Marriage & Love For All

In today’s government, there is a lot of controversy on whether or not the LGBTQ community should be able to become legally married.  Even though it is not recognized by the national government, it is legal for some states and not for others.  The idea of not allowing people to be married because of their sexual preference is callous.  Any couple that is wanting to be legally bound on paper should be able to.  All people, of all races, and all preferences should have their right to love whom they want to love, and our government’s policies should not get in the way of their lifelong commitment.  As stated in our First Amendment: “Congress Shall Make No Law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”  

As we learned in the Texas Vs. Johnson case in 1989 our freedom of speech does not necessarily have to be spoken but can be our actions of what we feel.  If we follow continuity after this case, gay marriage should be no different.

Our nation has a lot of controversial issues in today’s society, but gay marriage should be the least of anyone’s worries.  Someone may not agree with the LGBTQ community’s beliefs, but there is no reason why they should care if a gay couple gets married.  Is it affecting your life in any way?  Exactly.  

 Healthcare Matters

I completely agree with you about our nation's healthcare matter.  I strongly believe that healthcare should be provided to all citizens.  It breaks my heart that some people can’t get the treatment they need because it is too expensive.  Our government wastes millions of dollars on unnecessary things such as ridiculous advertisements (don’t tan, chew tobacco, etc.), ridiculous investigations, ridiculous studies, and the list goes on.  So why shouldn’t some of this money go towards our citizens instead?  In lieu of wasting money on unnecessary matters, we could spend some money to come up with a plan to enable our citizens to free healthcare for a good cause.  Families should not have to struggle when they find out their child has cancer, or their mom falls and breaks a hip.  For as much as the government is supposed to be problem solvers, it is very unclear to me why our country has not figured the healthcare system out when so many other countries have.  

Our congress needs to get their priorities straight and put our people first.  After all, if you don’t have your health, do you really have anything at all?  Is someone living in pain, worry, or stress 24/7 really living life to the fullest?  Everyone should have equal rights to a pleasant healthy life, not just the people that can afford it.

What does our Government do?

Our United States National government is very important for our country.  There is a lot of controversy over what is perceived as wrong or right, but without it, our country, our nation, would be a disaster.  To understand how important it is, we must first understand its purpose.  The U.S. Government is organized into three branches that act as a check and balance system against each other.  The three branches include legislative, executive, and judicial. 

The Legislative branch includes congress which consists of the senate and house of Representatives.  This branch of the government develops our laws.  Within the Legislative branch, laws are drafted, discussed, and voted upon.

The Executive branch includes the President of the United States.  This branch makes our laws made by the Legislative branch official.  Without the Executive branch’s stamp of approval, the laws created are not signed into final approval. 

The third branch of government is the judicial branch.  This branch consists of the Supreme Court, the highest level of court in the United States.  Its main job is to make sure that all laws abide by the constitution.  The Judicial branch interprets all laws and the constitution-making sure that they concur each other. 

Although the inherent powers shift from time to time, these branches hold each other accountable.  This is important as they serve as a check and balance to make sure no branch has more power than another and that each branch is acting in good faith.  Our Government comes up with our laws, makes them official, and makes sure they are constitutionally correct.  Without our government, people would have no rules to follow and no punishment to fear.  Our Government keeps us safe and in order.    

In the Reason Blog Article “Volunteers sentenced for leaving food and water for migrants in the Arizona Desert” written by Billy Binion on March 08, 2019, the author discusses the wrongful act of punishing volunteers by helping illegal immigrants.  He goes into detail of why and how volunteers are being punished with parole, jail time, and fines, bringing awareness of this ridiculous punishment to all audiences.  Members of a program called “No more Deaths/No Mas Muertes” have been found leaving out buckets of water and cans of beans for immigrants trying to cross the deadly Arizona desert.  These volunteers have been sentenced with multiple convictions because they are helping migrants survive the fatal environment conditions that will lead them to a better life.

The author does a great job making the reader aware of the severity of the problem as he goes into detail about how immigrant deaths are on the rise in this particular area.  He provides comparisons on previous death rates in the Arizona desert with the current, showing evidence of the increase in deaths.  He also gives horrific detail of how these immigrants have been treated by our officers, leaving a very bad taste in my mouth.  Reading that they have been beaten, thrown, and attacked is heartbreaking. The way these individuals are being treated is inhumane, and it needs to be stopped. 

I agree with the author that this should not be a punishable crime.  Even if coming across the border is illegal, if people want to leave food and water out for these migrants that is their choice.  A person definitely should not be punished for trying to help others in need. 

The article Lead poisoning, black mold, vermin in base housing: Is this any way to thank our troops? written by the editorial board of USA TODAY is well written, and I couldn’t agree more with the argument.  The author seems to target all audiences to create awareness of the current military housing problem.  It is heartbreaking that our military families are living in unstable housing conditions.  Some might argue that this isn’t happening or say some families may be dramatic, but the author provides evidence by gathering quotes from military families that have suffered through these housing conditions.  Living in unhealthy conditions with black mold and/or other toxins in your house is very harmful to the body.  It can cause major damage to the brain, lungs, and other organs.  While some damage may be temporary, it is very concerning that other types are irreversible leading to permanent disabilities throughout life.  When our heroic troops are defending our country the least we could do is keep their families safe.  Being in the military is one of the most difficult jobs to do, and this issue needs to be addressed immediately.  There are so many other issues in this world that are made our priority over this, and it is unacceptable.  Our soldiers have so much to worry about and it is devastating that they need to worry about their family’s safety too.  Obviously not every family is affected but that isn't enough.  There should not be any military families living in anything less than perfect housing conditions. 

Teacher strike ends

On February 14th ABC news writes an article titled Denver teachers strike ends with 'historic' deal. 

This article has a good ending for our teachers, which is nice since we don’t see very many happy endings in our news anymore.  A strike for teachers in Denver, Colorado has come to an end.  Teachers went on strike due to wanting a pay increase, and they have received it.  Unfortunately, things had to be taken to the extreme for this to happen.  I strongly agree that teachers should receive more pay.  I know I couldn’t do their job.  Yes, they have the luxury of summers off, but the rest of their year is very stressful.  Teaching kids and having to deal with parents too is not an easy job.  Teachers are like a parent away from home, and they have very strong influences on the youth during our most vulnerable stages of life.  Thank you teachers for all you do! 

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