Bikes and Cars and Peaceful Coexistence...My Response

In Bikes and Cars Coexsisting, Matthew wonders if education or stupidity is the problem with people in cars attacking bikes on the road. I will say it's stupidity. Even though it is VERY tempting to run some of these cyclists over, I think it's a lack of intelligence and common sense that some little punk kid shoots one in the back of the head with a projectile. Having said that, I think it's absurd that cyclists think they have the right to do whatever they want on a road that is intended for motor vehicles. I hate driving through downtown Austin, not only do I have make sure I don't hit a pedestrian and worry about when I will be cut off next by another car, I also have to worry about making sure I don't run over a bike that thinks they have the same right of way that I do. Starting to educate about bikes on the road in high school? Are you insane? Don't you think we have enough problems with the education system in this state? These kids are not learning what they should be learning to begin, but lets throw something trivial in there as well. I did not grow up in Austin, so maybe I don't get the whole "bike" thing, but I just can't wrap my head around bikes and cars coexisting, peacefully anyway. I know that I don't have much of a choice, so I will continue to just deal with it as long as I live here, but in my opinion the bikes need to be off the road.

Changes

Kay Bailey Hutchinson has finally made it official that she will run against Rick Perry in the Republican primary for the office of Governor. She's going to get my vote. I think Perry has served as governor long enough. There is currently no limit to the number of consecutive four year terms a governor may hold the office. I do not agree with this. What's the point? Why would we want the same governor forever, especially if they are just causing more of a problem? It should be set up the same way as the office of the United States President, only being able to serve two consecutive terms. This state needs some change just as much as the country does. President Obama's whole campaign was based on change, and he was right, we do need change. Do not get me wrong, I am no fan of his and am not in agreement with all the "changes" he has in mind. Texas needs a new face, even if it's not Hutchinson. Perry made a promise that he wasn't going to run again anyway, which he obviously broke. He also seems to think that the state's budget is in balance, with extra money to spare. I'm sure it is on paper (simple accounting 101), but I highly doubt that's the case. I won't go on and on about Perry's misfortunes, I don't want this to sound like a campaign against him. I don't have much faith in any of the politicians and feel that they all make empty promises and not keep them. I personally think most all them lie to get into office anyway. I just think maybe it's time we have someone else lie to us.

Reply to Remy

Yes it's true that not everyone learns the same way. Yes, it's true that some people are great at taking tests, while others (much like myself) are not. And it's absolutely without a doubt true that the school system in Texas needs some serious change. You discuss S.B. No. 2033 in your blog, but I was a little unsure of your stance on the bill itself. You state that the bill "means that students will only be receiving the grades that they earned." Shouldn't it be that way to begin with? I don't know much about the minimum grading system. In fact I never even heard of it until now, but to me it sounds like we are giving students grades even if they would have failed the assignment otherwise. What message does that send? Part of school is to prepare kids for college and adult life. You can't half-ass things in the real world and expect to be given full credit. I am sure that dropouts will most definitely increase, since those students won't be "handed" their grades anymore. I am sure that I am sounding a little harsh on this, but where does it end?
I agree with you that they need to stop the lawsuits and come up with a better way of educating the kids. My suggestion? Create testing programs designed for young children to determine how they learn best. Develop programs that would best suit those needs and place the children accordingly. I know these things cost money and are easier said than done, but you have to start somewhere.

Grasping At Straws

Apparently I have been hiding under a rock lately since I haven't heard anything about Texas putting a ban on all marriages. It seems that Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for Attorney General Barbara Ann Radnofsky thinks an amendment approved by the legislature and agreed upon by voters believes just that. She is currently causing a stir trying to get an apology from the current Attorney General, Greg Abbott. The amendment states that "marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman." Radnofsky seems to have a problem with the subsection that declares "this state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage." I personally think that the wording is just a politically correct way with legal jargon of saying what no one is really coming out (no pun intended) and saying, that Texas will not allow or honor same-sex marriage.
For starters, I have a very hard time believing that the highly educated men and women of the Texas legislature would even pass this bill if they thought at all that it meant to ban all marriages. The voters obviously didn't have a problem with the wording either. Also, this amendment was passed in 2005, making it 4 years old! Not a single person had a problem with this until now? With elections coming up, the timing is just a little too convenient.
I know that Texas is a very Republican state (yes, I am one of them), but I think sometimes Democrats try to grasp at straws so they can point the finger. I sort of think that if Radnofsky is so concerned with the wording of this particular amendment, she should work on getting it changed instead of trying to get an apology.

Do as I say...not as I do

We live in a time where pretty much everything is about political correctness, and it's getting to be ridiculous. Unless we are in the privacy of our own home, we have to be mindful of others and make sure that what we do or say doesn't upset or offend anyone (and it's usually not meant that way to begin with.) I personally cannot believe that our leaders have set this example. It's childish, the liberals say that it's wrong to do something, unless you are on their side, then it can be justified. It's the whole "do as I say, not as I do routine."
In A Note On Political Correctness by Shawn Griffiths, he discusses a video from the Glenn Beck Show on Fox News where he rants and raves about the murders at Fort Hood and that political correctness is taking over our nation. Griffiths explains that the liberal interpretation of being politically correct is a double standard, that they won't label Nidal Hasan (the Fort Hood shooter) an extremist, but the individuals participating in the Tea Parties recently are "extremists that have physically assaulted elected officials." The author could not have explained this any better. Hasan is a domestic terrorist, not just someone who got his feelings hurt and then snapped. We should not take pity on Hasan just because the politically correct liberals don't want to hurt his feelings. I think he lost that right when he killed 13 people and wounded another 31. Shouldn't we be trying to learn how someone like Hasan (and yes I mean a terrorist) in connection with Al Queda was in our military, and a high-ranking officer at that? Griffiths makes the comment that when he says "Hasan is a terrorist that should be condemned to death and burn in hell," it is not politically correct as labeled by others, but he doesn't care if it is or isn't. He shouldn't care, that's his right, just like liberals have the right to their opinion. When one of our so called leaders decides that they don't agree with it and label it as wrong, that's when it becomes an issue.
Griffiths asks if anyone is offended by Hasan not being called a terrorist. Well I am extremely offended, we all should be. Anyone who kills 13 of our military men and women in cold blood like Hasan did, whether or not they are associated with Al Queda, should be considered a terrorist and dealt with harshly.
This article comes from the blog, "The North Texas Conservative" by Shawn Griffiths. I was unable to find anything as far as his credentials, but it seems he has very strong opinions about telling the truth and not "sugarcoating" anything. With this article, I am sure he just wants people to wake up and think for themselves.

Shami WOW!!

It seems as if all Texans are gearing up for the 2010 race for Governor. John Kelso from the Austin American Statesman wrote this commentary that I think gives a humorous yet intelligent opinion about possible Democratic candidate Farouk Shami. For a bit of information on Shami, one can Google his name and learn that he is from the Middle East and now lives in Houston. He got rich selling the popular CHI hair care products, and has absolutely zero political experience. John Kelso, who writes humorous columns and is a popular Austin icon, wrote this article for any Texan who wants a chuckle about what's to come. The title itself merits a smile, as Kelso implies that since Shami can straighten hair, one might think he can "straighten" Texas legislature.
Kelso's main idea is that the only good that would come out of Shami being Governor is his fat pockets. Shami says he will do the job for just "one lousy dollar," saving tax payer money on his salary. This is probably true, since he seems to have enough extra money lying around to spend "$10 million of his own money in the Democratic primary alone." No fundraising necessary. However, I do disagree with one of his very few non-sarcastic statements about Shami that "he's obviously got the smarts and the drive." Yes, you can be smart enough to make a lot of money, but that doesn't make you smart enough or even qualified to be the Governor. Basically the whole article is poking fun at the fact that this Shami guy even wants to consider running for Governor, and I could not agree more. The whole idea that the owner of the CHI wants to run for office is a big joke. Texas can do better and Texans deserve better.
Kelso makes a good (and sarcastic) point about this rich man who wants to be our Governor. Even though nothing is written in stone yet and quite a lot can change between now and the election, most of his statements are pretty common sense and should not come as a surprise to anyone.

Are Texans Immoral?

"Texas Faith: Are Texans immoral for supporting the death penalty?" is written by Wayne Slater from the Dallas Morning News. The article raises the never-ending debate about the death penalty and whether or not it's a moral punishment for crimes committed. Texas has the highest number of criminals executed in the nation, so the question is asked " is it moral to support capital punishment" or "are Texans immoral because they support the death penalty?" The author includes responses to this question from a group of "Texas Faith panelists." This group includes religious leaders in faiths such as Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Chirstian, Hare Krishna, Jewish and a few others. As expected, most of their answers fall into the category of capital punishment being immoral and not acceptable under any circumstance. This is not really surprising since these religions promote peace and forgiveness. A different and interesting answer comes from Nityananda Chandra Das, Minister ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple in Dallas with the belief that "a murderer should be condemned to death so that in his next life he will not have to suffer for the great sin he committed." This leader also believes that capital punishment is a powerful deterrent for future criminals. The death penalty is an issue that everyone has an opinion about, and regardless of what you believe, this article takes an interesting approach to the delicate topic.