Colleague’s work Blog #8

    On Tuesday, August 11^th, 2015 my colleague LoBeau posted a blog titled “Texas Strict Voter ID Law.” In her article she starts off by mentioning that in 2011 the state of Texas passed the nation’s strictest voter ID laws and apparently left about 600,000 citizens without proper identification documents.

     LoBeau then points out that citizens may obtain a free election certificate. We are required to have a birth certificate or current photo ID to apply for jobs, to get a driver’s license, engage in social programs i.e. welfare, unemployment, Medicare, etc. According to LoBeau’s blog it costs about $2-$47 to search for and purchase a copy, which isn’t an unreasonable cost for a vital document. Doing further research on Usa.gov, you can obtain your birth certificate in the state of Texas through the vital records section online, the cost is $22.00, takes about 10 business days to process, and can be sent out overnight and paid with a credit card through Texas.gov. It also does not decrease chance of voting, it just means that every individual has to go through the same procedures as everyone else, regardless of race.

    To answer LoBeau’s question “how many people really care enough to show up and vote with a different name,” the places it would affect would be smaller communities with low voter turnouts. To commit voter fraud on a small city level can be done via hundreds of votes, and an organized group could use voter fraud to place undeserving candidates in office in smaller cities and counties.

    In LoBeau’s last paragraph there was no sort of evidence when she says “studies show” to back up her information, so it leads me to take her words in confidence. Overall I feel as if she has a good viewpoint but her research lacks supporting evidence and should be looked over once more. 

Investigation on Planned Parenthood

     On August 5th, 2015 KXAN posted an article titled, “Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick requests criminal investigation into Planned Parenthood.” Lt. Governor Dan Patrick requested Harris County District in Houston Texas to open a criminal investigation of Planned Parenthood in Texas. In this article KXAN added an undercover video of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast Director Melissa Farrell discussing the process and price of harvesting fetal organs for research. In the undercover footage Farrell says “our organization has been doing research for many many many years.” Planned Parenthood could be breaking the federal law known as the “Born Alive Infants Protection act,” an act that requires abortion clinics such as Planned Parenthood and other places that do abortions to provide appropriate medical care for a baby born alive after a failed abortion or birth to quote on quote “let die.” After all that commotion Heather Busy, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice group from Texas defends Planned Parenthood saying that this is all a fake scandal made just for political gain and to take away access to safe legal abortion care.
     In my opinion I would have to partially agree with Lt. Governor Dan Patrick when he says “we should not be dismembering aborted babies. We should not be selling babies fully intact.” It is one thing for a woman to abort her child but to sell aborted babies for profit is unethical. If these allegations are true, it is not right for Planned Parenthood to potentially induce abortion just so Planned Parenthood can make a profit from selling to research foundations. The act of performing abortions should not be a profit-driven system, and these allegations could be extremely damaging to Planned Parenthood and what their organization stands for.  The decision to either should be entirely based upon the patient’s choice, and no monetary gain should be had.

Colleague’s work Blog #6 "Texas should ban texting and driving"

       On Monday July 27, 2015 my colleague Guangqing Zhang posted a blog titled “Texas should ban texting and driving.”  In her blog she makes the readers wonder by saying “Texas is the second biggest state behind Alaska,” she also added that Texas is indeed the state with the most oil and natural gas production that helps with our states economic growth. Everyday our population grows and grows, in 1980 the state of Texas had about 14.2 million people and has grown to 25 million people and counting. We have grown rapidly, and growth is projected to continue for years to come.
       Texas should consider banning texting and driving, when people text and drive it causes people to slow down and cause traffic and if unaware, can lead to awful accidents and death. Have you ever noticed that everywhere you go groups of people are on their phones? Cellphone usage has become one of the most popular tools used on the daily basis, not only in the state of Texas but the whole world. According to the National Safety Council at least 1.6 million crashes occur when the driver is texting and driving. 1 in 5 of the crashes involves “driver’s distraction” and most crashes are from young and middle class people. Unfortunately, many families have lost loved ones from just texting and driving. In the past the state of Texas has attempted to pass a bill about texting and driving but that bill died in the Senate.  Texas has initiated a city-wide ban on texting while driving but I would have to agree with Zhang that Texas should make it state-wide. We all know that no matter what bill has passed about texting and driving, people are still going to do it while knowing the consequences. Everyone has one life, why lose it due to something so small such as texting and driving… it’s not worth it. We all have to be aware of our surroundings and should wonder if it is worth replying to a friend while going 65mph is worth the cost of our own life.

Congress crackdown on Sanctuary Cities

       On Wednesday, July 22th 2015 KXAN posted an article titled, “Congress crackdown on ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Déjà vu for Texas.” The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on a bill that will punish cities that protect illegal immigrants. In March of this year, Senator Charles Perry filed a similar bill that would instead ban sanctuary cities in the whole state of Texas. The bill was never passed. Senator Perry then said “This is an issue of public safety and the rule of law. We cannot continue to fund government entities that undermine our state and federal immigration laws.”
A quick rundown of what a “sanctuary city” is; a city where law enforcement does not enforce federal immigration laws while on patrol. This bill was then brought to the table when a man was deported a total of 5 times back to Mexico then committed murder in San Francisco, California.
I feel as if this bill is not creating peace but instead actually going to create more conflict and even possibly violence. In order to enact this bill, you will have to profile people in the United States. Whether the individual being questioned  is an illegal immigrant or not, this is a violation of the 4th Amendment of the US Bill of Rights; “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause…” This is akin to an open, general search warrant for anyone, given the discretion of the police force, and not based upon probable cause, completely avoiding the point of issuing a search warrant. In order to enact this bill more tax payer’s money will be spent soliciting innocent people instead of focusing on violent crimes. In all actuality it may create more harm than good.

Long Acting Birth Control is Great for State Health- Why Not Texas?

   

      On Monday, July 6, 2015 Genevieve Cato wrote a blog in the Burnt Orange Report titled “Long Acting Birth Control is Great for State Health- Why Not Texas?” Author Cato is a native Texan, feminist activist, member of Reproductive equality and also works for the State Representative Mary Gonzales. Cato’s intended audience for her blog is: Women of all ages and Texas voters.
     According to the Guttmacher Institute, 51% of unplanned pregnancies are in America. In the state of Texas the rate for unplanned pregnancies is around 54%. In 2009, Colorado was curious and wanted to know if there was a greater access to the most effective methods for family planning. The state of Colorado then funded a program for two specific demographics such as teenagers and low-income women. By using long acting reversible contraceptives (LARC), it has helped these women access the best methods of contraception. LARC include an intra-uterine device or otherwise known as IUD and this birth control implants and carries the lowest risk of Pregnancy. “Fewer than 1 in 100 women using an IUD will become pregnant”- The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
     Since LARC is covered under the Affordable Care Act, access to these contraceptives has increased greatly for women all across the country. The Colorado state Health Department estimates that the state saved $5.85 in Medicaid costs per dollar spent for providing LARC’S. Colorado saved money through these reductions and also saw a 42% decrease of unplanned pregnancies especially young women who have dropped out of school.
     In Texas over a third of single mothers facing unplanned pregnancies have not finished high school, and Republican Legislators focus on increasing obstacles to reduce the numbers of abortion clinics in the state.  Cato believes that long acting contraceptives can be key to improving health and welfare in Texas teens.
     In my opinion, I think making LARC readily available in Texas is well intentioned, but it does not address the underlying cause of pregnancy. Sexual education is almost non-existent in this day and age, and most young adults learn about sex from resources like the internet and television. LARC does not prevent the spread of STDs. Also, depending on the methods you use, IUDs can have long lasting side effects, such as perforation of the uterus, pelvic inflammatory disease, and ectopic pregnancy, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Having contraceptives available to the public is always a great idea, but is not a substitute for proper sexual education.

Texas Legislature needs to hear student voices

           On Wednesday, January 21, 2015 the Short Horn newspaper posted an editorial titled “Texas Legislature needs to hear student voices.” In the beginning of this editorial the author informs the readers about the 84^th Texas legislative and how they will discuss bills and provisions that could possibly affect students and staff members at the University of Texas at Arlington.      

            It is extremely important that every single person stays informed with any new bills and provisions that the Texas legislature may pass, and to ensure the elected officials are focusing on their community and not an area that they are not in charge of. Open carry on campus, university tuition rates and funds for improvement for UTA’s campus are only a few key topics that need to be heard. I would personally agree with what the author said “It is imperative the student voice is heard on these issues and the best way to ensure that is to stand up and voice your concerns to your elected representative.” If the student voice is heard, we can find and address the bigger, overlying issues on campuses, instead of focusing on exaggerated bills and expenditures that accomplish little to nothing.

           According to the author on November 10^th 2014, 350 new bills were filed, but who knows what kind of information is still being examined, is it going to accompany student issues? Is it going to enhance their local community? It is crucial for these politicians to reach out to all students to hear their voices because every voice is unique. It is important for students in this generation to give their opinion on Texas politics to help shape and form their political contributions to help their community in the future. “But you, the student, will determine their voice through your demands.” and I acknowledge the authors main point and I support what proposition they are trying to improve.   

Gay couple granted Texas marriage license after lawsuit

              On Monday, July 6, 2015 KXAN posted a new article titled “Gay couple granted Texas marriage license after lawsuit.”  After multiple tries Jim Cato and Joe Stapleton were continuously turned down when trying to get a marriage license the week prior, thus resulting in the couple filing a lawsuit against Hood County Clerk Katie Lang. After filing the lawsuit, the couple was then quickly granted a marriage license.
              Jan Soifer, attorney for the couple, made a good point. “It’s a shame that they needed to hire lawyers and file a lawsuit to make that happen.” I would agree with Soifer because it is almost considered ridiculous for people to continue invoking religious objections after the ruling of same-sex marriage in the Supreme Court.
             Cato and Stapleton have not withdrawn the lawsuit even after they were granted their license because they are making sure that the Hood County Clerk Katie Lang and her office will issue licenses to same-sex couples without any delay. Lang violated their right to equal protection as well as other charges under the law.
            If a couple has the right to get married, they should not encounter any issues when obtaining proper documentation.