What's wrong with "One Nation Under God"?

After reading my classmate’s, Jose Ramos, blog about religion trying to creep into the public classroom, I find myself disagreeing with Mr. Ramos. In his posting, Jose talks about the efforts the Texas School Board has been taking to insert religious doctrines into middle school science classes. A proposed "strength and weakness" clause that would promote theories about intelligent design as opposed to evolution is the Boards' main focus. Mr. Ramos disagrees with introducing these ideas so early and prefers they be taught at a higher level of schooling such as high school or college. I on the other hand, would like to see these theories implemented at a younger age. If we only teach our children one theory or the other, it contradicts the idea of choice and variety. True, a middle school student probably will not fully comprehend the subject in it's entirety, but the fact that they are both presented would help them later understand that they are only theories, and deciding in which you believe in is a personal choice. I thought Mr. Ramos made a sound argument about his preference, but I’m going to have to go the other way on this one. Apart from a few grammatical errors, I thought it was a well written blog about a well known touchy subject.

Washington, here we come!

It's been nearly a month since Barack Obama became our nations first African-American president-elect. A historical campaign and an unforgettable election have propelled him to what some are calling "rock star status". It's evident with his cool, charismatic demeanor that Mr. Obama is able to attract a multitude of people, and it seems his fame and charm have swept Austin off it's feet.

It has been reported that merely minutes after Obama was announced the projected winner, that hotel reservations in D.C. for January 20th started pouring in. The excitement, energy, and expectations surrounding this year's inauguration have made Washington the place to be. Huge crowds are expected, and you can be sure that Austin will be in the mix. As reported by the "Statesman" earlier this month, Our nations congress is expected to be issued some 240,000 tickets to the festivities. They will be distributed amongst the 435 members of the House, and the 100 members of the Senate. They will in-turn then distribute them out to their constituents, family, and friends. Many Austin residents have been writing their representatives and Senators requesting tickets. Lloyd Doggett, a local democratic Representative, said he expects to receive 10 times as many requests as he has tickets. Even Austin Mayor, Will Wynn, is reportedly gunning for a "good seat".

History will definitely be in the making on the capitol steps on January 20th. People from all walks of life and from across the country will witness the swearing in of Barack Obama. There’s no way Austin would miss that show!

Party Over

My classmate Adrianna Cardenas recently commented on the new program enacted by the Austin Police Department. Originally designed to prevent drunk driving on Halloween, the program consisted of blood testing drivers who refused to take breathalyzer tests. The success of the program was evident Halloween night when more than a handful of partying motorists were apprehended and are now being charged with DWI’s .Although no final decisions have been made,   Austin is now considering making the program permanent.  Adrianna, who wrote the blog a few nights before Halloween, agreed with police and supported such a program. She reminds us of the dangers of drunk driving and how important it is to prevent them. Her logic and argument is sound, and you can’t argue with results.  I agree with Miss Cardenas. I do think the extensions of such a program would be beneficial to our community.  

Se Habla Espanol

It seems like lately a simple whiff of air is all it takes to capture the stench of politics in your nostrils. With elections all over the country at almost every level in full swing, it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind that is our government. In the mist of all this "excitement" I cant help but wonder, where are all my compadres? Better yet, where are all my compadres, in Texas?
It's no secret that Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in Texas, and in the nation for that matter. You have to be dead, blind, or just plain stupid not to realize that the body and facial features of Texas are rapidly transforming into that of a Latinos. Demographers predict that in the next 20 years, the words minority and Hispanics will no longer function in the same sentence. If this is true, and we are indeed on the verge of a majority change, why aren't we seeing more Latinos running for office? As a Mexican-American myself, it simply blows me away to think that the group of people that will soon make up more than half of the population of Texas, have almost no say in decision making, or how they are governed. Culture, language, racial barriers, there are hundreds of reasons and excuses we could use to try and justify our lack of public political enthusiasm, but when you are the public, there is no justification for not participating. What Latinos in Texas need is someone who is willing to step up to the plate. A pioneer to lead by example. While we do have a handful of Hispanic elected officials and representatives in our state Congress, it's a totally different story when it comes to the National level. Rick Noriega, current Texas House Representative and U.S. congressional hopeful, could be the trailblazer Hispanics need. If elected, Noriega would be the first Hispanic senator in Texas and the first Democratic senator from Texas in over a decade. No doubt a win by Rick would definitely be an attention grabber for the Hispanic people. Easier said than done. He is going up against John Cornyn, a republican incumbent in hostile territory. All we can do is cross our fingers and vote.

Good Ol' Texas Trash Talkin'

As reported by Forrest Wilder in his posting "California, you got nothin'", Texas conservatives were able to out trash-talk their west coast brethren earlier this week. Wilder, a liberal blogger for The Texas Observer, writes "never think that California can out-wingnut Texas". Referring to the recent Democrat bashings coming out of several California based Republican party organizations. Wilder was quick to pick up on several of these "Golden State" websites (some of which have already been pulled) and after scrolling through and reading some of the brute and outrageous comments, he came to an amusing conclusion, "they aint got nothin' on Texas". His evidence? How bout the GOP Hays County website for starters. Here he found an abundance of far-right conspiracies and even some racially-charged videos. A plethora for the ignorant if you will, this website and others like it are not surprising to see. What’s Mr. Wilders’ logic? It's Texas! He talks about how our stubborn state is set in its ways, especially when it comes to politics. It's evident that the Texas GOP senses change, so what does it do? It lashes out with irrational claims and comments that top any of its competitors by far. I agree with Wilder in his opinion that Texas is ideologically messed up. He presents his argument well and provides solid evidence to back his claim. His intended audience is probably anyone who is willing to listen and/or tired of the spew that comes out of the mouth of the great state of Texas.

What happened to all the Doctors?

According to Dr. J. James Rohack, of the American Medical Association, Texas needs more doctors. In his recent posting for the Austin American Statesman "How Texas can meet the growing demand for health care" Dr. Rohack, cardiologist and president elect for the A.M.A, states that he beleives Texas will expirence a shortage of M.D.'s unlike any seen in recent years. He reports that although Texas has always lagged behind other states when it comes to number of physicians per 100,000 population, in 2007 it licensed more medical students than in any other previous year. So why does James foresee problems in the future? It's simple, there is not enough school to go around. Currently Texas has eight medical schools of which have just recently increased thier total enrollment to 5,700 students. Keeping the students in Texas has also been a dilemma without resolve. Since state funding for some medical students seems to be a problem, many students leave Texas to continue thier education elsewhere. His solution? Build another state funded medical school that will pay an aspiring doctor's full education and trainning, not just the fraction it's willing to pay right now. In doing this, more home grown Texas doctors will elect to stay home. Research has shown that medical students are likely to practice medicine within 150 miles of where they completed thier trainning. I would definetly have to agree with Dr. Rohack on this one. Obviously a well distinguished and accomplished man, he presents his argument well. He has me convinced that we should indeed try and establish another state medical school. While he may have persuaded me, i dont think Dr. Rohack's article was ment to sway the opinion of a shopmore college student. His targets were probably individuals who have a little more say than i do on how our State funds are spent. Either way, i found his writings to have conviction. I beleived in what he wrote, because he beleived in what he wrote, and his credibility only helps encourge his point of view. Two Thumbs up for Dr. Rohack!

All Aboard "Last Train To Texas"

After what most would describe as an eight year nightmare, America is finally waking up from its long slumber. Finally, after two terms in office, Bush and his buddies are packing thier bags and coming back, to Texas? After winning his first election, "W" began filling Washington with his tight group of advisors and long time friends, most of whom are Texans. With thier days numbered in the White House, many members of his administration have begun migrating back to "Bush Country", only to find that the once open and inviting arms of Texas are now folded and reluctant to accept them back. As the Texas Obsever reported in thier article "Last Train to Texas", Many of George's pals "face tough times as they ponder thier future employment possibilities". Even with Republicans controling the state, there are signs of them losing thier tight grip. As Texas slowly but surely evolves through a growing Latino population and a "dissillusioned" Republican Party, it seems as if the people of "Bush Country" are revolting and trying to overthrow its government. Indeed, you know it's a bad time for Bush loyalists when they return to the comfort of their beautiful "red house", and find "blue graffiti".