To Educate, Not Terminate

       The issue of unplanned pregnancy is a societal problem that ultimately reflects the lack of knowledge and consciousness of the general public.  While some people are just irresponsible about preventing a pregnancy, others are ignorant, and might also suffer with abuse and violence.  Texas should definitely focus on educating the public, instead of constantly allowing abortions.  The focus should be on how to either prevent or plan a pregnancy, instead of terminating it.  

       Women do have a choice, especially when they are educated.  The choice, however, should come before the pregnancy with the use of birth control.  Education and guidance seem to be the only remedy to this sad reality, and this information needs to be available early in life.  According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the ages of mothers start as early as ten years old, and father’s as early as twelve!  This data is the evidence that Texas should implement a permanent program in schools to deal with unplanned pregnancy, to teach the youth how and why to prevent it, and to truly explain the consequences of their choices.  Hopefully, the parents of these students would also get involved, and perhaps this guidance would survive and be practiced outside the classroom.  

        Governor Perry has implemented the “abstinence only” program to the youth, which has been proven ineffective and unrealistic, since Texas holds the third highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation.  When confronted about the effectiveness of the abstinence program by the Texas Tribune interviewer, the governor insisted that this is the best Texas can do to educate its youth. 

       Although, I highly disagree with Perry’s approach about how to educate Texans about sexuality and healthy family planning, I do see a bright side on the newest sonogram law.  Giving a woman a chance to make an informed decision might avoid regrets later on, and might also be a motivator to a healthier and more responsible sexual life.  The bill accounts for important exceptions for victims of sexual assault and incest, and, in my opinion, it benefits the relationship between the doctor and the patient.  The doctor will now have a chance to fully explain, advice, and support the patient truthfully, instead of ignoring the severity of the situation completely and regarding it as an ordinary procedure.  

       My problem with the sonogram law is that this is a remedial method to the issue, instead of a preventive one.  I believe that corrective methods should only be used when every preventive method has failed.  Once again, the only way Texas can reduce its birth rates and avoid the outrageous early pregnancies is to educate the public.  Certainly, there are cases when the mother’s life is at risk or some other extreme situation exists, and an abortion might be the only resource available.  In such rare cases, an abortion is understandable; however, for most cases it is just inhuman.

Drug Cartels and Illegal Immigration in Austin

Mr. Robbie Cooper posted a commentary titled “How Austin Became a Foothold for a Mexican Cartel”, in the Urban Grounds blog, based on the article published by the Austin-American Statesman regarding Mexican cartel’s infiltration in Austin.

The writer’s opinion is that Austin’s liberals and their liberal sanctuary city policies are responsible for the invasion of the drug cartels and the crimes they pursue.  Cooper informs us that most of the drug cartel members are illegal immigrants that come from Luvianos, Mexico.  It was suggested in his commentary that the federal government should control the border by bringing US troops back from the Middle East and placing them on the US/ Mexican boundary.  Cooper believes that the best solution to end illegal immigration and control the cartels is by shooting everyone who tries to cross over the border from Mexico. 

It is completely agreeable that illegal immigration and drug related crimes are serious issues that need to be addressed and managed.  Although this is an obvious statement, the solution for these problems, are far more complex than Mr. Cooper has taken into consideration.  For instance, it is very difficult to judge if all illegal immigrants really deserve a bullet in their heads.  In addition, the actual federal government might not have the means to control the Mexican border because most US troops are concentrated in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It is reasonable to remember that they were sent there by the previous federal conservative, republican, government.

Mr. Cooper also mentioned that the Austin-American Statesman did not blame anybody for this terrible situation.  While the writer was disappointed at the paper for its impartiality, it was definitely the best approach to deliver the news.  Lastly, Mr. Cooper is unforgiving towards Austin’s Public Safety Commission for not recognizing the cartel’s influence sooner.

The writer makes a clear point of how he regards illegal immigrants and their cooperation with the drug cartels; however, Cooper was not able to present a solid, constructive, idea to solve the crisis.  Nevertheless, his focus was to attract support from the conservatives, while his approach will certainly offend many liberals who most likely never intend to assist the drug cartels by any means.

Water Conservation a Habit We Must Keep

In the article “Water Conservation a Habit We Must Keep”, published by The Austin American Statesman, the editorial board urges their audience to wisely continue to manage their water usage.  According to Arnold Garcia, Alberta Phillips, and Ken Herman, conservation works and the city of Austin initiatives to preserve water have been successful.  For instance, the first week after the city’s Stage 2 water restrictions were implemented the water usage dropped by 100 million gallons.  Another relevant point stated in the article is that sometimes the fear of fines can reinforce good habits.  This last statement seems very reliable given that most people would not be willing to pay $475 for breaking water restriction rules.  Hopefully, this reinforcement to conserve water will generate a major change in attitude the same way the law requiring car passengers to buckle their seat belts did in the 80’s.

An additional argument in this article is that Austin will encounter more droughts in the future and that water restrictions only during these times will not be enough to guarantee sustainable usage in our area.  The editorial board insists that conservation is everyone’s responsibility and we should not take water for granted even during wetter periods.  They make a point in saying that the more we conserve water, the more it will be something we just do; it will turn into a natural instinct, a habit.

           Considering that Austinites are pro-conservation, as the authors emphasize by saying that the city received 675 water waste complaints during the first week of stage 2 restrictions, it appears that the Lone Star capital is going in the right direction.

           The authors were able to make their argument credible through presenting some facts and telling some statistics.  Although the Austin American Statesman’s usual audience may be liberal, this article was meant to reach every Texan.  Furthermore, the writers support the idea that every resident is responsible for the preservation of the most precious natural resource we have.  In the end, the reader gets a positive feeling about what has been done, but also understands that the continuing effort to preserve water is vital to all of us.

Grant Will Help Community College Students Get Up to Speed

Complete College America, a national nonprofit organization, is giving a grant to Texas community colleges to help freshman students perform better and graduate faster.  According to the article published in the September 1^st edition of The Texas Tribune, fifteen community colleges throughout the state will benefit from the million-dollar grant.  The money was provided through a donation made by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and it will help implement the developmental programs at colleges.     

            State representative, Donna Howard, D-Austin, reinforced that this grant is essential to the Texas community colleges because of the massive budget cuts in education.  The article also provides interesting data about a study from Georgetown University that concluded 56 percent of jobs in Texas will require a college degree by the year 2018.  Also included in this article, are the findings of Texas State University professor, Selina Vasquez Mireles, about developmental education and how it is not always efficient and motivating to students.

            Although this grant brings good news to the students, it also reminds Texas residents of the poor educational quality in the state.  The reason why the grant is vital to the community colleges is the fact that 38 percent of new students are not prepared to enroll in college level math classes, for example.  This unpreparedness is a reflection of the low standards of primary and secondary education in Texas, and the grant will only aid the consequences of it, but it will not stop the causes of the problem.