Fighting Fire With Fire...Arms?

The author of the article "Guns and Universities Don't Mix" presents a clear view on gun control amongst young adults when his diction contains words that would be tossed around while describing today’s war on terror. He effectively employs a satirical presentation of Texas’ agenda of permitting university students to carry guns, when there has really only been a few circumstances where a clear-headed student carrying a gun could have prevented major tragedies like that at Virginia Tech in 2007. However, due to the lack of a name for the author, it’s hard to give credibility on his stance. When he presents his opinion, he does not back it up with facts or numbers. For all the audience knows, the author could be a protective mother, who knows next to nothing about gun safety. But despite the author’s lack of credibility, he is a citizen of Texas and has the right to vote and be an active participant in the campaigning of the Senators’ aggressive agenda.
The author’s intended audience consists of those who already feel that guns in universities should be prohibited, as well as those that may be on the fence in their stance on gun control. In reemphasizing the belief that fighting fire with fire is ineffective and makes matters worse, the author successfully appeals towards the audience’s emotions about safer school environments. Although I think students could have prevented shootings like that occurred at the University of Texas in the 70’s if they were allowed to carry a gun, the idea of allowing kids between the ages of 18-22 who are emotionally undeveloped, and just not quite responsible enough to be considered a mature adult to have possession of a weapon for reasoning that is loosely based off of emotions and “could haves” is ridiculous. There is a reason the government created the police and campus security and that was to protect people from situations like these. This author makes a critical point when he states, “there are certain places in our communities where it is just better to rely on police and professional security personnel to do their jobs in emergency situations.”
The environment of a University should never feel akin to a back alley at midnight, dark and empty where security seems a thousand miles out of reach. Campus security was created so that students should never feel as if they need a weapon to protect themselves. I don’t want to be misunderstood, I know Texas to be a Red, right to arms, less government is better state and I’m a good ol’ boy along with the rest of them, but I believe that allowing people on a college campus the right to carry a gun opens doors for an entirely new conflict of campus security.

Perry Accepts Stimulus Money, With Hesitance

I haven't always been the biggest fan of Rick Perry's political decisions, but I really stand behind him on his position towards Obama's recent stimulus package signed into law yesterday, February 17.  I think his view in his letter to President Obama epitomizes the beliefs of the majority of Texas politicians, as Texas has always been a red state.  There is an underlying tone of arrogance as he respectfully disagrees with Obama's stimulus package.  I think everybody with an opinion about the stimulus package should know what our Texas governor has to say about it.

Peggy Fikac introduces Perry's letter to the President in an article for The Houston Chronicle.  The comments on the article are vast, two-sided and amusing at some points.