Clearing the Air

This editorial from The Dallas Morning News argues in favor of a statewide smoking ban. While I agree with the author's standpoint I think his argument would be stronger if he mentioned the places smoking would still be allowed... will it be allowed on designated patios, private member only clubs, Hookah and cigar bars? Also whose job is it to police this plan? Will it be left up to club and bar owners? Will a restaurant owner be held liable if someone lights up in his restaurant? This article points out the obvious. It is well known in this day and age that second hand smoke is detrimental to ones health. This article could be much more relevant if it delved into the other side a bit.... is it an infringement on a club or bar owner's rights for the government to make this decision instead of leaving it up to each individual establishment? I feel that this article is geared toward the reader who is already in agreement with the article and serves as a little reminder to the voters that this piece of legislature out there. As far as swaying someone who doesn't support this legislation, I don't think it would.

Equality for All?

READ THIS ARTICLE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY!
As a mother it is disturbing to think about how I would feel if society (and my government) constantly questioned my mothering abilities. It is appalling to me that gay parenting is such a big issue here in Texas when in 2008 there were 14,295 children added to our already crowded foster care system. It is sickening that instead of judging potential parents by their emotional stability and ability to raise and love a child we judge them by their sexual orientation. I can’t imagine explaining to one of the many 18 year old foster kids that leave the system each year that after a tumultuous child hood and sometimes still no home he could have had a stable and loving home and permanent parents that wanted him as much as he wanted them if only the state hadn’t put a ban on adoptions by gay couples.

It boggles my mind that this article mentions a well known woman who is supposedly educated and that confuses being gay with being a pedophile. This to me is synonymous with accusing every Middle Easterner of being a terrorist and thinking that every terrorist is a Middle Eastern Muslim. The 1st amendment to the US constitution outlaws the government from establishing a national religion, but the biggest opposition to gay rights is that many Christians believe that being gay is a sin. In some Native American religions it is believed that a person with both a male and female soul (LGBT) should be highly honored. This is never brought up in the struggle for gay rights because the government seems to have come to accept Christian interference and accepted its moral standings above all other religions.

When it comes to parenting I believe a child is much better off with two loving and stable parents whether they be the same or different gender than in unstable foster homes, with an often struggling single parent, or in two parent homes that aren’t as loving. I also wonder what it feels like for a child to have to worry if next TX legislature they might be separated from their, sometimes biological, parents that just happen to be of the same sex. San Antonio, a major Texas city, is labeled by this article as the Mecca for Gay Parenting with 1 in 3 gay couples having children. This is obviously a very pertinent issue in Texas and it gives Texas an opportunity to lead the way in Gay rights instead of lagging behind (as we did with civil rights) and prove that Texas cares about all of its citizens and about providing as many children as possible with safe loving homes.