Commentary: "Politics & Tejas"

Carolina in her blog post, "should Texas government control prayer rooms in public schools", describes one Lewisville school that has established an in school multi-faith prayer room. The superintendent of the school states that this is a free expression of religion and in no way violates the first amendment. I think this informal setting could create a safe place for the religious to conduct them without fear of reprisal. However, any formal teachings or practice of religion by faculty or other administrators is not protected by the first amendment. We must be careful to acknowledge this clear demarcation. That being said, I agree that all of those who will to practice religion that no way interferes with the lives of others is a win-win.

Risks: Making Texas Economy Sustainable and Stable

If Texas were an economic bar stool, it would have three major legs: oil, meat, and technology. The stability of the bar stool is directly related to the stability of each individual leg and a bar stool with two legs is impractical. This is the way the Texas economy has largely run for the past 40 years and while it has worked to some extent, we know that this model is, by definition, unsustainable for the future as society begins to turn away from oil products like gas in favor of renewable sources of energy and away from factory farmed meats. That leaves technology as the most stable source of revenue for the state. Luckily, if we use the current surplus in the budget to invest in technology we could develop new technologies that are reusable and marketable.

  You can scream until your blue in the face, that will not change the fact that one day oil will all be depleted. When that happens if we do not have a new leg to stand on the economy will be unstable as a two-legged bar stool. Another added benefit of researching renewables is the positive publicity Texas would receive for being an early a

We All Choose For Ourselves

I hate religion, but I respect that everyone has a right to believe whatever they want as long as you aren't hurting one. This is the principle of religious freedom that the founders fought to establish, and it's under attack. The current Texas legislature has submitted 25 bills in this session which target the LBGT community in various different ways under the guise of "religious freedom".

Whatever you tell yourself I think we all can acknowledge that we do not want others telling us where to live, where we can work, or how to generally live our lives. 
We all believe in the right of the individual to choose their life.
These bills seek to discriminate and alienate.
They seek to put one group's beliefs as superior to another.

This is fundamentally incompatible with the Constitution and the values in which we choose as a nation: Freedom, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

If you want to read more of the article, you can do so here.
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A RESPONSE TO "FREE MARKET SOLUTIONS THE KEY TO HEALTH CARE REFORM MARCH 10, 2017 BY DAVID LIMBAUGH"

Healthcare reform is underway and conservatives are seeking to "repeal and replace" the affordable care act in a few weeks time. At the present, ACA has given 20 million Americans health insurance and garnered the support of the industrial medical complex. Conservatives will tout that ACA is one step too close to full blown Marxist socialism and the end to freedoms, liberty, and the American way of life. They claim that the free market is a perfect system for healthcare as it will drive competition and thus ensure that the best and cheapest providers are the ones that prosper. 

The problem with treating healthcare like a business is it isn't one. Sure, some hospitals are for profit, but it's not like a person goes on yelp after they get shot on 6th street, weighing the options of which hospital is going to give the best gun shot wound care. You go to where the ambulance takes you: not a free market choice. Compound this fact with the mysterious nature of medical pricing, physical location requirements, and the oligarchic nature of all things medical and you start to realize this is not an issue of free market vs socialism, rather profit vs less profit. 

I do not understand how one can think that making a profit on sick, injured, and dying people is morally okay. We are all humans, and regardless of anything, we need to take care of each other. When everyone is doing better, then everyone is doing better. Less emergency care, more preventative care, and having everyone contribute their fair share to the health of our country is the solution to this problem. 

Feel free to read the original piece here.

The Right To Pee

SB 6 or more commonly called the bathroom bill seeks to require Texans to use that bathroom that aligns with the sex listed on their birth certificate. The implications affect the transgender community who feel more comfortable in a gender other than the one assigned to them at birth. This bill is bad for Texans because it alienates the rights of the disenfranchised, will likely cost Texans millions of dollars in lost revenue, and set a precedent of legalized discrimination.

 Texas is known, in part, for being a welcoming state that has a booming economy and generally a friendly place to live.  This legislation aligns Texas with the like of Indiana and South Carolina, which have faced public criticism from fortune 500 companies, major sports affiliations, and the general public. The fallout from this bill is already being felt as companies prepare to move their business to less hostile states. I think that Barry hit the nail on the head with this article and you can check it out for yourself here.

From Destruction, Community

At a time of fear and political strife in Texas and the national stage, a gesture of goodwill and humanity can turn tragedy into a galvanizing force of the community. On February 1^st in Victoria, Texas, crowds of supporters gathered around the rubble of a 16-year-old mosque that was engulfed in flames days earlier. Many have speculated that this destruction was a direct result of President Trump’s executive order which banned travel from seven Muslim countries. While claiming the actions of the president causes a person to commit a crime is a pretty preposterous claim, one should ask if this EO perhaps establishes a president which creates a hostile environment for those of the Muslim faith. Regardless, the people of Victoria have rallied their support for the Muslim community effected by the fire. Even Trump supporters have rallied to show support and solidarity for their neighbors. This should be viewed as a case study of true tolerance and acceptance. Feel free to read the article here.

Hello Fellow Thinkers!

Let us enjoy a safe, intelligent discourse about our society and work together to build a better, brighter future!