The many political and governmental issues I oppose stem around the lack of rights for workers, environmental issues and the lack of dollars spent on human services. Employers are not entitled to give workers rest breaks, wages for social workers are low and services for the low income are shoddy. Equality of wages and treatment of people are not priorities here like they are up North. Texans drive trucks that would rival small semis and I have yet to see a recycle service at any place I have lived since moving here. I have not seen much emphasis on the environment (with the exception being Austin). They seem a gluttonous lot, caring little about minorities and the low income.
It is easy enough to write another rant about how much Texas sucks. I could have (and already have) written a few words on the subject. I choose now to focus on the really great thing about Texas government, Freedom!
While one side of the ideology favors governmental assistance to support equality, the other side favors governmental assistance to support freedom. Texans believe that personal freedoms should be supported by their government. I can think of at least 1,000 reasons why wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle would be a good thing. The fact that people even ride around on those things makes no sense to me. In 1998 alone 500 lives were saved from the use of helmets. The leading cause of death in motorcycle accidents is head trauma. While this would seem like a good argument for helmet laws, Texans value freedom. I appreciate this value in Texans. The ability to make a personal choice can be empowering and makes a lot of sense to me. Texas government strives to support personal choices when it comes to have freedom over your personal well being.
Another prime example of Texas government valuing personal freedom is laws regarding minor consumption of alcohol. Minors can consume alcohol if in the presence of their parent and with their parent’s consent. Although I do not (necessarily) condone underage drinking, I appreciate that Texas government has left a little of this choice up to the parents. This freedom allows the parents to instill their parenting beliefs on their children rather than letting the government choose for them. These parents may also believe as I do, that sometimes prohibiting things make those things more easily abused.
The refreshing thing about Texas government is that it values a person’s right to make their own decisions. The government strives to protect its citizens from over regulation of personal freedoms by the government. The general attitude of “letting people be” resonates in the way that Texans treat each other; with kindness and goodwill, with respect and friendly smiles. A more liberally minded government could stand to learn from some of these tactics. Maybe Texans feel a sense of control over their choices. Is that why people are nice to each other here?
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