Ruben's Blog

     School shootings have been a topic of discussion this past couple of years mainly because of the tragedy that happened in Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Losing the life of 17 innocent lives and 17 injured sparked the debate for gun legislation and the gun epidemic in the US. And closer to home, the tragedy that happened in Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, we lost 10 innocent lives and 14 injured. Some people who want more gun legislation will likely agree that school shootings are a problem. Those who don't want any more gun legislation will probably agree that school shooting is not a problem.      In 2017, there were 17,284 murders in the US. In 2018, there were 114 deaths in school shootings. Statistically, this is nothing compared to the number of total deaths in the US. Many people will use this and brush off that school problems are a problem. If you think school shootings are a problem or not is up to you. Something...

Carla Olivares editorial on Austin's Plastic Bag Ban https://ultimateguidetx.blogspot.com/ I agree with the points you brought up in your editorial. I'm surprised I haven't heard much criticism about Austin letting businesses use plastic bags again. It was a big step forward when Austin banned plastic bags. Now, we will continue to pollute our planet.  It is absurd that caring for our planet has become a political issue. The left and right should be united to when it comes to caring for our planet. You could have also mentioned that plastic bags are among the 12 most common items found along coastlines.

The political climate of today is more divided today than ever. Having the current president throw hissy fits on Twitter for most of his day is not the image America deserves. With the 2020 Presidential race right around the corner, there is still a small glimmer of hope for our country. There is plenty of great Democrats who are running for President in 2020, but I want to talk about the native Texan, Beto O'Rourkee. When O'Rourke announced he was running for Texas Senate against Ted Cruz, I supported O'Rourke. I agreed with his policies with border security, healthcare, climate change. I still believe O'Rourke is what Texas needs. But for president, I do not support O'Rourke. There is only one reason in my opinion, that makes me believe that O'Rourke will not win the 2020 nomination. His gun stance. O'Rourke wants to ban all assault-style weapons. This will not help O'Rourke get any support from pro 2nd Amendment voters in the center. 2nd Amendme...

     I read this blog on Texas Scorecard called "Why Can't I Adequately Defend Myself?" by Keeley Dorman.  Dorman talked about how she feels that we need to make it easier to carry weapons in college campuses. I disagree with a lot of what Dorman has to say, firstly, she doesn't agree that in order to have a Licence to Carry you must be 21 years old. She believes an 18-year-old should be allowed to carry a weapon on campus. This is truly absurd and in no way will this promote a safe environment. Some would argue that 21 isn't even mature enough to have a license to carry.      Dorman sees these laws as Texas not wanting adults to protect themselves but many people who have lived longer than me can tell you they have never thought of carrying a gun for their safety. Dorman compares a gun to the likes of pepper spray, rape whistles, and knives which don't make any sense because a gun is several times more lethal than any of those mentioned. ...

Today I read an opinion piece by US Representative Roger Williams on Texas Insider that talked about the recent so-called crisis at our southern border. I disagree with everything mentioned by Williams. Firstly, he starts off his argument by saying that we do have a crisis at the border but claims that the immigrants, which he refers to as "Criminals" are trafficking people and drugs. It is a known fact that most drugs come from legal ports of entries such as airports, so building a wall will not solve the drug epidemic the US has. Also, when Williams mentioned that the "criminals" traffic people, he might be referring to assembly seekers, which is okay with our government. Williams also mentions that illegal immigrants come here to cause mayhem in our local communities. Well turns out that native-born citizens commit way more crimes than illegal immigrants. Williams just says the typical Republican talking points to justify why there is a crisis at the border and ...

How Did Texas End Up With Such Screwy Political Districts? By   CHRISTOPHER CONNELLY   •   OCT 26, 2016 KUT 90.5      This article from KUT interests me because it talks about the district lines Texas has. The district lines here in Texas really favors the Republican party. In the commentary article, it mentions that district lines may be re created after every census and the governor has to sign off. Doing that sounds easy but as mentioned in the article, new maps will most likely start legal battles. The article also comments on why district line matter such as Texas Latino population is two thirds of 4.3 million new Texans an that is not accurately presented in district maps. I recommend reading this commentary piece so you can get an idea for yourself why district lines are heavily skewed for the Republican side and to get an understanding why distinct lines matter.