In my classmate's blog entitled "From Bills to Bluebonnets", Kathryn Barnes takes a stand against the legality of the Death Penalty in Texas. Her main point of argument is that of the impossibility of being one hundred percent certain of a conviction. While this argument is true and she defends herself well, Barnes leaves the reader searching for more support for her stand. She ends well by providing a realistic option to replace the death penalty. However, she does not convince her readers that the death penalty should definitely be done away with.
Barnes fails to deal with the financial burden of life in prison. She fails to deal with the counterarguments that will no doubt ensue from a proponent of the death penalty. I support her belief and support her main argument and think she could have left it as a main argument, but also believe she stopped too early.
I share this belief that the Death Penalty does not belong in our legal system. I believe that life in prison without parole is a viable alternative for the state, as long as we find a way to raise the funds for our prison systems to do this. I think the moral issue of death is one to be raised as well. While the majority of people who take a moral stand of some kind on murder, take the stand of refusing to support it, some still justify the death penalty as an exception and a warranted murder. However, we must see it for what it really is. It is taking the life of another human being. This must be seen as the crime that it is. We cannot fight the crime of killing with more killing. We must find a higher road to take, keeping the government from corruption.
While I completely agree with the points made by Barnes, I believe a few more steps, such as these stated above, could have helped to make her argument more complete.
http://frombillstobluebonnets.blogspot.com/2011/08/death-penalty-or-life-without-parole.html
Monday, August 8, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Rick Perry for president?
There has been so much talk among my peers as well as in the news about rick perry's presidential campaign, or lack thereof. The talk seems to go back and forth as to whether or not he is actually going to run, but the truth of the matter is, I'm not convinced he would truly win.
While I think the population is gradually leaning more and more toward the side of change from the current state of the government due to the lack of progress shown by our current government, I am not sure such a drastic change is what the general public will really support. Rick Perry seems like the most opposite candidate from Barack Obama possible. A southern conservative, I think his way of thinking is far too different from that of the current administrations for the public to be ready to embrace such a change.
Also, the current state of the Texas budget is not looking like it will support a Rick Perry campaign. As we have seen from our most recent participation, we have a lot of cuts to make in order to be looked at as a promising economy. To get ourselves out of the crisis that we are currently in as a state, a lot of our values are going to be hit hard, namely education. This hit will undoubtedly be looked down upon by the population when analyzing Rick Perry's qualifications as president.
However, he does stand some chance for a nomination and a very slight, but still a chance for an election. The differences that I claim may stand in his way, also may favor him. Southern conservatives who have been discouraged by the Obama administration are likely to desire a president as far away from Obama as possible, which they will get with Perry. Also, the reason for the large amounts of discussion regarding his potential run for the presidency is due in large part to his big body of supporters. He has had a good run in his political career with a lot of victory and success. This will be a big support in his run, if he chooses to do so.
While I am not convinced that Perry will be our next president, I do not rule it out entirely. I think there is a lot of campaigning to be done to those not identifying with conservative ideologies.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/President/2011/0610/Texas-Gov.-Rick-Perry-for-president-Why-he-could-have-a-hard-time
While I think the population is gradually leaning more and more toward the side of change from the current state of the government due to the lack of progress shown by our current government, I am not sure such a drastic change is what the general public will really support. Rick Perry seems like the most opposite candidate from Barack Obama possible. A southern conservative, I think his way of thinking is far too different from that of the current administrations for the public to be ready to embrace such a change.
Also, the current state of the Texas budget is not looking like it will support a Rick Perry campaign. As we have seen from our most recent participation, we have a lot of cuts to make in order to be looked at as a promising economy. To get ourselves out of the crisis that we are currently in as a state, a lot of our values are going to be hit hard, namely education. This hit will undoubtedly be looked down upon by the population when analyzing Rick Perry's qualifications as president.
However, he does stand some chance for a nomination and a very slight, but still a chance for an election. The differences that I claim may stand in his way, also may favor him. Southern conservatives who have been discouraged by the Obama administration are likely to desire a president as far away from Obama as possible, which they will get with Perry. Also, the reason for the large amounts of discussion regarding his potential run for the presidency is due in large part to his big body of supporters. He has had a good run in his political career with a lot of victory and success. This will be a big support in his run, if he chooses to do so.
While I am not convinced that Perry will be our next president, I do not rule it out entirely. I think there is a lot of campaigning to be done to those not identifying with conservative ideologies.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/President/2011/0610/Texas-Gov.-Rick-Perry-for-president-Why-he-could-have-a-hard-time
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)