The Worse Traffic

I have to agree with my classmate Samantha's blog, Rush. Austin is growing rapidly in the last few year, and our current road highway system can't handle the increases in traffic. Adding toll lanes to the Mopac Expressway might help with the increasing traffic in Austin, it do not solve the problem in the long run. Just like the MetroRail, it somewhat helps the traffic when there is a seminar in downtown Austin. But the MetroRail only has one track, to and back from Austin. Even with the toll-road, MetroRail, and buses, we still experiencing very bad traffic every day, all hours of the day.

We need something more than using millions of dollars to add more lanes to the old highway. It will not free up the highway and improve traffic. It's useless just like any other project the City of Austin did to diverse traffic. It might be too late for us to try to solve this traffic problem we have in Austin. People in Austin is used to drive everywhere with their car, and it's a traffic that is hard to break.

Denial

There has been a lot of talk about the terrorist attack in Paris and Syrian refugee. Many Americans do not want to open our door to the Syrian refugee; they fear that the same thing will happen on American soil. There are many posts on social media about this subject. Texas' governor, Greg Abbott, along with dozen other states governor already refuse to accept the Syrian refugee even though the Fed already warn that the states do not have the power to refuse the refugee.

I understand why many Americans do not want to accept refugee, but  I have to disagree with that. When did America only think of America?! When did the citizen of America only think of ourselves? America has never been a selfish nation. We always step in to help other nations when needed. In World War 1 and 2, even though we didn't want to step in and get sucks in the war, we still did. We help our neighbors. In the Vietnam War, we stepped in and made it worse when we suddenly pulled back, but Vietnam would have been in a much worse situation if America didn't step in and help. America also accepted thousands and thousands of Vietnamese refugees running from their ruined homeland. We did not know if there were people that pretend to be a Vietnamese refugee to come to America and take revenge, or to bomb America. America accept them all with open arm because it's the humane thing to do.

We have drifted so far from thinking of what is the humane and right thing. When did we become so afraid that we close our door to everyone and only think of us? No one wants what happen in Paris to happen here, but is closing our door to the Syrian refugee going to change any of that? We have at least one mass shooting here in America by an American every week, right in our back yard, and no one is doing a thing to stop that, or make a big deal on social media. If someone speak out and say how they feel, they get attack by those that love the Second Amendment. You know what, we locked our door at night to protect the people inside, but not from foreigners that try to escape the ruined of their country (that caused by America, in a way), but we lock our door to protect us from the people right in our backyard. They only want to find peace after suffering so much.

Commentary on Colleague

I have to agree with my colleague Javier Sandoval. In his blog, Don't Mess With Citizens, he criticized Texas officials denying a birth certificate to children born to illegal immigrants. By denying a birth certificate, we're going against the US Constitution, which promised citizenship to anyone that born on USA lands. 

There are a few minor things that Texas officials might have forgotten. We can't make laws that are denying someone right(s) that is against the Constitutions. Another thing is if we deny someone birth- certificate, they can't go to school and get the education they need. If someone can't get their education, they can't be successful in life and will become a burden to society. By denying a birth certificate to someone, you are also denying other public services that could help them. 

It is not the children fault that their parents decide to come here illegally and give birth. Their parents decided to do what they did. It is not the children fault that they were born in US land illegally. They do not have a choice. We shouldn't punish the children for what the parents did, besides they only want what is best for their children. Any parents would want the best for their children, and the US is the land of opportunity, so why do we deny people of their birth rights. 

Guns Guns Guns....and more Guns!!

Guns control has always been the problematic subject in the country, but now we have to worry about guns control on campus. We as a country haven't do anything to decrease mass shooting in public, school ground and college campuses. Almost every week we have to hear of a mass shooting somewhere in the country. In Texas alone, there are 16 mass shootings this year. I got at least two notify texts and emails from ACC about a suspect with a gun around the Eastview campus. Just about one or two weeks ago, Eastview campus was locked down because of a suspect pursued. What other evidences do we need before the national, states and locals government step in and do something?

I do not agree with allowing a student to carry guns on campus. That's just asking for trouble. Many college students are underage, even those that are 21 years or older is not mature or psychologically stable to handle a gun. I don't trust most adults out there to carry a gun. If we let college students carry a gun on campus, it will be the last and biggest mass shooting we'll see, or we'll just have more mass shooting every day. And, it will become an everyday thing. Oh wait, it's already an everyday thing right now.

The State and local governments need to work together to work out a solution for gun control. We need to have stricter guns control. We're living in a country that the government control and monitor how much pseudoephedrine we can buy in a transaction and a month. But, we do not have a proper way to prevent people from using a gun to harm the innocents.

Shameless Politician......Mental Health Issue

Harold Cook is a political analyst and a Democrat. In one of his recent blog, he called out Donovan, a Dallas County Democratic Chairwoman, calling for Hawks' resignation after Hawk comes out and explain why she disappeared for nine weeks after being elected for District Attorney. Hawk had admitted herself into a mental hospital for depression. Quote: "Given 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."

According to Cook's blog, Hawk isn't the first office holder that has gone m.i.a. during his/her term. Mr. Coleman, the Democrat State Representative of Houston, has suffered mental illness. He was also disappeared during his office term to get treatment, and no one came out and asked Mr. Coleman to resign. If they have, he wouldn't be able to bring so many good things for the public. He brought attention to the mental health problems, at-risk child care services and many more.   But in Hawk's situation, Donovan waste no time to call for her resignation. Hawk also have many gossips during her running and when she first disappear. 

I have to agree with Cook. Mental Health is a very sensitive issue during our time. More than half of the nation is suffering from mental health issue(s). There are things that you could say, but sometimes silence is the best policy. Donovan has no right to call for Hawk resignation. That is for the State Bar of Texas to determine if she can practice law. I feel like our politician is getting nastier each term. Instead of showing affection and kindness to each other during the hard time or when they just went through anything as tough as Hawk. Most would just keep their personal struggle(s) private, instead of going public with it. Instead of showing sympathy and keep silence, Donovan chooses to go the other way.  

Guns

In the wake of the most recent shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, our country have to face the problem we all tired of hearing every day, guns control. Base on the article, " More guns on campus will not make us safer", from Austin American- Statesman, all of the mass shooting happen in America all have a pattern to it. It's always a mentally unstable person with access to guns, have some problem with religious, race, etc. That person alway chose places that guarantee to have many people in one place like schools, movie theater, colleges, malls or churches. The shooter killed at least three peoples, and many are injured before he killed himself or a police. But before he got kill, there's always that one person who used their body as a shield to let others escaped. The nation grieve; people pray, there were sadness, anger, and outrage. It's a vicious cycle that we're in. How many people have to die, how many families have to mourn the death of their loves ones before the government will do something. When will we the People do something? I'm not saying I agree or disagree with no gun laws. But we do need to do something, so this won't happen again. Allowing guns on campus can be bad and good. College students are mentally and emotionally unstable. Allowing guns on campus can help students protect themselves when this happen again, or protect them from other incidents. But, it can be very bad also. Instead of one person go on a rampage, we will have every college students go on a rampage at the same time. We need to have stricter laws for gun control, or we will be living every day scare.

No Water

If someone tell me that we still have people living in third world condition in one of the First World nation, and here in Texas, I will think they're joking. Unfortunately, that is the case, people that live along the bother of Texas and Mexico are living in third world condition. Base on an article from Texas Tribune, "Undrinkable", stated that there are still many Texan and immigrant from Mexico living in these towns with no access to clean or drinkable water. These cities/ towns include Vinton, Las Pampas, Rio Bravo/ El Cenizo, and Rio Grande City. People live in these cities have no water treatment plants or one that runs well. These towns do not have the finance to upkeep the treatment plants and relieve money from the government to improve water in these cities is drying up. The state government haven't made any real effort to improve this issue since 1989 and the national government since the early 1990s. Many people continue living in this condition without complaints because they're scared about bringing the issue to light will bring attention to their citizen status, and most of them is Hispanic and can't speak English well.