Gun control

Very well said Sonia Flores. I absolutely agree with how you summed up this issue. I think that your stance is a realistic and great middle ground for those who are strongly for or against gun control. There has to be stronger regulations with as to who and how they are purchasing these weapons, and under no circumstances do I agree that the average citizen should own an atomic assault rifle. I believe that it is important to question the amendments in the constitution rather than just accepting them for what they are. As we discussed at the beginning of the semester, people truly do hold the constitution at the same pedestal as religious text. We are indeed an evolving society and we require such documents to change at the same rate we are.

Senate Bill 4

The Texas House has recently passed senate bill 4. A law that will eliminate sanctuary cities in the state of Texas. A sanctuary city is essentially a city in the United States that shelters illegal immigrants by limiting government effort to enforce immigrant laws. This means that local law enforcement will be able to question the immigration status of anybody that is legally detained, even if they are pulled over for a mere traffic violation. Previously, only federal agencies such as ICE had this authority. Consequently, this will lead to racial profiling against Hispanics. Racists police officers will look for any opportunity they can get to detain and question someone under “probable cause”. Furthermore, SB4 looks like it will come with hefty punishments for police chiefs and county sheriffs who refuse to comply with federal requests. Such as big fines or even having them serve jail time. 

    So what is to be expected after the bill is implemented? Of course, we will see a huge spike in the deportation of illegal immigrants. These are scary times for not only those who are undocumented but for students under the deferred action childhood arrivals. I can speak personally on how this will effect my life. I have been an undocumented immigrant for all my life up to last December. I was fortunate enough to be granted a work permit with legal status. However, the same cannot be said about my parents and now I am in danger of losing them due to this new law. It is very hard for a teenage college student to stay ahead without the support of their parents. Hard times are only to come for myself and many others who are in my position. 

    

Legalization of marijuana

Emily's post "Should marijuana be legal or not ?" can be found here

It is definitely time for the United States do decriminalize marijuana. Over the past years, the U.S has spent billions fighting a pointless war on marijuana. This is due to tens of thousands that have been imprisoned due to possession of the substance. In order to get to the point where recreational use of cannabis is legal, we have to take baby steps. We have to begin by reducing the penalties for possession just like other governments have begun doing. Only then can we begin to think about using it for medicinal purposes and so on. As for those who like to abuse the drug, we should treat them just as any nicotine addict. Get them help and not incarcerate them. Study's show that those who imprisoned for a crime are far more likely to commit the crime again, leading use to a circular slippery slope. Isn't it ironic how a partnership for a drug-free America has been largely funded by cigarette, alcohol and pharmaceutical companies? Thousands of Americans die every year from taking ibuprofen and aspiring yet no one on congress has ever called for a war on pharmaceutical drugs such as Advil. I'd also like to affirm the fact that in over decades of recorded use no one has overdosed on marijuana.

Should we raise the federal minimum wage

  Raising the national minimum wage has been a matter that many liberals have fought for many years. While I do believe that the minimum wage should be raised I don't think that it should immediately go up 15 dollars an hour. While there are currently some states that have successfully managed to raised their wage to $15, I don't believe that it's the case for all of the rest. Companies, especially smaller ones need time to adapt, so if a state goes from $7.25 directly to $15 then there will be a backlash of negative repercussions. Employers will be forced to cut workers hours or lay off employees. Another valid concern would be that fast food chains will push automated technology. From this perspective raising the minimum wage directly to 15 would only be counterproductive to those in poverty. There would be more competition for low skilled jobs leaving more people in poverty. However, that's not to say that the current minimum wage is acceptable. The Congressional Budget office has stated that an increase to a $10.10 wage would remove 900,00 people out of poverty. Perhaps a smarter approach would be to gradually increase depending on the state. For example, Seattle is currently a state with a minimum wage of $15 dollars an hour. They have gradually increased over time from $9 and hour. There is no simple answer to raising the minimum wage. Both the negatives and positives have to be considered when making a decision. Each state has drastically different economic factors that widely vary from state to state.

Mr. President, don’t break America’s promise to ‘dreamers’

During February 21, 2017, the Washington Posts Margaret Spellings published an article titled, "Mr. President, don’t break America’s promise to ‘dreamers". In this article, Spellings is making the argument that the Trump administration has to keep the DACA program alive for students that were brought to the United States illegally by their parents. The premise of her argument is that we should not punish those students due to the actions of their parents. Spellings states, “Under DACA, they came forward in good faith to live within the law, to get on the right side of immigration rules they never chose to break”. As her logical appeals, she states not only would immigrant communities suffer, but many universities would as well. Undocumented students are paying for college tuition without the help of government aid. A great deal of her argument tries to persuade the reader with emotional appeals. She uses many examples of undocumented students that are afraid that they won't be able to finish their education. Just like any Americans they too are in pursuit of the "American dream". The author explains, Their stories deepen my pride in the United States and my awe at what this country represents. We have always welcomed the energy and ambition of those yearning to build and contribute, and that’s exactly what I see in these young people". I believe that Spellings target audience is those who oppose a pathway to citizenship to all undocumented immigrants. In establishing the author's credibility it is stated that she is the president of the university of North Carolina, and has been a US education secretary for 4 years.

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