Murder?

I couldn't agree more. Sgt. Michael Olsen deserves to be fired after showing such a lack of good judgment. Police officers are supposed to be an example in our society, so when one cop shows such a lack of respect for the law it makes the entire police department look bad. It looks like Austin really did pick the right officer for the chief of Police. But shouldn't Olsen spend some time in jail for murder? The only punishment he is receiving is the loss of his job. Shouldn't he have to go to trial?

But one has to think: what if killing Brown was an accident? What if, by taking him to trial, we're only twisting the knife already in his gut? Can we, as Austinites, live with that hanging over our heads?

Live And Let Die

Fact: Texas has executed 405 criminals since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. On average, Texas executes around 60 criminals per year.
Fact: More executions have taken place in Texas than any other state in the entire country. The 3 states that follow Texas in the highest amount of death penalties to date are Virginia, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Together the 3 states still do not reach the number Texas has accumulated.
Fact: It is cheaper for a state to give the life sentence to a criminal than it is to execute them. The cost of a trial that ends in an execution is around $470,000, while the cost of a trial that is resolved with a life sentence is between $47,000 and $70,000.
So why do we still do it? Why is Texas so gung-ho about the death penalty? In one year alone Texas could save around $20,220,000 by issuing the life sentence over the death penalty. The death penalty is a barbaric method of justice. I believe that in some rare cases it is necessary, but it should be for only the most heinous of crimes. We as Texans should stop seeing the death penalty as the highest form of punishment. I think living out the rest of my life in a small cell surrounded by other criminals is much worse than being painlessly executed in front of a small number of my peers. The death penalty should be a last resort, if even considered at all. It’s the most logical course of action. Why are Texans so blind to this issue? Why don’t we simply phase the death penalty out? Courts could slowly start issuing life sentences more and more over time until at last the death penalty was no longer even considered as an acceptable form of punishment. It could work, but it would require cooperation from many of Texas’ government officials. Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe Texans are just afraid of change.

Gun Control At Its Best

I couldn’t agree more that guns should not be allowed in classrooms, and not just because of the stupidity of the wielders.
One problem is that today’s young adults are looking up to gangsters more and more. Merchandise for Al Capone and Scarface are very popular at various retailers. Chances are if you held up a picture Thomas Jefferson and a picture of Al Pachino as Scarface in front of a typical high school student, they would only be able to name one of them. And which would that be? I work at 2 different businesses where items carrying any gangster related logos or symbols are the hot sellers. Would I trust any of the customers there with a gun? Not a chance.
Another problem is that illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, and Attention Deficit Disorder have become increasingly prevalent. If one of them happened to be that “one” that managed to obtain a license, trouble would most definitely ensue. I don’t put too much faith in these tests because they can’t guarantee the licensee is completely sane or “right” in the head. I think the entire nation would deeply regret allowing students to carry guns into classrooms.


College Students Allowed to Carry Guns to Class

The Tao Of Tolls

The new toll roads in Texas were supposedly built to help fund the repair and creation of roads throughout state, but lately the only repairs I’ve seen are on roads that seemed fine before and the only new roads I’ve seen are the toll roads. Yes, they’re faster. Yes, they’re more convenient. But where is our money going?
Well, for the first few years the tolls being paid will go towards the funding of the already built toll roads. So, in other words, our money isn’t helping the state of Texas yet, and won’t be until the new toll roads have been completely funded.
For the first few months after being built, the roads were free to use at your leisure, and not because they wanted people to see the convenience and genius of the new freeways. The brief deterrent of tolls was a way lure drivers in and grow accustomed to the new faster route. I left my house everyday 35 minutes before work for over a year before the freeways were constructed, and continued to do so afterwards as well. I was already used to leaving my house early, so why would I need to change anything?
Why aren’t more people fighting this? Officials supporting the toll roads know that after a while people will just learn to accept it and move on with their lives. That’s what’s wrong. We should not just take this sitting down. Here’s a fun fact for you: did you know that the toll roads were built months ahead of schedule and they were millions of dollars under budget afterwards? So, where is our money going again?

Is He Dangerous?

Picture this: a man who was paroled in North Carolina in 2006 for stealing two cars, tying up two elderly women, and fleeing the police is now on trial for murder in North Texas, and his lawyer is claiming he's not that dangerous. Since Kosoul Chanthakoummane was only attempting to rob Sarah Anne Walker, he should not be sentenced to death. Or at least that's the story his lawyer is using to attempt to get his client away from a death sentence.
Sarah Walker's body was found with 33 sharp wounds on her upper body and a bite mark. Kosoul beat her with a wooden plant stand in order to steal a ring and a Rolex watch. Now does that sound like a dangerous criminal? Kosoul knew exactly what he was doing. He knew that if she put up a struggle he would have to kill her. This man should get a life sentence if not the death penalty. Kosoul received only six years in prison for what he did in North Carolina and immediately after he was bailed he kills a woman over a couple of pieces of jewelry. He is a criminal who can’t seem to stay out of the news for more than a year. He is a man who is willing to kill a person over a few priceless belongings. He deserves punishment.
I am not a right wing conservative who believes that death is the highest form of punishments, but I do believe that punishment is due where it punishment is deserved, and Kosoul Chanthakoummane deserves to be behind locked doors.


We, the Jury, find the defendant...

Security Guard Doesn't Go Quietly

On Wednesday, October 3, two kids were killed in an attempt to rob a security guard at a local strip mall in Dallas. There were three kids involved in the attempted robbery, but only one was arrested. As the guard was stepping out of the car at gunpoint, he pulled an assault rifle on the kids and killed them as they ran. My question is, what exactly was a mall security guard doing wielding an assault rifle? That’s not really a common weapon used by mall security. I understand that his life was in danger, but the police on the scene counted eleven shots fired by the guard, while the kid with the handgun only fired two shots. That doesn’t quite add up, does it? I believe this guard should be taken to court and relieved of his duties. After the assailant with the handgun was killed, the officer should have then attempted to arrest the other two. Instead he shot and killed one and shot at the driver as he was trying to flee. Is that protocol for any type of police officer? I understand that the assailants outnumbered the officer and had the element of surprise, so he was probably in somewhat of a panic. But he should have been able to keep calm and not go on a killing spree.
On the other hand, what did the assailants think would happen? Did they really believe they could steal a cop’s laptop and get away with it unharmed? I wouldn’t say they necessarily got what they deserved, but they definitely should have thought a little more about robbing an armed guard.


An Assault Rifle? Really?

The University of Texas' "Appeal"s Process

William Powers Jr., the president of the University of Texas, plans to cut parts of the university's budget to free up enough money to apply towards the attraction of new faculty members and students. He intends to use 1 percent of the budget, roughly $19 million, for the salaries of faculty and graduate student stipends, but still requires the support from the deans, department chair holders, and other faculty members.
Other universities are trying the same thing, causing much competition in the process. These competitors include the University of Michigan, the University of California, Berkeley, and Princeton.
Powers is considering cutting a few conferences and other programs, and possibly getting rid of some underused buildings. But why spend more money on hiring new staff and attracting new students if you plan on trimming the size of the campus? Won't that make the classroom situation somewhat cramped? I'm no expert on the matter, but won't that make the University seem less appealing, thus defeating the whole purpose of redirecting the funds?


UT President Calls For Shifting Money To Attract Talent