Highschool Guy's With Long Hair, Beware

Today on the Texas House Floor ammendment No. 64 to HB 3 ( relating to public school accountability, curriculum, and promotion requirements) was passed, amongst many others, regarding male hair length in all public state funded high schools. According to this amendment, also known as "Mason's Measure", the board of trustee's of any given Texas school distict may not place any length limit's on male attendants hair so long as they meet the following requirements : the student has performed satisfactory on assessment instruments administered in the previous and concurrent school years, have not been subject to disciplinary action up to a certain code, meet the grade criteria for the given school's honor roll, and have no un-excused absences. Whoa! Here that teenage highschool guys? If your not on the honor roll, have gotten into trouble past a certain set 'code', or do not say pass your TAKS testing, your high school has the legislative right to restrict the length of your hair! Now this is nothing new, for the past few years many districts have had a male hair length policy for all males in attendance. This 'Mason's Measure' was passed as ammendment mostly to secure the rights of smart male students opposed to the state's stereotypical policies regarding long hair students, who reportedly perform poorer in school by having long hair. But those infact who have done well in school and choose to have long hair but are not allowed, have now found justice in the legislature. When the amendment was passed it was a humurous moment when the Speaker of the Floor smiled, raising up a t- shirt with a large imprint of the long haired Savior himself, Jesus Christ.



The actual ammendment, documented by the House Clerk who reports the Daily Texas House of Representatives Journal, can be read on page 78 of 126 at the following link: http://www.journals.house.state.tx.us/hjrnl/81r/pdf/81RDAY59FINAL.PDF

University Gun Control, How to Deal?

College campuses nation-wide are placing policy upon gun usage and carrying guidelines as we speak. Recently, this issue came to vote in the Texas House and rallies occured on campus at the University of Texas. There was a march at 11:30am on the 16th to the state capitol that was pro gun-free campus led to voice the opinions of many students who feel encroached upon by the recent legislation passed out of committee assigned to a calendar hearing regarding concealed handguns on campus(in the Texas House, a bill must pass committee, calendar, then House floor to become a bill). A few days before the march, The Daily Texan's Jeremy Burchard wrote an article that was in-fact pro gun-free campus, and this blog post is its opposition. Although I feel there is no need for weapons on campus, there is no deliberation that, if in fact a student so chooses to bring a weapon on campus, he or she will do so, gun free campus or not. There is no policy, doctrine, or even force on this planet that is strong enough to woo a mindless college student from his or her unknown possibly disastrous intentions. That being said, then why not have one? I am pro concealed carry gun policy on campus. By placing restrictions and policies on who can and why they can carry weapons on campus there will be a positively re-inforced structure of gun control on campus. Many students don't even know it, but the campus offers free first time admission to it's own on campus shooting range. Students who choose to compete in shooting contests, a popular hobby amongst many marksmen, are currently not allowed to practice with their own weapons on campus. If caught with a weapon for even honest reasons, expulsion has been seen to follow. There are many reasons as to why this proposed H.B. 1893 should and most likely will be passed. A lot of it has to do with Texans' stubborn love for their guns. I would say I feel safer knowing the Marine behind me in class can protect if necessary those around him/her or even any regular (but licensed) patron that are threatened by gun violence. We will see what happens when the committee report reaches the calendars, and I will report on my Representative's views on this issue in a post later this week.

A Fresh Start, A New Blog

Here we begin-
Amongst the many things I knew I would be doing in college, the job I work now was definitely not one of them. I somehow managed to slip through the hurdles offered by Uncle Sam and got myself in a position at the state capitol. Jim Jackson (The Representative I intern for) is a Republican, representative of district 115, located outside of Dallas serving the city of Carrollton and Coppel county. He was also County Commissioner of Dallas for twenty years prior to his election, and was awarded the title, "Taxpayers Hero" during his first term in office. From what I have seen, he is respectable, kind natured, and idol material that even attends his Bible study on Friday mornings. I have been enjoying and continually look forward to his mentoring. We are now in the 81st legislature, and he has spoken on many issues that are controversial. In this blog I will report on his dealings, others amongst the G.O.P., mere gossip heard around the capitol, and anything else interesting or humorous I can throw some conservatism on. Welcome aboard.