Comment on a colleague’s work #2

Last blog assignment of the semester and my colleague Renee wrote an interesting and popular post  about how Texas should legalize medical and recreational use of Marijuana. She made very good points about the health benefits of Medical use of Marijuana such as how it doesn't have major side effects on the patients and how it is proving to actually help people.
     For recreational use Renee states in her blog that "In Colorado the legalization of marijuana has created thousands of new jobs. They have regulations for buying, selling, and possession. They have tax on both recreational and medical use, with a 10 percent additional special state tax on recreational use. This gave them a 135 million tax and fee revenue last year to put into other funds, such as education"
   Overall Renee provided a well written blog about how Texas could lean towards legalizing Marijuana and learn from Colorado and other states who have decided to legalize it.  As a state Texas can learn what will benefit us and make a system that fits into our standards that will make our state and the citizens who live in it happy.

Blog 7 Commentary #2

I came across this article on the Texas Tribune titled 
"While people and drugs come north, guns pour south into Mexico" 

The article focuses on how guns are flowing into both the U.S. and Mexico, but mainly guns are easier to come from the United States into Mexico.

Most of the guns range from hand cannons to rifles to military-grade weapons, but the preferred guns are long rifles including the semi-automatic varieties such as the AR-15 and AK-47, and " according to a 2016 GAO report. They are easily converted to fully automatic machine guns, the report notes."

The biggest gun distributors came from cities such as Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas.

"From 2009 to 2014, more than 73,600 guns seized in Mexico were from the United States, according to a 2016 report from the Government Accountability Office, the congressional watchdog over the federal government. More than 13,600 were confirmed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to have originated in Texas. But that figure could be higher — the report also states that because of factors like altered serial numbers on weapons and incomplete information on records, the states of origin could only be traced for about 45 percent of the U.S. total."

With this the U.S sending their guns and Mexico sending drugs there has been ...

"Illicit arms trafficking from Texas has for years contributed to the carnage in Mexico, where tens of thousands have died since a full-scale war between law enforcement and rival cartels began in 2005."

This article demonstrates how this vicious cycle has been never ending, and how our D.E.A. struggles on busting these criminals because most of these cases never lead to bigger cases, they are just given up on and smugglers are still in business until someone makes a mistake and a dent is actually made in stopping this "turf war" that's been going on. 

Blog 6

Texas a fossil fuel addict state written by my colleague Lorena caught my attention because Texas is a very big state, and Texas being Texas we like to go big! Whether that be good or bad a fact from Lorena's article states that the  "consumption of energy per Texas home, the average is 26% higher than the national level, which is equivalent to 43 citizens in India. The state of Texas must take a stand." I agree with Lorena on that "If we can get Texas to be a fossil fuel state, we are one step closer to save our eco system."

Critique on The Dallas County Democratic Party

On my last blog assignment I came across a really good article by Harold Cook titled : On public service, mental health challenges, and knowing when to STFU which was about how a state rep. And a district attorney who are suffering from a mental illness one from bipolar disorder and the other from severe depression.

I am here to further along the information about Dallas county District Attorney Susan Hawk who is battling severe depression and how the Dallas County Democratic Chairwoman Carol Donovan is broadcasting misinformation about Hawks condition, raising concern with the Dallas community  and is honestly bullying her and making her look small for a condition she did not ask for nor ever thought she’d have. No one asks to have depression, no likes being depressed. Depression is a condition that can be effectively treated studies show that the recovery rate is exceedingly high, and it’s well above 50 percent if a person is receiving treatment

Susan Hawk took the time she needed which was roughly about two months and checked herself into  Menninger Clinic rated one of the best hospitals to seek adult psychiatry, she came back better and stronger only to find out that Chairwoman Carol Donovan was not to pleased with her return back to office and was already asking for her resignation releasing this statement

“Yes, we can all survive depression,” Donovan said, “but what concerns me greatly is now finding out the seriousness of her considering suicide during a period that was just a few weeks ago, Susan Hawk has failed to tell the truth about her troubles and her whereabouts. Now we learn that, just weeks ago, our top law enforcement official was involuntarily committed after threatening to kill herself.  There is not a family in America that has not been touched by depression, directly or indirectly. It is an illness that must be taken seriously, and it should not be belittled. In view of the facts that have just recently been revealed, Susan owes it to herself, not to mention her nearly 500 employees and the taxpayers, to resign and to concentrate on getting well.

Dallas County GOP Chair Wade Emmert has a different opinion

“I think the Democrats are looking to exploit the situation for their own political benefit,” Emmert said. “And it’s a shame because many people suffer with depression, and the more that condition is stigmatized, the fewer people are going to get help.”

District Attorney Susan Hawk released this statement: “During the nine weeks I was treated for depression it was my decision to be there — I was there voluntarily the entire time. To say that I was there involuntarily at any point is factually wrong. I understand why my political opponents would want to use this against me, but I’m healthy and I know that my story can help others so I respectfully ask them to step back and give me a chance.”

Saying someone is not capable to do their job correctly due to a mental illness publicly and exploiting them to resign makes Chairwoman Carol Donovan look like a big bully spreading misinformation because she heard it from so and so and they heard it from someone else no one knows the truth but Susan Hawk and her people.  

“Sometimes, the very best thing to say is nothing, and the best way to react is with kindness, not shrill political hackery clumsily worded to mimic concern.”-Harold Cook

Work Cited

http://www.lettersfromtexas.com/2015/10/public-service-and-mental-health-challenges.html by Harold Cook

http://www.texasstandard.org/stories/on-path-to-recovery-dallas-da-susan-hawk-battles-calls-to-step-down/ By Rhonda Fanning

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/10/04/dallas-democrats-call-for-da-susan-hawks-resignation/

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Letters from Texas

Found an article by Harold Cook who looks at politics and current events through the eyes of a progressive Texan in a bad mood. The audience for this article is pointed more towards the Dallas Audience, because the article talks about Representative Garnet Coleman who is a Houston Democrat, who has a Bi-polar disorder. Also regarding the Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk, who has been battling Depression and suicidal thoughts.

Mr.Coleman is a well respected man by both political parties. Who is also a very strong advocate on mental health issues. The Articles argument is mainly bases it self around these two people to demonstrate how party officials have wanted them to resign for their "health issues" Coleman's Public service goes without saying, he has been such a strong advocate for increasing access to health care to more than 600,000 children for Medicaid, and helping to increase child care services for CHIP in Texas.

While Ms.Susan Hawk the Dallas County D.A. has sought treatment for her own mental issues, the Democratic Chairwoman Carol Donovan wanted Susan Hawk to resign her position as soon as possible because she didn't find Hawk capable to do her job and believed she "owes it to herself, not to mention her 500 employees and taxpayers, to resign and concentrate on getting well"

The evidence is there from Democratic Chairwoman Carol Donovan from calling out on Representative Coleman when he was going through the midst of his own difficulties, Donovan also called out Susan Hawk for her conditions making Chairwoman Donovan increase the already existing stigma associated with mental health issues.

I agree with the writer of this article because a mental health condition is no joke, and for someone to just call you out and label you incapable to do your job publicly seems like a very unnecessary move because you then just look like a big bully picking on others suffering from a condition, they didn't know they had. but they have sought out treatment and are working on making themselves better.

"Texans know college matters"

     The local newspaper source I used was "My Statesman" titled "Statewide poll finds strong concern about student financial aid, debt" written by Ralph K.M Haurwitz who is a Higher education reporter. He has covered higher education for the Austin American Statesman since 2004 and currently resides in Austin. 

     A Statewide poll that was commissioned by the Texas arm of Western Governors University discovered that a majority of Texans believe it is important for the state to fund financial aid for first-time students from low and middle income families to help them get off their feet. In this poll you see that many Texans who are not 1st time student consider a post-secondary degree or certificate essential to getting a good job, and improving one's quality of life to pay and secure their needs for the future.

     This article overall is written pretty straight forward, very easy to read, highlights of this article are "Large majorities say a degree is essential for getting a good job and securing a higher income"

"Texas Chancellor Veronica Stidvent stated that Texans know college matters" 

     The author is not really on a side about whether the state of Texas is helping to much or helping to little with higher education. His viewpoint not really stated. Although in the Article it is a bit overstated with a lot of statistics about how Texans deem that student loan debt is a problem but no solution is being suggested on how we can fix that or improve on minimizing this problem for Texans. Though we are getting informed about how many Texans want to continue their higher education, most Texans don't continue going to school of how outrageously expensive it is to go to school, and cost of living on campus or even off campus is also a overwhelming amount of money. This article begins to just go round and round about how there is a problem but no solution is provided or attempt to fix it is really there, which is the only downer I have about this article.

    Although this article is a very interesting read because the author Ralph K.M. Haurwitz dedicates himself to informing us about higher education in Texas, but if a problem is proposed finish off with a solution and not just abruptly with numbers. 

I found an interesting article in the Texas Monthly titled Deep-Fried Couture about a local native from Longview, Texas who built himself up from his little city and moved out to New York to become a designer and has succeeded by staying true to his roots. Brandon Maxwell won the Swarovski Award for Womenswear, he thought he was not going to win, so he was totally shocked when they called his name to receive the award, and in front of 500 people was a  “a slightly overweight boy from Texas whose idea of a fine meal is something rolled up into a ball, deep-fried, and put into wax paper”.

Like all Texans Brandon was in Austin eating some queso with some friends, when discussing his big night at the CFDA Fashion Awards where he won the Swarovski Award where he mentioned that he is from Texas and will always stay true to who he is. He graduated from St. Edwards with a degree in photography, and moved to the East Coast living in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn, NY. Where he spent most of his time sending out resumes to land a job. He landed a job assisting Lady Gaga's stylist, and later became the stylist for Lady Gaga making his career really shine through in the fashion world. Brandon launched a line of tailored jumpsuits last September that definitely scream eighties-era Texas style of flowing bell-sleeved blouses, and glamorous long gowns that Brandon wanted for his clothing line.

Brandon got into fashion through his grandmother by helping her at her job Riff's where the elegant women of East Texas shopped at. Brandon's grandmother would put outfits together for her clients to wear and Brandon fell in love with fashion, with putting outfits together and taking photo shoots, he says  “Growing up in a small town and not having a lot of things I was interested in at my fingertips made me scrappy and resourceful,” he said. “Those are the main things that have gotten me by in my career so far.”

Although Brandon can't make it home all the time to Longview, he stays connected to his family by his dad who runs the day to day of his business. The fashion industry is a tricky business but Brandon has total trust in his father to get the job done.

Brandon Maxwell was in the headlines for designing a dress for the First Lady Michelle Obama who wore the dress to a state dinner at the White House in early August. Brandon will show his 3rd collection at the New York Fashion Week, he will be a keynote speaker for the Women's Symphony League of Austin, so he has quite a hectic month ahead of him but it's all about staying true to his Texan roots that has led him to his success in the fashion industry.