Critique

I recently made this comment on a classmate's blog, Anna's Political Page: Science Curriculum up for Debate.

I very much enjoyed Anna's post. If Anna can't believe that this debate has continued over the past eleven years, then she will be absolutely blown away to know that this debate goes back even farther! In America, this was a hot topic even in the 1920s, the time of the Scopes Monkey Trial. However at that time, creationism was favored over evolution. My first snag with Anna's argument came when I realized that she had not linked the article that inspired her to write this or any other sources that have shaped her view. It is hard for me to see how she arrived at her conclusion if I cannot walk the path she used to get there.

As far as the argument itself goes, I cannot see much support for it, at least in her post. Anna makes the bold statements that this debate is between,"...scientific fact against religious groups," and that children "...need to know what has been scientifically proven..." However, she gives no support for those statements. The argument would have been stronger had she made a small parenthetical note with a link for extra reading to support her statements. What evidence does support the theory of evolution? Beneficial mutations? A clear fossil record? An accurate dating method? Evolution requires just as much faith to grasp as any religious theory. Anna's wording portrays much more confidence then her supporting facts credit.

Anna also makes the statement, "They want the bible’s creation stories [put] into the books and not evolution." This is true; many do desire creationism to be taught as the only possibility. However, according to a poll posted by CBS, an even greater portion, in fact the majority of Americans, desire for creationism and evolution to be taught side by side as theories. This is the view I hold. It is often beneficial for one to understand another's opposing view.

If this is a question of teaching scientific fact, then let's not teach this subject. If it is a question of producing well rounded students, then lets give them all we've got. After, the students deserve to have access to the information and hold to the idea that they are convinced of.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main6570

Robin Hood

Texas possesses a financial system for public education that is envied by many states for its equity called Robin Hood. Just like the fictional communist character, this system takes money from the rich and gives to the poor. Texas is divided into over 1,000 school districts. The schools rely heavily upon revenue from local property taxes within their districts to fund their programs. To battle the inequality between districts rich and poor in property wealth, the Robin Hood system siphons off portions of property tax revenue from rich school districts and distributes it to poor school districts. Although it has made progress in achieving equity, it fails in providing the capacity for all students to achieve set academic standards, as is the goal of Texas.
In addition, most districts are being taxed near or at the maximum rate, but enrollment is still increasing at a rate of approximately 75,000 students per year. There simply are not enough resources to adequately fund public education under this system.
So what should be done? There needs to be a reform in Texas school financing that combines both equality in education and adequacy for student achievement. The shape that this will take is highly debated. One idea is to raise the statewide sales tax. Another idea is to reroute the flow of the money that we already have. Those who advocate this option suggest focusing spending in the classroom rather than on administration.
One thing is clear, the current system based on local property taxes is unpopular and inadequate.


Coalition to invest in Texas Schools

Comment on Needle Exchanges

I made this comment on a classmate's blog, TX Government: A breed of its own

I too was initially against needle exchanges. Handing out clean needles to drug addicts seemed like encouraging them to continue their habit. But if what is being done now is not solving the problem, there should be a change. It is true that these types of programs reduce the spread of diseases such as HIV and AIDs, but it goes further than that. These types of programs can be the first step towards rehabilitation. Needle exchanges bring drug users into contact with drug rehab info and programs that they might have otherwise avoided.

Parent's Rights

Who possesses the right to make decisions concerning a child's education, growth, activities, and relationships? The child's parents do, so long as these decisions are not proven to be harmful to the child, right? That's what I thought too. However, there have been many instances in which the reasonable decisions of parents in Texas have been overrun by the law.

In a newsletter on the THSC website, "THSC Pac Announces Effort to Restore Parental Rights," Tim Lambert of the Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) notes specific cases of such infringement. He reports cases in which grandparents have used the Grandparents Access Statute, an amendment to the Family code meant to give grandparent's access to their grandchildren, to challenge decisions made by parents concerning their children, specifically the decision to home school them. " Lambert states that the Grandparent Access Statute ,"... has had unintended consequences that are destroying Texas families and undermining the fundamental right of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children."

What can be done to help solve this problem? In his letter, Lambert encourages the readers on behalf of THSC to support the Texas Parent's Rights Restoration Act (TPRRA), which will amend the Grandparents Access Statute and restore it to its original purpose. Supporting this legislation is one small step in supporting parent's rights.

Texas needs to pass legislation that explicitly protects the rights of a parent in contrast to legislation that determines when their rights maybe taken away.

Compassion or Consequences?

Define the right choice for any circumstance. Tell me where we draw the line between compassion and just deserts. I am certain this question has run through the minds of many legislators and political viewers alike as they observed Gov. Perry's bill mandating girls of a certain age get vaccinated for HPV get shot down and state Sen. Bob Deuell's needle exchange legislation being tossed around. Recently Gov. Perry compared these two issues. He believes that there is no difference in the arguments for or against either piece of legislation. Some believe each has the potential to encourage a bad activity (illegal drug use and promiscuity.) One political blogger comments on this comparison on his blog Grits For Breakfast. He observes that the biggest difference is cost. The needle exchange program is done by non-profit organizations while the vaccination program would be financed by tax payers. Otherwise, both pieces of legislation could potentially save many lives and a lot of money. At first glance at least, I would support the needle exchange program. It has the potential to bring drug users into rehabilitation programs. But it all boils down to the question should we let those who have made wrong choices face their consequences, or should we show some compassion? Grits provides many additional links to information pages for the needle exchange program. I'd encourage you to read his blog and form your own decision.

Tuition for Illegal Immigrants

Illegal immigration will always be a subject of debate in Texas. Debate they do, over HB 159, as reported by Michelle West for the Daily Texan in here article House hears public views on state tuition. This bill would repeal laws that allow illegal immigrants the ability to pay in-state tuition. Some argue that this encourages illegal immigration. Some argue the children of illegal immigrants shouldn't be punished for a crime committed by their parents. I would argue that the enforcement of punishment for illegal immigrants has become a bit sporadic. I'm no nativist, I simply think that to enjoy all the freedoms of being a US citizen, one must legally become a US citizen. In addition, no one will take our laws seriously if they are not enforced. West wrote, "Farrar said obtaining citizenship after immigrating illegally was nearly impossible." As a college student myself, I understand how difficult it is to fund one's education. Instead of extending extra rights to illegal aliens, I think we should focus on enabling the children of illegal immigrants to be more able to gain citizenship so they may enjoy the rights of citizenship and legal residence.

Car Burglaries and Consequences

Do stiffer sentences act as adequate deterrence for crime? Texas State Representative Rafael Anchia thinks so. Anchia is the co-author of legislature that increases the severity of the punishment for car burglars. Thomas Korosec reviewed this subject in his article Texas Lawmakers Eye Crackdown on Breaking into cars. Korosec reports that ever since the courts have lightened up on car burglars in the mid-1990s, these crime rates have sky rocketed. Admittedly, so has the number of dope heads looking for some loose change to support their habits. Perhaps drugs are to be blamed. Either way, those people should be behind bars, whether for use of illegal substances or theft. Personally, I believe Texas and the U.S. has become too lenient on most criminals. Criminals will have no incentive to stop breaking into cars if all they get is a whack on the nose and a 90 day sentence in jail. Longer sentences will mean overcrowded jails (as if that wasn't already a problem), so how about changing the quality of their stay so as to make jail one of the last places they would ever want to visit again?