would effect no one but the big milk companies if at all. This bill would allow farmers to sell raw milk outside their farm so long as they adhere to and maintain Grade A Raw Milk Certification. This certification would ensure the cleanliness of the milk as well as testing it for bacteria counts.
Although I agree with Clabby, I do not believe that the evidence she has offered to her audience is sufficient enough to convince anyone about the positive side of raw milk. Kate Clabby might have offered far more support to contradict herself about the safety of raw milk. I personally believe that raw milk is far superior to pasteurized milk, but my decision is based on personal experience rather than Clabby's argument on the subject. My family owns a farm in Mexico and I've had the opportunity to try raw milk every summer morning with cereal, and it is delicious!
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