Blog 7

The Texas lottery was almost put out this past Wednesday, but last minute voting kept the lottery running at least until the next legislation period in 2015. The House gave final approval only a day after they voted to kill the Texas lottery. Apparently the popularity of the state funded gambling program has been dwindling for some time. From the beginning of the lottery in the 1990s, the purpose was to use the revenue from the lottery to help pay for education in our state, but somehow we are putting less towards our children's education now than we were in the 90s. And yet, the funds are going to other places, such as veterans in our state that need some extra assistance. This prompts me to ask some questions. The money produced by this lottery program, if discontinued will have to be found some other way. Yes it is gambling, and I never actually buy tickets anyway, but other people do in this state. Why can't we just find a way to make it popular again, and then put the money to good use like intended? Our state education really needs some serious attention and I think with some adequate advertising we could use the lottery as a starting point to get our schools up to par.

Blog Stage 6

To our Gun-less Cowboys, I must agree, it seems a little less like Texas for us not to be able to wear our firearms at our sides. I had to really contemplate the multitude of consequences for and against the “open carry” option and I seem to be at an impasse.  Personally, I don’t think people wearing their guns out in public would make me feel safe at all. I also think that the knowledge of a weapon in close range would deter would be criminals from an attempted act of robbery, or anything that could cause harm to another person. My fear would be those individuals who would see a firearm as a taunt. You could say a challenge of sport. The probability that one would be more inclined to engage with another person carrying a weapon seems like only a matter of time in our lovely cowboy country.  Although, I do think it would be more safe to only allow those with a CHL license, but then again the possibilities are so endless to the damage that could be done, I am glad I don’t have to be the one to decide which way I would lean in the end.