Blog 5: Regulating Smoke

     When you think of Texas, barbecue flashes in your head more often than not. As one of Texas icons, barbecue is a major attraction for all food lovers across the world. Recently, some Austin residents have filed complaints regarding the invasion of smoke lingering in their house produced by these barbecue joints. The original article was reported on KXAN on April 2, 2015, but just recently Austin City Council members form to plan possible solutions on Thursday, July 30, 2015. The article can be located here: http://kxan.com/2015/04/02/city-looks-to-regulate-bbq-smoke/
     Granting myself a title of food connoisseur, there is nothing more that I love than just large plate of slow cooked barbecue meat. Some residents living near these barbecue joints are having issues, "I can no longer open windows, the smoke seeps in from the attic" stated by resident Bruce Hughes. Smoke inviting itself to just about everywhere it can, it's a tough task to keep the area well ventilated, limiting the residents options for a solution.
     The solution is in progress and follows the guidelines of regulating amount of smoke expelled by these barbecue joints within 100 feet of residential areas. This is a tough task because residential areas are located nearly everywhere across the City of Austin. If the city creates a tough restriction, which in turn it punishes these food joints for "excessive" smoke, this could deter the icon of Austin as food central. It will take both sides to find a mutual agreement so that the great state of Texas can continue to grace everyone with its mouth-watering barbecue.

Declined Rights

     July 20, 2015, Genevieve Cato wrote an article by the name of "Texas is Illegally denying Birth Certificates to Citizens with Immigrant Parents." Located here, http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/30591/texas-is-illegally-denying-birth-certificates-to-citizens-with-immigrant-parents.  This particularly caught my eye because I am an immigrant myself and this being such a trending topic for the upcoming presidential election.
     Throughout the story Cato presents well balanced presentation excluding the misleading title. Texas Department of State Health Services in Cameron and Hidalgo County rejected mothers without American documentation from accessing their child's birth certificate. The employees request for an item called "matricula consular, a Mexican-issued ID, or a foreign passport without a current visa would no longer be accepted". Which arises to the real issue why should American Citizens be denied constitutional rights, presented in the 14th Amendment, "Granting citizenship to all children born in the United Sates, regardless of whether their parents are citizens". Cato illustrates a flow in which the reader can mostly agree with her [Cato]. For example, Cato begins with birth rights and throughout the story, reinforces her thought with quotes from Miguel Solis, the Executive Director of the Latino Center for Leadership Development and State Representative Ana Hernandez. Cato's argument is presented very soundly and seems logical, "It doesn't matter who your parents are.... Simply being born in the United States, you are an American citizen".
     In Conclusion,  Cato presents a logical argument, why should American born citizens be denied their right. In further detail, Cato does not force any judgment upon your thoughts, but rather presents to you with concrete evidence such as the constitution and quotes from to major figures, questioning the actions of the Texas Department of State Health Services

Blog 3 - Protect Our Ground

     Tragic situations can stir the pot of emotion and cause people to extreme reactions. Recently, we have been witnessing awful actions and stories in which people blame gun control. In further detail, at the shooting of Chattanooga, Tennessee,  a writer by the name of TexasFred wrote an article about "Weapons in the hands of U.S. Military members on U.S. soil". Located here: http://www.texasfred.net/archives/27132#more-27132.
     TexasFred makes points in concerns about why our military bases and recruiting centers lack the security after being recognized as a "soft target". What I had to disagree with was his response and blame to all Muslims. Grant it yes, a majority of these attacks are claiming to be Muslim, but these extremist should not taint the name of the majority of the followers, because they are "extremist," hiding behind the actions to stir emotions in hopes to achieve chaos.
     Understanding that TexasFred is targeting the Republican viewers, his words hold some credibility because nothing TexasFred is claiming is outlandish. In the article, he hopes of teaching readers in the reasoning why Military members should be allowed to be armed on bases or recruiting stations. TexasFred reached a lot of agreement on the feedback/comments area, mainly reached from Veterans.