Religious Controversy

I completely agree with the fact that the debate about religion in schools should be put to rest. If you ask me, schools should stay away from religion in their academic day. Public schools are government facilities and there is suppose to be a separation of church and state. On a website that informs on the ways school-organized prayer violates the constitution, it proves a valid point that "the public school system is created for all students and supported by all taxpayers. It should therefore remain neutral on religious issues over which students and taxpayers will differ". On top of that, I'm pretty sure the average middle class American sends their child to public school to obtain an education to provide a better future, not build a religious background. I think there is a time and place for everything and religious activities should be saved for home, Sunday school or youth group. There has also been debate on the Pledge of Allegiance and the fact that it uses "God." As for that I agree that schools should still have that. If you look at it, the word "God" can be more or less universal and it just seems like a respectable tradition. However, if a child wishes not to recite the Pledge, I think there shouldn't be any disciplinary action as long as the student respects his/her fellow classmates. I remember back in middle school if we didn't recite the Pledge the teacher would yell at us and call us disrespectful and I don't think that's right at all. We are suppose to be a democracy and mandatory recital seems to be touching on some fascist ways. All in all, its time we drop the whole controversy of religion in schools because our constitution clearly states that church and state are to be separate.

Puff Puff Pass Already Congress!

Despite Texas' conservative nature, I believe that marijuana should be legalized for the sake of our economy, not to mention the mere thought of society. According to the Drug Policy Forum of Texas, our state has already spent over $8 billion dollars on marijuana related incidents in 2010 so far. With just a short 4 months into the year there has already been over 500,000 arrests in Texas this year, about 237,000 have been cannabis related. With numbers this high, one has to wonder how much the lowly taxpayers are shelling out for this rather harmless offense. Nonetheless, the fact that marijuana is illegal is like throwing fuel on the Mexican drug trade altogether. By continuing to reject legalization, it has made the drug trade even more profitable for Mexican Cartels. In regard to any business, where there is a demand someone will most definitely step in to meet those demands, thus explains the ever growing drug trade, sought out by the Mexican Cartels in the first place. Other debates have led to alcohol versus marijuana controversies. I think that marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol, merely because it doesn't impair the user as much as alcohol would. Considering that the "use of marijuana is now so widespread that no significant change in use is likely regardless of the laws; individual responsibility will govern as always," it seems that continuing to make marijuana illegal is only causing more distress on an already controversial issue. Now, I'm not saying that marijuana doesn't have is negatives but compared to alcohol the consequences are minor. Nonetheless, "marijuana definitely can be abused, but that is no justification for institutionalizing hypocrisy and establishing a government protected monopoly for alcohol and tobacco." The state of Texas could actually benefit from the production and sale of marijuana by regulating and taxing, just as it does for tobacco and alcohol, both of which have worsening health effects with continued use, compared to marijuana. With all this in consideration, I believe that it is in the state's best interest to legalize marijuana and reap its benefits. In conclusion, instead of wasting billions of taxpayers dollars maybe its time we all benefit from the earthly blessing and the money it could potentially yield. After all, this conceptually friendly drug could be use to better our society, not only by decriminalizing to save money but put the money we save and even procure back into the community by dispersing it to education and other public needs.