Are Guns Really the Answer?

School safety is an issue that is important to practically all college students today and especially for those of us as UH. We are constantly bombarded with email notifications about campus muggings and crimes.We just want to get an education and have fun without the fear of being attacked while walking to our cars or walking on campus.

So how do we stay safe and protect ourselves? The Texas legislature has an answer, carry guns.

The Texas House Bill 1893- Carrying on Campus, would allows those students with a concealed hand gun license to carry their handgun around with them on campus.

Currently only one state, Utah, has a law that allows concealed hand guns to be carried at all public campuses and universities. Two other colleges, Colorado State University and Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, Virginia, allow for hand guns on their campus.

Is carry guns really the answer? Future UH student Julie Howard thinks so.

Howard will be transferring to UH in the fall and is concerned about her safety while on campus. “I’m going to be working while I go to school so most likely I’ll be taking night classes and I just want to feel safe,” said Howard.

“I actually considered buying a gun to have for my apartment since I’ll be living alone downtown but now I know about the proposed legislation I’m definitely wanting to get one for my protection on campus as well,” said Howard.

Owning a gun and knowing how to use it properly and safely are two separate things. My main opposition with people carry concealed weapons is the fear of the inability of the individual to use it properly. Is there a chance I could be walking too closely behind someone and they will get scared and turn around and shoot me?

“If people are going to be allowed to carry guns they should definitely be required to take several hand gun lessons so they can handle it properly. I won’t even hold my gun until I take all the classes I can. To me it’s just like driving. You have to take the required classes before getting your license and get behind the wheel. Just because I want to carry a gun does not mean I want just anyone having one as well. As long as the proper education goes with it, I feel carry a gun is completely safe,” said Howard.

Many people feel that incidences like the Virginia Tech shootings and other campus shootings could have been prevented if students were permitted to carry guns on campus. Tragic incidences like that of Virginia Tech are not common on most campuses. Bad things happen that’s just a part of life, but I do not feel having a plethora of weapons on campus will make things better.

“If the bill does pass and I am able to carry a gun with me on campus doesn’t mean I’ll ever use it. In fact, I hope I don’t have to, but if I ever find myself in a dangerous situation I know I will be well prepared and ready to defend myself if needed. It’s all about a safe state of mind for me,” said Howard.

I can see the arguments both sides make and I believe there is good and bad about both, but for me more guns are not the answer. Instead of promoting guns, an awareness about self defense and classes in self defense should be more readily available on college campuses.

Maybe it’s the liberal in me or my complete and utter fear of guns, but you wont see me carry a gun anytime soon. I choose to stick with my pepper spray instead.

America: Land of the Free?

The good ole U.S.A. is known for its many freedoms granted to those who are fortunate enough to live in this country. We are free to speak our mind, live how we please, enjoy the unalienable rights given to us by our fore fathers.

Sounds great doesn’t it? Well there still is one community of people who aren’t able to enjoy all the rights and personal freedoms given to us.

The gay and lesbian community are continuously being denied the right to marry in 45 states in this country. That means only a mere 5 states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Vermont) understand the importance of same sex marriage. While 5 states have actual same sex marriage, 4 other states (California, Oregon, New Hampshire, New Jersey) grant same sex couples the rights that come with marriage but call it either a domestic partnership or civil union.

The same sex marriage movement started back in 2004 with the passage of same sex marriage in my home state of Massachusetts. After that not much was done until 2008 with California allowing same sex couples to marry. This stirred up the proposition 8 controversy. Prop 8 is a measure that bans gay marriage in California and would make those who have married no longer be married but rather a domestic partnership. It was  prop 8 that the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered) movement really came together to fight the injustice. Protests and rallies began all over the country.

For me, it is my generations civil rights movement. Unfortunately, when election time rolled around in November, prop 8 was passed by a slim margin of 52 percent for and 47 percent against prop 8. While this was crushing for the GLBT community, it didn’t stop them from fighting or speaking out for equal rights.

Following the gay marriage debate in California, states like Connecticut and Iowa have instituted gay marriage and Maine and Vermont have passed legislation that will allow it later this year.

With the slow but steady momentum same sex marriage has gained, many organizations who oppose it have stepped up their propaganda and have been placing ads to voice their opinions.

One group in particular, The National Organization for Marriage or NOM, have created completely ridiculous segments and video against same sex marriage that has been circulating the Internet and getting a lot of national media attention.

Now why is this group getting so much attention? Probably because of the complete ridiculousness of their videos. Their main video “Gathering Storm” shows “ordinary” people who are worried about gay marriage and fear it will “ruin” their lives.

Honestly when I first saw the video I thought it was a joke. The idea that two men or two women getting married would make a California doctor have to choose between her job and her faith is absurd. Or that a woman is saying that is gays can marry her freedom will be taken away when in fact it’s the exact opposite. Thousands of Americans are having their freedoms and rights taken away.

I truly believe that we are all entitled to have our own ideas and opinions about certain issues but once our beliefs and ideas begin to hinder the lives of others and begins to take away their rights that’s when something needs to be done.

The debate on same sex marriage shouldn’t be based on a person or group’s religious beliefs or values but rather on the idea that we are all equal and therefore should be given equal rights.

Man’s Best Friend.

I first became aware of Happy Ever After Dog Rescue in Houston when I met a stray miniature Dachshund at a friends apartment. She was then named Margaret and had a bubbly personality that drew me in right away. Judging from her personality, you would not believe she had been living on the streets of downtown Houston. My connection with her was so strong I made the decision to take her and find her a home.

Margaret, also known as Stegosaurus or “Steggy” as I later name her, was severely malnourished to extreme that you could see every vertebrate in her back, hence the name Stegosaurus. It was also apparent that she at one point had puppies. Since I had no idea where she came from, I was not sure what other health problems could be ailing her.

My first task was to make sure she was not reported missing. I called every animal shelter in the Houston area as well as taking her to every veterinary office in a 20 mile radius. With no luck there, I posted ads with her picture on Craigslist.com and various animal sites. After striking out again, I started to look for a new home for her.

Little did I know the strenuous task that was. I was fearful of bringing her to a local animal shelter because the likely hood of her being adopted was not hopeful. In Houston, the euthanasia rate for animals in shelters ranges from 50 to as high as 85 percent. Knowing this information, I knew I could not bring her to a shelter.

I spent the next month emailing and calling every rescue group in the Houston area. While searching on Petfinder.com I came across over 200 rescues groups in Houston alone.  When I saw how many groups were out there, it made me hopeful I would find Steggy a place to live. Once again I under estimated the availability of these rescues.

After speaking with many rescue group owners the common response I heard was, “We would love to take her but unfortunately we are severely under staffed and have no available foster homes available.”

Because all the rescue groups are non profit organizations they  operate on a strictly volunteer basis. Those individuals open up their homes to the animals and receive no payment, just the knowledge that they are helping animals live a fulfilling life.

I cannot say that having Steggy for all that time was bad. Having her around made me feel happy. I would take her to dog parks everyday and seeing her waiting in my window sill when I got home made me smile every time.

Despite absolutely loving her, I knew I could not keep her for many reasons. My apartment would not allow dogs and I did not have the financial stability to support her. Keep in mind I’m a college student just trying to make ends meet.

It was almost two months before I heard a positive response from one of the many rescue groups I had contacted. I received an email from Lee Ann at Happily Ever After Dog Rescue. She informed me in the email that there was a $150 relinquishment fee and if I was willing to pay the fee they could take Steggy.

Many of the rescue groups ask for a relinquishment fee as a way to cover the cost of vet bills incurred once having the dog. Again, rescue groups are nonprofit so they have to get by somehow.

So I emailed Lee Ann back and told her I would pay the fee and gave her my information. The next morning I received a call from Lee Ann and was told that they were having a pet adoption day at the Petsmart off of 45 south and if I could bring Steggy there so they could take her and bring her to her new foster home.

I have to say as happy as I was, it was difficult. I was hoping for one more day to spend with Steggy, but I had to take the opportunity given.

We arrived at Petsmart and already the tears started to come. I brought my aunt with me hoping it would make me feel better, but it didn’t. I just telling myself that I was doing the right thing.

I found Lee Ann and the rest of the rescue group in the middle of the store and was amazed at how many animals they had with them. They had about 12 dogs and 7 cats and that wasn’t even all the animals they had in the rescue group.

Before I gave them Steggy, I met the dog she would be in a foster home with. He was a Dachshund/Chihuahua mix named Ryan. Ryan had been found in an A/C insulation unit and had a injured eye. I was told that even though it looked bad, he would fully recover and be perfectly healthy.

Knowing Steggy wouldn’t be alone made things a lot easier. I knew the longer I waited the worse it would be, so I hugged and kissed Steggy goodbye and left the store.

Once I got home and saw some of Steggy’s toys I burst into tears. I already missed her immensely but again I kept telling myself that I did the right thing.

A week had passed since I had given Steggy to the rescue group and I started to check up on her on the website Petfinder.com. Petfinder is a site where the rescue groups put information and pictures about the animals they have for adoption.

I found Steggy’s profile but no adoption yet. I continued to check her profile for the next two weeks until one day she was longer on it. I got concerned. Usually if an animal is adopted they keep the profile on the site for a some time but it says adopted.

I called Lee Ann and asked her how Steggy was. She told me that they found Steggy a home with a small family and she was in the process of being adopted.

Words cannot express fully the happiness I felt knowing Steggy was going to be in a loving home and finally have a chance at a happy life.

My experience with Steggy definitely changed me in a positive way. I become more selfless and more aware about the need for rescue groups like Happily Ever After Dog Rescue.

Any chance I get to tell people about my experience with Steggy I take it with hopes that if they are ever in a situation like mine they will do the same thing or if they are looking to get a dog they will get one from a rescue group rather than a breeder.

The stigma attached to animals from shelters and rescue groups is that they are either older or have health issues. The thing people don’t realize it that so many of the animals are perfectly healthy and happy but were just unlucky with their situations.

In fact, I found that Steggy and other rescues animals can be just as, if not, more loving and loyal because they truly appreaciate the love they are being given opposed to where they came from.

There is a vital need for the improvement of animal control and treatment throughout the U.S. and the way to begin that reform is through speaking out, telling our stories and learning about what we can do to help.

Sunshine Cleaning.

The 2008 Sundance hit “Sunshine Cleaning” is about single mother Rose Lorkowski, played by Amy Adams (Doubt) and her quest to find out who she really is while trying to keep her family intact.

Rose, once a popular high school cheerleader, now cleans houses for a living and is having an affair with her high school boyfriend. Rose’s life seems to be in shambles until her married boyfriend Mac, played by Steve Zahn (Strange Wilderness), suggests that instead of cleaning houses she should clean up crime scenes to make more money.

Rose decides  to start her own crime scene clean up business after being pressed for money when her eight year old son Oscar is kicked out public school and she has to pay for private school. Knowing she cannot do it alone, Rose enlists the help of her polar opposite sister Norah played by Emily Blunt (Devil Wears Prada). Norah is carefree, somewhat troubled, sarcastic and has no responsibilities to tie her down unlike Rose.

When Rose and Norah were younger their mother died and their father Joe played by Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine) began to disconnect from his daughters. Rose was then left to take care of Norah which caused their relationship to become strained over the years.

After a slow start, their business begins to take off and for the first time Rose begins to feel good about where her life is heading. The relationship between Rose and Norah also begins to flourish because of the time they were spending together.

Although things started to appear to be getting better, Rose as well as Norah still faced many trials and tribulations about their business and their personal lives throughout the movie.

After deciding to take a job cleaning up a house after a women died, Rose asks Norah to do the job alone. While there Norah accidentally sets the house on fire causing their business to deteriorate and leaving Rose back at square one. After the accident, the relationship between Rose and Norah was once again on the rocks.

There is a lot of good to be said about the movie. The chemistry between Adams and Blunt is captivating. Both of the up and coming actress played their parts flawlessly and really captured the ups and downs of a  real sister relationship. When Norah accidentally burnt down the house, her and Rose were no longer speaking. Then at Oscar’s birthday party the two began to talk in the bathroom. Their conversation was full of sarcasm while also having a heart to heart and making amends. It was reminiscent of what a real life sister relationship is like.

Arkin’s presence as well made the movie more comedic and adding a few laughs here and there. The odd jobs he had throughout the movie, such as a shrimp salesman of shrimp that he bought off the back of the truck, was the comic relief during a somewhat dark movie.

Despite the brilliant cast, the movie itself never really seemed to get off the ground. When leaving the theater I  thought to myself “that’s it?” The script, written by first time screenwriter Megan Holley,  had a lot of potential but just scratched the surface to me. The characters past and what happened to them at the end of the movie should of been more developed. Viewers only got a mere glimpse into who the characters were and where their lives were heading.

I was expecting more from this movie, particularly because it was created by the same producers as “Little Miss Sunshine,” which to me is an incredible movie. Overall it gets an A for effort but a C for execution.

The New Odd Couple.

The light hearted comedy “I Love You, Man” starring Paul Rudd (Role Models) and Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) is sure to bring much need laughs during this hard economic time.

Rudd plays Peter Klaven, an architect who just got engaged to his girlfriend Zooey, played by Rashida Jones (The Office). Following the engagement, Peter comes to realize that he does not have a best friend and in fact hasn’t had one his entire life. After this revelation, Peter begins the search for a new best friend and best man for his upcoming wedding.

After a series of unsuccessful “man dates,” Peter meets Sydney Fife at one of Peter’s open houses. Peter and Sydney begin to form a friendship, one like Peter has never had before. The two seem like an unlikely pair however. Peter is more straight laced and a by the book kind of guy while Sydney is more care free and spontaneous, some would say more bohemian.

Despite their two different personalities, the pairing seems to works. The movie, directed by John Hamburg (Along Came Polly), focuses on Peter’s journey to find a best friend while still maintaining his relationship with his fiance.

“I Love You, Man” is a brilliantly written comedy with superb comedic timing done by Rudd and Segel. The film  wouldn’t be all that it is without the help of the supporting cast. Andy Samberg (Saturday Night Live) and Jaime Pressly (My Name is Earl) as well as many others help bring the laughs throughout the movie and definetly make the movie all that it is.

Bailout Money Well Spent.

$800,000 on tents alone? A growth strategy? I doubt that. I spent my weekend driving around Houston with a friend trying to buy a bike that wasn’t $500 and when we finally bought one we could afford, the pedal fell off within 2 minutes. But Bank of America can spend $800,000 on tents.

Maybe instead of bailing out banks who will just spend the money on tents and expensive getaways, how about the government give money to broke college students who just want simple, everyday things like a bike that won’t fall apart.

Britney Stirs Up Controversy, Once Again

Really FOX News? You wasted a 6 minute segment on whether or not Britney Spears’ song “If You Seek Amy” is appropriate to be played on the radio at certain times of the day.  We are at a pivotal point in America’s history with the economy and our new president but Britney Spears’ was your focus. Leave the entertainment talk to E! News or Entertainment Tonight and focus on what really matters…

….But since you brought it up let me just say that I don’t see the issue with the song. Parents are concerned that their children will decode the “hidden message” in the song. I’m an adult and had listened to the song long before the controversy over it became headline news and I didn’t “crack the code.” It wasn’t until I went online and read about it that I realized by saying the lyrics “If You Seek Amy” slow enough it could some what sound like you were spelling the F word. If a 21 year adult, who picks up on things easily,  couldn’t figure it out who is to say a 12 year old would.

I’m not trying to undermine the intelligence of 12 year old but I don’t think they would fully realize the underlying message of the song. That’s to say that there really even is an underlying message to the song. Britney Spears’ isn’t known for her tricky lyrics with more than one dimension to them.

If parent’s are concerned that their children will be corrupted by a song that they may or may not hear on the radio then I have a solution for them… don’t let them listen to the radio. When they drive their kids to school put the Jonas Brothers cd on or Miley Cyrus. Those are who the kids now look up to and listen to. Britney Spears’ main fan base is young adults who idolized her in the early stages of her career. Teens now probably have no idea what the song “Hit Me Baby One More Time” is. Also, with all the modern technology out there, like Ipods, do kids even listen to the radio anymore or is that just a thing of the past?

If parents want to be concerned about songs and the message they are sending then they should turn their attention to songs like “Lollipop” by Lil Wayne which plays way more on the radio than the Britney Spears’ song. In fact, I have yet to hear “If You Seek Amy” on the radio. Instead I hear countless rap songs that have sexual inuendos throughout the entire song.

It is up to parents to monitor what their children watch or listen to. Don’t deprive us from hearing songs we may like just because you are afraid of a song having some sort of influence over your children.

Obama Inauguration

On a day full of so many emotions, one that comes to mind for one is giving back.

“A lot of what Obama said in his inauguration speech spoke to me, but the part that stood out was about helping poor nations,” said Julie Howard.

Howard spent much of her childhood volunteering with her church and doing mission work in villages. “I was really inspired to get back into volunteering and doing something for someone who really needs it. I’ve seemed to loose sight of that over the years.”

President Obama spent a portion of his speech addressing poor nations saying, “to the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside.”

“It’s not just what he said in his speech but what Obama’s been saying all along, that our generation should get involved. I really think it’s a message that needs to be out there,” said 21-year-old Howard.

Previous generations truly know the feeling of a hard days work but that cannot be said for current generations. Children are being handed things without working for it or even appreciating it. President Obama wants to inspire people to get involved in their communities and make a difference.

Change cannot happen overnight but President Obama’s inauguration was the first step in inspiring a generation to get out there and redefine our country and help make future generations better.

–Dana Christodoulopoulos