RE: Blog #7

On August 2nd, a classmate posted a sincere op-ed about his experiences as a Hispanic constituent with some comments on mapping the Hispanic voting trajectory.

This post was inherently in reference to a previous post that asserted that
Even though Texas is mostly conservatives and has some of the top universities in the United States, it still has lots of uneducated and lots of liberal citizens."

The semantics of statement itself equivocated liberals with being uneducated. 

But with humility in mind, my classmate retracted his statement concluding that not all protestors are "illiterate." Though well written, there is a sense of alarm in his tone as he asserts in his "Blog #7" that somehow the Hispanic people have been conned into protesting for bills, such as the abortion bill, even though it was against their beliefs.

Though it is true that a majority of Catholics are Hispanic, thus religious beliefs forbid abortions, it is important to understand that Hispanics protesting against HB 1 were not protesting abortion: they were protesting a bill that limits health access to destitute women- most of whom are Hispanic. 

Furthermore, the assertion that the "liberal media" is corrupting minds and forcing protests is illogical. 

The end paragraph stating the importance of education may be a truthful point of view, but is demeaning to the Hispanic population he comes from. From my classmates experience, the majority of Hispanics that he has been around have been illiterate and "uneducated." He stresses the fact that education will change their point of view. While I completely agree that education is the frontier for knowledge, it is illogical and demeaning to somehow correlate a majority of the Hispanic population as illiterate and also saying that these same illiterate hispanics are at the forefront of protests.

One thing is for certain: The Hispanic population will continue to rise. Education and poverty levels in the Hispanic community are unfortunately low. But that aspect in no way, should be utilized to disenfranchise or stereotype  against the Hispanic population.


To read more go to: http://tpntt.blogspot.com/2013/08/blog-7-texas-state-and-local-govt.html

3rd Special Session

The last few months of Perry's regime have been filled with heavy action.

With a total of 3 special sessions, Perry has left his mark as governor.

So what exactly was on the docket for the 3rd special session?

Apparently the the transportation bill, had been on the docket since the first special session but due to the chaos caused by the infamous HB 1, it had been pushed back.

Passing with flying colors the transportation bill boosted the transportation fund by $1.2 billion allocated from excess gas & oil funds. 

Unfortunately, the increase of $1.2 billion is not enough to cover an estimated $4 billion worth in much needed improvements to Texas infrastructure. 

Texas has had a long withstanding reputation of economic stability and strength, despite the previous recession. But what really accounts for Texas' economic well-being? Some account Texas' stability to a hefty amount of almost $6 billion deposited safely in the Rainy Day Fund. 

For those not familiar with the fund, it is simply defined as a savings deposit that can be used in times of economic need. Growing in the past years from $500 million to almost $6 billion, the Rainy Day Fund proves to be a strong asset for the Texas economy.

But, keep one thing is mind: Is Texas' economic strength the result of Perry's stringent policies or the sheer fact that Texas is one of few states blessed with much needed natural resources- oil & gas?

Armchair Advocacy or Diffusion of Knowledge?

A fellow classmate blogger noted some interesting topics of conversation on his blog, "Its Called Texas." The assertion is clear from the first paragraph stating his penchant distaste for armchair activism in Austin. His argument addresses a phenomenon that has been occurring alongside the expansion of the social media platform- user knowledge diffusion. Current globalization demands the necessity for efficiently spreading information. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been at the forefront of user interaction and information awareness. With various apps on Facebook, users have the ability to be "activists" by championing for these causes.

According to Its Called Texas,  activism induced by social media is inherently "armchair activism." While I do essentially attest to the notion that the term "armchair" is accurate, activism itself has a dynamic definition.

Though I did think  Austin.. The Breeding Ground of the Armchair Advocate was a well- verbalized op-ed piece, I found it quite contradictory near the ending. The last assertion made in the second paragraph states a necessity to engage the  younger generation yet in the beginning, it was clear that social media activism was merely "armchair activism" fueled by rumors, inaccurate info, and heresay.
Despite the contradiction, I do strongly believe that youth activism is necessity to a reflective and effective governing body. However, the job of the legislature is not to encourage participation, rather spread accurate policy information. Participation is spurred through passion- something that can be ignited through education and formal internships.

Though there are certain parts of contention and agreement between my classmate and I, I do believe that youth activism is necessary.
But, I think it's important to note that interest in "what people do with their guns and their uteruses" are issues that affect a broad array of people and thus are necessary for "youth" and state to be engaged in.