Open carry: A good idea or back to the Old West?

On April 29, 2011, one Texas House Committee passed the open carry gun law, which would essentially remove the word “concealed” from the law.

The bill would allow current concealed handgun licensees to wear their gun openly, in broad daylight, if it is in a holster.  It would not, however, change the law that requires a license to carry a handgun, or the laws that are in place to acquire the license.

Advocates say it isn’t changing anything.  Only a few people would actually carry their gun on the outside of their clothing.  Many also believe that it would help to deter crime, at least a little bit.

Opponents to the bill say that it will strike fear in those not carrying a gun, since many people would scare, just because they have a gun.  There is also the question of who will police people and verify that they do have a license to carry in the first place. 

As a born and raised “country” girl, guns don’t scare me.  I think I would feel MORE comfortable knowing that a person was carrying a gun.  These same people have guns right now, we just don’t know it.   Opponents are seemingly putting off the impression that “If we don’t see it, it must not be there.”  This doesn’t make it any more safe.  I also do believe that it would help deter crime, because people would be scared of the guns walking around in public. 

The bill must now go to the entire House of Representatives for a vote. 

Currently, 42 states are open carry friendly states, while 26 require no permit for open carry.

Taking Notice

Budget cuts and education is a touchy subject to many people throughout Texas.  And everyone has an opinion.  The budget, to date, is unbalanced, but should we really be cutting in the education department?  Of course not.  And there are alternatives. 

In Taking Notice, the blogger suggests some alternatives that could generate income for Texas, as well as cut frivolous spending. 

1. Open casinos and legalize gambling.  The lottery has generated 18 billion dollars, and the education system could benefit from money of that size.
2. Cutting welfare benefits.  Many people live off of welfare and other government assistance programs.  This is wasting money that could certainly be used to provide a better education to the children of this state.

I agree with these points (my blog is about this as well).  Children should be our main priority, especially since studies have shown that children who are educated tend to do better in life.  They are more likely to not be on government assistance programs, and stay out of jail.

The audience is anyone who lives in Texas, since the budget issues are a big deal, as well as anyone with children, teachers, or educators in general.

Who is to blame?

As the legislature continues to try to find ways to slash the budget, many teachers are nervous to find out if their job is the next “budget cut”. More than 100, 000 teachers are likely to lose their jobs if the budget crisis continues as it is. Who is responsible? What can be done to fix this?

Governor Rick Perry says that it isn't his fault. Nor is it the state's fault. According to Mr. Perry, the choice to lay off teachers is up to the local school boards. In theory, this is true, but what about their choice to do away with the law that limits the amount of students per class for grades K-4? This leaves less need for teachers, and allowing many to be laid off.

There are alternatives to laying off teachers, even at the school district level. One simple fix is pay cuts. Many people would be affected by pay cuts, of course, but it would certainly be less drastic than losing your job completely. And there is always the option of doing away with sports activities as well. Sports are “extra curricular” and should be treated that way. Sporting events should not be the main focus of a school district. Between new uniforms and gear, to the higher pay of the coaches and athletic directors, this would be one viable option that could save so much money.

Texas could also do away with frivolous state funded programs and entitlements, as well as limit the amount of time a person is allowed on government assistance programs. Assistance should be just that, a way to get ahead when you are struggling, not something that is life long.

The legislature has decided to dip into the “rainy day” fund to a tune of about 3 billion dollars, to balance this years budget. This money will not be touched for subsequent years budget deficits.

Education should be a main priority. Many districts are already struggling to find good teachers, but to put the ones that are good at risk of losing their jobs is not logical.