The issue of illegal immigration has been a source of considerable frustration for many Americans over the past several decades. After reading Shainas Corner blog about Arizona’s new immigration bill I had to choose this heated topic for my last assignment. Shaina has a unique way of “sticking it to you” as far as how she communicates the point she is trying to get across. Although her post was brief, there is no question of how she feels about this issue.
The freshly signed bill has the feel of a loaded gun that is creating pressure from many different aspects. Shaina’s main focus on the negative effects of Arizona’s State Senate Bill 1070 seems to be on racial profiling. I also believe this is one of the many problems with this bill. Shaina vividly explains that Arizona police will soon be able to stop and question anyone that looks “reasonably suspicious” and demand proof of citizenship. She claims this to be, “offensive and ridiculous” and I completely agree. What is the world coming to when we as humans are loosing civil rights at the flick of a pen?
There are other issues that were not discussed by Shaina that I feel are just as important issues. The fact that the Federal Government has fallen short when it comes to immigration is why Arizona has single handedly taken the responsibility of enforcing its own policies. If the government would step up to the plate and address these issues on a national level then Arizona police would not have the power to harass people based on appearance and SB 1070 would be on its way out the door.
In closing I would like to say that Arizona has just created barriers between its self and the Federal Government, its own people, and most of the 49 states. I do not see this legislation lasting long (if it even goes into effect). The State of Texas is already cutting ties in Arizona and eventually other states will do the same. Arizona will not be able to uphold its self and its outlandish policies alone. Something’s got to give.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Dallas man arrested over online threat against Obama
According to the Austin American Statesman a 43 year old man named Brian Dean Miller posted ads on Craigslist for the purpose of threatening President Barack Obama and every member of the U.S. Government. He stated, "I am dedicating my life to the death of Obama and every employee of the federal government. This is war. Join me. Or don't. I don't care. I'm not laying down anymore." He also said, "Today I become a terrorist." Those are pretty serious words coming from a middle aged man still living with his mother. Is Miller a serious threat? Probably not. However this is a great example of law enforcement doing their job and doing it well. Miller says that the threats entitled, “Obama Must Die” were posted in response to the health care bill that recently passed. He promised himself and others that he would become a terrorist if the legislation passed.
An Arlington resident reported the threats to the Secret Service who then took action. Police arrested Miller and seized his computer. There were no weapons found in the house. In my opinion this man was having a mid-life crisis and needed some action in his life. After his initial post he later added, "Feel free to notify the Secret Service if it helps you sleep better tonight. You should tell them I threatened to kill the president and destroy the U.S. government. Maybe you would like to quote the post as your evidence." It’s obvious to me that Miller has some mental issues that may take a dose of reality to work though. What an idiot. It is highly likely that he was craving attention and this was his way of getting it.
Regardless of the seriousness of the threats, thank you Secret Service and Dallas Police for handling the situation swiftly and professionally. Miller’s arraignment is today and faces charges of up to 5 years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 fine. Miller openly admitted to authorities when asked if the threats were serious "Yes, I would kill him, if I were a different person. I would kill them all." I hope Miller got the adrenaline rush he was looking for and expect the maximum punishment in light of his confession.
An Arlington resident reported the threats to the Secret Service who then took action. Police arrested Miller and seized his computer. There were no weapons found in the house. In my opinion this man was having a mid-life crisis and needed some action in his life. After his initial post he later added, "Feel free to notify the Secret Service if it helps you sleep better tonight. You should tell them I threatened to kill the president and destroy the U.S. government. Maybe you would like to quote the post as your evidence." It’s obvious to me that Miller has some mental issues that may take a dose of reality to work though. What an idiot. It is highly likely that he was craving attention and this was his way of getting it.
Regardless of the seriousness of the threats, thank you Secret Service and Dallas Police for handling the situation swiftly and professionally. Miller’s arraignment is today and faces charges of up to 5 years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 fine. Miller openly admitted to authorities when asked if the threats were serious "Yes, I would kill him, if I were a different person. I would kill them all." I hope Miller got the adrenaline rush he was looking for and expect the maximum punishment in light of his confession.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
In Response to Keiley's Blog "WIC"
I am writing this commentary in response to Kailey’s blog entitled “WIC.” This subject is of particular interest to me having been a part of the program a couple of years ago. WIC stands for Women, Infants, and Children and provides basic necessities for pregnant women, newborn babies, and children of low income families. Members of the program must apply and meet certain eligibility requirements. Once part of the program you receive and electronic card that enables you to purchase items such as milk, eggs, cheese, formula, beans, juice, cereal, and peanut butter free of charge.
I agree with Kailey that these types of programs are taken advantage of. I like how she makes a point to say that these programs are designed to help people get back on their feet and promote self reliance. She illustrates this well by explaining that her Mother used this assistance with her sister as a “stepping stone” in order to get back on track. That is exactly what I did when I had my daughter. I used the assistance when I needed it and declined assistance when I could manage on my own. However, the main problem is that most people don’t use the program this way.
I have seen first hand what Kailey is talking about when she explains that Texas (more so than other states) accommodates Spanish speakers. One of the main reasons for this is obviously the fact that Texas borders Mexico which results in a larger number of Spanish speaking immigrants. Because of the ever-growing population of Spanish speakers it becomes troublesome to ignore the fact that there are also growing numbers of non-English speakers. I do disagree with Kailey that the same benefits should not be made available to non-English speakers. Just because someone doesn’t speak English does not mean that they are not citizens. On the same note, if an illegal immigrant comes to Texas and gives birth to a child on U.S. soil, that child is automatically a citizen regardless of their parent’s legal status. This, in my opinion, is not so fair. I can testify to waiting in the WIC office and being the only white English speaker in sight. I can almost guarantee that next to none of the parents that I saw were legal. This is where the problem is. Where do we draw the line? The child didn’t ask to be put in this position; however, the parents know that even though they are not citizens that their child is entitled to government benefits. This is where I completely agree with Kailey. These parents are non-taxpaying illegal immigrants that are not contributing to the system but through a loophole are able to reap the benefits with out paying so much as a dime.
Overall I enjoyed the blog and was able to relate to this issue. Something needs to be done, but what? This issue is somewhat of a snowball effect that keeps getting larger and moving faster as time goes on. There are small technicalities that need to be addressed and loopholes that should be closed without having starving children on the street. Perhaps tax Mexico for these instances? Who knows?
I agree with Kailey that these types of programs are taken advantage of. I like how she makes a point to say that these programs are designed to help people get back on their feet and promote self reliance. She illustrates this well by explaining that her Mother used this assistance with her sister as a “stepping stone” in order to get back on track. That is exactly what I did when I had my daughter. I used the assistance when I needed it and declined assistance when I could manage on my own. However, the main problem is that most people don’t use the program this way.
I have seen first hand what Kailey is talking about when she explains that Texas (more so than other states) accommodates Spanish speakers. One of the main reasons for this is obviously the fact that Texas borders Mexico which results in a larger number of Spanish speaking immigrants. Because of the ever-growing population of Spanish speakers it becomes troublesome to ignore the fact that there are also growing numbers of non-English speakers. I do disagree with Kailey that the same benefits should not be made available to non-English speakers. Just because someone doesn’t speak English does not mean that they are not citizens. On the same note, if an illegal immigrant comes to Texas and gives birth to a child on U.S. soil, that child is automatically a citizen regardless of their parent’s legal status. This, in my opinion, is not so fair. I can testify to waiting in the WIC office and being the only white English speaker in sight. I can almost guarantee that next to none of the parents that I saw were legal. This is where the problem is. Where do we draw the line? The child didn’t ask to be put in this position; however, the parents know that even though they are not citizens that their child is entitled to government benefits. This is where I completely agree with Kailey. These parents are non-taxpaying illegal immigrants that are not contributing to the system but through a loophole are able to reap the benefits with out paying so much as a dime.
Overall I enjoyed the blog and was able to relate to this issue. Something needs to be done, but what? This issue is somewhat of a snowball effect that keeps getting larger and moving faster as time goes on. There are small technicalities that need to be addressed and loopholes that should be closed without having starving children on the street. Perhaps tax Mexico for these instances? Who knows?
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
5 Year Old Boy Found Dead In North Austin
When I began browsing through local news for this assignment I was shocked to see that crime was dominating Austin’s news reports. My first reaction was to steer clear of these depressing acts of violence, however, after reading about Julian Salazar Solis my heart dropped. I have a two-year-old of my own and after reading this story I couldn’t help but be puzzled as to how a 5 year old little boy could turn up dead in the very neighborhood I was raised in. Julian was found in the yard of a homeowner in Wells Branch last Saturday. Although there were no signs of external injuries, police are investigating this tragic death as a homicide.
Initially upon reading the headline my first reaction was to commiserate with his mourning parents but after I read further I couldn’t help but assume that this death was a result of inactive parenting. The article from the Austin American Statesman states that CPS has documentation of an investigation lead when Julian was only three months old. Disputes among his parents over a custody battle lead to a struggle which resulted in the injury of the baby. Julian’s father Ivan also has a less than impressive history with the law including an assault charge in 2006 and a burglary charge just last year. Ivan claims he left Julian with his girlfriend “about a week ago” and Julian’s mother had not seen him in over a month. I will not claim to know or understand the dynamics of this broken family, however, it is obvious that Julian’s mother and father were passive in their approach to parenting.
We as parents are not perfect. We all have regrets and make mistakes. It is part of life. However, it is our responsibility as parents to protect our children from harm, love them, give them care, and teach them so that one day they will treat their own children with the same compassion. In my opinion these young parents are irresponsible children themselves and have failed to provide the bare minimum care that every child DESERVES. It is not a right to have children, it is a privilege. I believe the State of Texas is also at fault by not providing stricter regulations for children that have parents like these. What were the warning signs? How could we have prevented this? How can we prevent this from happening again? Hopefully after this heart wrenching incident Julian’s mom and dad will be better parents to the other 4 children they have. Or even better, CPS take all 4 children, put them in better homes and give them all a second chance at life.
Initially upon reading the headline my first reaction was to commiserate with his mourning parents but after I read further I couldn’t help but assume that this death was a result of inactive parenting. The article from the Austin American Statesman states that CPS has documentation of an investigation lead when Julian was only three months old. Disputes among his parents over a custody battle lead to a struggle which resulted in the injury of the baby. Julian’s father Ivan also has a less than impressive history with the law including an assault charge in 2006 and a burglary charge just last year. Ivan claims he left Julian with his girlfriend “about a week ago” and Julian’s mother had not seen him in over a month. I will not claim to know or understand the dynamics of this broken family, however, it is obvious that Julian’s mother and father were passive in their approach to parenting.
We as parents are not perfect. We all have regrets and make mistakes. It is part of life. However, it is our responsibility as parents to protect our children from harm, love them, give them care, and teach them so that one day they will treat their own children with the same compassion. In my opinion these young parents are irresponsible children themselves and have failed to provide the bare minimum care that every child DESERVES. It is not a right to have children, it is a privilege. I believe the State of Texas is also at fault by not providing stricter regulations for children that have parents like these. What were the warning signs? How could we have prevented this? How can we prevent this from happening again? Hopefully after this heart wrenching incident Julian’s mom and dad will be better parents to the other 4 children they have. Or even better, CPS take all 4 children, put them in better homes and give them all a second chance at life.
Monday, April 5, 2010
500 Firearms Missing From Police Evidence Room
There are 500 firearms missing from a police evidence room located in Cleveland, TX. Many believe these circumstances are a direct result of an illegal firearms trafficking scheme lead by police officials. There is now a federal investigation under way to determine if these assumptions are bona fide. The guns were discovered missing during an inventory assessment in 2009. A large portion of the firearms were recovered from a local gun shop that is foggy on how the guns came into their possession. According to the blog “Grits for Breakfast” there are only two people that hold keys to the evidence room in Cleveland. Court documents have tied Captain Harold Kelly, a custodian and key holder, to the crimes as well as Henry Patterson, Cleveland’s assistant police chief.
According to the blog, these evidence rooms are not run by civilian professionals meaning that the only people we can point our finger at are police officials. Furthermore, the officers who are usually in charge of this evidence are (1) injured and unable to patrol or (2) are assigned the duty of working the evidence room as a form of discipline. There are professional standards of how these types of evidence rooms are run, however the regulations are loose and not many follow them. It only seems natural to punish police for wrongdoing by putting them in charge of millions of dollars in evidence that is nearly untraceable. Right? While we are at it why don’t I give a burglar a key to my house?
I believe that it is ludicrous that this is happening. I can understand if 10 or maybe even 50 firearms get past an honest cop but 500??? I have had several encounters with police for minor offenses (speeding, driving with a headlight out, etc.) and have been treated like a criminal. There is nothing more irritating to me than a pompous cop talking down to me for a minor mistake and then reading something like this. I do believe there are good cops out there and we as citizens frequently take this form of protection for granted. However, when it is the very people that are supposed to uphold the law that believe they are above it…we have a problem.
We are all human and we have all made mistakes but I believe that arrogant, greedy police that are involved in schemes such as this deserve to be punished to the full extent of the law. . It’s bothersome that this type of “above the law” attitude is so normal for police and the system is extremely flawed. Rules do apply but only for the average citizen. Grits describes this incident as a “SNAFU”. I had to Google the acronym to understand what the blogger was saying and I think they summed it up pretty well…Situation Normal: All Fucked Up.
According to the blog, these evidence rooms are not run by civilian professionals meaning that the only people we can point our finger at are police officials. Furthermore, the officers who are usually in charge of this evidence are (1) injured and unable to patrol or (2) are assigned the duty of working the evidence room as a form of discipline. There are professional standards of how these types of evidence rooms are run, however the regulations are loose and not many follow them. It only seems natural to punish police for wrongdoing by putting them in charge of millions of dollars in evidence that is nearly untraceable. Right? While we are at it why don’t I give a burglar a key to my house?
I believe that it is ludicrous that this is happening. I can understand if 10 or maybe even 50 firearms get past an honest cop but 500??? I have had several encounters with police for minor offenses (speeding, driving with a headlight out, etc.) and have been treated like a criminal. There is nothing more irritating to me than a pompous cop talking down to me for a minor mistake and then reading something like this. I do believe there are good cops out there and we as citizens frequently take this form of protection for granted. However, when it is the very people that are supposed to uphold the law that believe they are above it…we have a problem.
We are all human and we have all made mistakes but I believe that arrogant, greedy police that are involved in schemes such as this deserve to be punished to the full extent of the law. . It’s bothersome that this type of “above the law” attitude is so normal for police and the system is extremely flawed. Rules do apply but only for the average citizen. Grits describes this incident as a “SNAFU”. I had to Google the acronym to understand what the blogger was saying and I think they summed it up pretty well…Situation Normal: All Fucked Up.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Death row inmate entitled to delay for DNA tests?
According to the Austin American Statesman Editorial Board, Henrey W. Skinner is a man sitting on death row for the brutal murder of his girlfriend and her two sons. These crimes took place on New Years Eve of 1993. His sentence is scheduled to be carried out Wednesday, March the 23rd at 6:00 p.m.
Evidently, when this case was originally tried, there were large stacks of evidence pointing directly at Skinner. This was so damaging to his case that Skinners lawyer advised him to stop further testing because it would only further incriminate himself. To this day, according to the editorial, “There are seven untested items that contain DNA that could be dispositive of Skinner's claim that he was falsely convicted.”
The State has blocked this evidence since the trial in 1995. Skinner, who has pleaded innocent from the beginning, is now asking Governor Rick Perry for a for a 30-day reprieve so the evidence may be tested.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, in a 7-0 vote, on Monday recommended against a commutation or reprieve. Now it is in the hands of our Governor to do the right thing. Do I believe Skinner is innocent? No, I do not and by the way this editorial was written I don’t believe they think he is either.
The real issue to me is that it should be Skinners human right, as much of a scum ball he may be, to test the untried evidence and see what happens. You can’t kill a man twice but it only takes one mistake to take the life of an innocent man forever. Governor Perry recently visited the family of an innocent man named Tim Cole. He was in prison for rape charges and died after being in prison for thirteen years. Nine years later DNA evidence proved Cole’s innocence. Hopefully Perry won’t ever have to make that kind of apology again.
I agree with the Editorial Board on this one. I don’t believe that the evidence will prove that Skinner is innocent; however, it is his right to have that looked into before he is killed by lethal injection. For all we know this is a ploy to get 30 more days to live, but what is this State coming to when we willingly kill a man before ALL evidence has been tested?
Monday, March 8, 2010
Former Defense Lawyer Avoids Jail For Forging Judges’ Signatures
According to the Austin American Statesman, a former criminal defense lawyer has avoided jail time for foraging judges’ signatures and using methamphetamines. Bruce Garrison, 39 years old, got into some pretty serious trouble that began with an addiction to controlled substances. He soon found himself associated with a local drug kingpin by the name of Noe Perez which led to even more questionable activity. At Garrison’s recent trial, Perez testified to smoking methamphetamines with the defendant. Perez had several drug dealers in jail at the time and wanted information on the arrests and the extent to which his former associates were cooperating with the authorities. Garrison agreed to give him this information in exchange for drugs and forged judges' signatures to obtion the documents.
I hate to say it, but this is not shocking news to me. I have always viewed most, but not all, defense lawyers to have questionable ethical standards. I personally would never be able to protect the guilty and if I did, I know that it would require me to enter a mind state that I am not familiar with. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that innocent people are accused and charged with crimes which they did not commit. I also believe that people with connections are not treated equally in a court of law.
Although prosecutors were seeking at least one year in jail for his actions, Garrison received two years of deferred adjudication which is a form of probation, otherwise known as a slap on the wrist. About five years ago one of my best friends received this same sentence for having under a gram of a controlled substance in his pocket downtown. Should he have had the drugs? No. Is it fair that a college kid experimenting with drugs receives the same sentence as Garrison? I’ll let you form your own opionion about that.
The bottom line is that I am sick and tired of hearing about well connected, over paid, “good ole boys” getting off easy and the average citizen being punished to the full extent of the law. Garrisons lawyer, Josh Saegert said, “Bruce is not defeated. He is now using his experience to help others overcome their own drug addiction through his work as a program director at Mark Houston Recovery.” Good for him. Now that he has experience as a lawyer, been involved in public scandal, and now born again all under the age of 40 we will probably see him running for office in the next ten years.
I hate to say it, but this is not shocking news to me. I have always viewed most, but not all, defense lawyers to have questionable ethical standards. I personally would never be able to protect the guilty and if I did, I know that it would require me to enter a mind state that I am not familiar with. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that innocent people are accused and charged with crimes which they did not commit. I also believe that people with connections are not treated equally in a court of law.
Although prosecutors were seeking at least one year in jail for his actions, Garrison received two years of deferred adjudication which is a form of probation, otherwise known as a slap on the wrist. About five years ago one of my best friends received this same sentence for having under a gram of a controlled substance in his pocket downtown. Should he have had the drugs? No. Is it fair that a college kid experimenting with drugs receives the same sentence as Garrison? I’ll let you form your own opionion about that.
The bottom line is that I am sick and tired of hearing about well connected, over paid, “good ole boys” getting off easy and the average citizen being punished to the full extent of the law. Garrisons lawyer, Josh Saegert said, “Bruce is not defeated. He is now using his experience to help others overcome their own drug addiction through his work as a program director at Mark Houston Recovery.” Good for him. Now that he has experience as a lawyer, been involved in public scandal, and now born again all under the age of 40 we will probably see him running for office in the next ten years.
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