"I Believe That Children Are Our Future" - Whitney Houston

As great of a state that Texas is, we are SO behind in providing services for those who can’t afford it. As I was reading Ms. Batt’s blog, Can’t Beat Texas from Tex Report, I was bewildered to find that 1.5 million children in Texas don’t have health insurance. That is a lot of kids and a great risk to take if any of those children become seriously ill. Ms. Batt’s hit a very good point. The Swine flu has become a concern for many Texans. Being close to the Mexico border, many of us are at risk in catching the flu. Our Texas children need to be able to be treated and taken care of if they are to get sick. 

Our priorities as a state are definitely off balance and in need of reexamination. I am a firm believer in able adults to work and be provided benefits through their employer, but when it comes to children, I think the state needs to have a much better program that would allow all children to be covered. The state spends countless of tax payer’s dollars on prisons and taking care of those who have disrupted society or taken lives. Why don’t we focus more attention on those things that are more important to people and something we will see a greater return in the long run.  The children of Texas are our future and we need to protect them and invest in them in every way. 

Texas Laws and Teens

The Texas legislature is currently trying to pass laws that would keep teens from driving after 10 p.m., buying cigarettes, texting while driving, and jumping into tanning beds. The legislature argues that these laws target young people because they are still developing judgements and are prone to danger. 

I understand the concern of the legislature to protect our young people. To just turn 16 and get your license is a huge expression of freedom. But it is also such a huge responsibility as well. These laws that are targeting Texas’ teens should also be applied to Adults. HB662 is pending in the House right now and is hoping to prohibit drivers under 18 from using a cellphone while driving. I see no difference from a 17 year old texting while driving and a 25 or 40 year old doing the exact same thing. It is very dangerous none the less to do anything while driving.If this bill does pass it needs to apply to every Texan. 

I laugh at the idea that there is a bill that has passed the House, HB1310, that would prohibit anyone younger than 16 1/2 from using a tanning bed in a salon. First of all, teens are allowed to operate a motor vehicle at the age of 16. I think that they should be able to choose whether to tan or not in a salon. This is outrageous and such an infringement on parents ability to parent their child. If a parent doesn’t want their child to tan, then they won’t. But if the parent is all for the child tanning, then let them tan! This is a ridiculous bill and I really hope that our legislature would focus on much more important issues and leave these sort of things to the parents. 

I think that anyone using a cellphone while driving should have their license suspended just because of the danger is poses, no matter the age. But, when it comes to teens tanning... come on! State laws need to focus on the things that matter the most. Some of these issues need to be left to the parents to decide.