Hero to Zero? Response

I agree with a lot of what Mr. Cisneros said in regards to reduced education benefits for veteran's children. However, my opinion may be stemming from a different place. The article he refers to speaks of "ballooning costs". If this is in reference to education, then I call BS. Taking away education benefits would just be a band-aid on a much bigger problem with our education system.

I feel as if the focus should be on regulating the cost of tuition and making sure all of the money we are paying for these classes is going to the right place. If the system weren't broken, we could all go to school for free, regardless of veteran status.

Vote, Vote, OMG, Why Aren't You Voting

The more I learn about Texas government, the more irked I am at the lack of voter turnout.  Even among my politically charged friends, some refuse to go vote because they think it doesn't matter.  Regardless of what I say to them, they don't believe that voting is actually important.  How do we fix this? 

To me, unfortunately, I feel that it may take an entire generation's worth of time to effect this sort of change and we should start the process right now.  Quite a novel idea was mentioned during class in regards to making Election Day a Federal holiday so people have the day off of work and can make it to the voting booth.  If the states truly can be likened to a lab experiment for other states, let's start in Texas and begin giving people that day off.  Maybe it will start to trend with other states.  Even with the day off, however, it is still a broken system and lacking.  Perhaps in the beginning we would need to provide some sort of incentive.  Incentives don't sound great to me either, but we have to start somewhere.  Or perhaps we could hire an independent committee to present the entire ballot in layman's terms so it is easier for people to know what they are voting for in advance?

I don't have all the answers, but I do know that something has got to give.  How can we convince people that their vote matters?  What ideas do you have?

Seeing Eye to Lone Star Eye

I very much agree with Luis’ poignant blog post titled “It Is Time to Go Public”.  He starts off with a disclaimer about not having children, and I am in that same boat.  Being older, it has turned out that I am one of only a few in my friend group that has chosen to not have children while all of theirs are in public school already.  This leads me, personally, to have very strong opinions on the vaccination talk that has been circulating.  I’m around a lot of kids and I love them dearly.

I’m unsure of the specifics of HB 2474, but generally, I do agree that vaccination statistics should be public.  I would not agree with a public listing of each student’s name being because it’s not the child’s decision and it would be awful for them to be shunned for their parent’s decision.  However, there has to be a way to let the general public know where potentially dangerous zones are.

I’ve had a lot of heated conversations with people over the subject of vaccinations.  It’s very touchy.  My personal opinion/idea of a perfect world, though, would be that the fad of thinking immunizations cause autism will blow over, everyone will become a scientist, and nobody will get polio OR cancer ever again.

A Sticky Icky Situation

I feel very strongly that Texas should make the selling and possession of marijuana legal and regulate it for several different reasons.  First of all, if lawmakers would take a step back, they would realize that this legalization falls right in line with the natural progression they've been striving for all along in trying to be independent and pave their own "Texas" way.  It doesn't make any sense that they are fighting an opportunity to let Texans do whatever they want in their own home and have a little more freedom.  

Secondly, there is a whole lot of money to be made from legalizing marijuana and we all know how much that would make our government happy.  They could tax the heck out it, pad their pockets, and still have leftover money to throw towards education, transportation, etc.  In addition, if it were already legal, perhaps the border with Mexico wouldn't be so saturated with people trying to smuggle it in.  Of course there will still be trafficking of all sorts because that is the world we live in, but border resources could be better spent on preventing human trafficking and fighting a war on actually harmful drugs.  

This brings me to the most compelling reason, in my opinion, to legalize marijuana; not only is it the safest drug there is, it is a million times safer than drinking alcohol.  For some reason this seems to never infiltrate Texas legislators' minds.  It's a win for everyone and yet I am fully aware that Texas will fight this tooth and nail until it becomes a Federal law.

Cruz'n the Healthcare Highway

Charles Kuffner wrote a piece recently for his blog, Off the Kuff, titled Cruz may go on Obamacare. Although the title is lacking a certain flair I tend to wholeheartedly enjoy, his opinions were simple, honest, and well-directed. The blog itself is generally from a liberal standpoint and this article seems to be intended for people leaning towards that same left of center area. However, I must applaud Kuffner for not being as aggressive as he could have been. I have read a few other political blogs that spend so much cussing and being angry, it detracts from their message (and this is coming from someone who cusses like a sailor!) Cruz cornered himself, however, which is something both sides can surely agree on. At least Kuffner is using sound logic by calling Cruz out on this volatile subject. Cruz has been more than vocal about his absolute hatred for the Affordable Care Act and will probably be pushing for its repeal up until his last breath. For this reason, I agree with the author of this article's communication. Kuffner even gives him a way to redeem himself by boycotting insurance. That would still be a silly move, but Cruz might gain a little respect from both sides for sticking to his guns. Charles Kuffner has made a name for himself as a reputable liberal blogger. In addition to forming Off the Kuff in 2001, he has been interviewed by Texas Monthly and featured in the Houston Chronicle several times.

Border-defined: Feels Like I’m Going to Lose My Mind

Madonna’s 1984 hit “Borderline” was in the background while reading an editorial The El Paso Times published today titled “Get serious on defining border security.”  It appears that Greg Abbott made some more vague comments regarding border security at a news conference last week, and the author of this article was having none of it.  They start by discussing how the habit of re-defining border security anytime a question is asked has become an old and obvious stall tactic for making any real progress.  The article takes a turn towards the end, though, and begins to target the lack of reporting on how Texas and Federal money is spent with regards to border security.

I feel that the intended audience is tired Texans.  I read it as more of an appeal to anyone who would listen than a calculated rant to heat up liberals or conservatives.  One thing that stood out, however, is that there is no single author listed.  It just states El Paso Times Editorial Board.  I take this to mean that the entire article is the opinion of the entire staff.  If this is the case, then perhaps that is why the article doesn’t lean left or right?  I hope so, because I respect a group of journalists who decide to collectively make a plea to anyone who will listen.  My job sends me to McAllen, TX, another border town, for weeks at a time and it truly is a different world down there.  I imagine the city of El Paso being tired of the circular jargon regarding border security, because to them, it could be more like home security.  I enjoyed the comment the author made questioning where the additional troopers are coming from, because this would obviously weaken other areas.  It would be interesting to see if that information is just as elusive as the budget numbers.

All in all, I completely see eye to eye with this editorial.  I watched part of the Civil Rights Summit last year and heard San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour talk back and forth about how a lot of the problems with “border security” stem from how no one defines it the same way.  Greg Abbott’s speech was just the same song different tune.  We need to quit talking about definitions and identify what the real problem is.

Another One DIDN'T Bite the Dust

According to an article by Emilie Mutert titled Supreme Court Stays Next Texas Execution in the Crime & Justice section of KUT News, convicted killer, Lester Bower, has been given another chance.  Instead of being executed in 5 days, the Supreme Court will hear a final appeal later this month.  Bower, age 67, has been sitting on death row for over 30 years and has been up for execution six times leading some to liken this treatment to cruel and unusual punishment.  He was convicted in the murder of four men at an airplane hangar in Dallas, and claims innocence to this day.

I feel that any article having to do with Texas and the death penalty is worth our time considering the obscenely large amount of executions that happen in this state.  The Texas Department of Criminal Justice website shows three executions so far for 2015 and we’ve only just begun February.  I hope that the recent delay in execution of Lester Bower will begin a trend of not being too hasty with throwing the death penalty around.