From the blog, Grits for Breakfast, the writer wrote a blog about the forensic process here in Texas. The writer describes how Texas state crime labs process the evidences and how it can be use to pin point the murderer or criminal suspect. The writer also emphasizes on how slow the state labs are at processing the information to quickly solve the case. This blog emphasizes on the importance of speed and accuracy for forensic scientists to quickly process the evidences to allow the detectives to solve the cases. Yet the author proves that Texas state labs are not that speedy from two very similar cases. One case was reported when a 66 year old lady named Gloria Flores was found dead outside her home, but this was eleven years ago and the mystery is still unsolved!!! Then there was another murder case of 50 year old Sylvia Perez Clark murdered six months ago and still unsolved as well. Currently it takes about eight months for DNA analysis and twelve months for firearm analysis. Clearly this shows that the two Texas crime labs located only in Austin and Corpus Christi are not effectively rapid enough to process all the evidences.
After reading this blog, I assumed that the writer is aiming at the general audiences, but most importantly the criminal justices officials and state government. For one, the writer wants the readers to know that the basic process of how evidences are examined to better prepare them with any legal entanglement. The writer also wants the reader to advocate for more state labs to effectively raise the bars. Secondly, the writer wants to alert the state government about this serious issue and how it is necessary that the criminal law enforcers solve the case as quickly as possible in order to allow the victim to rest in peace. As stated before, the unfortunate deaths of Gloria Flores and Sylvia Perez Clark have remained unsolved and this triggers the effort the detectives are putting to solve cases and Austin a safer place.
Personally after reading this blog, I agree with the writer about how the state labs should not process evidences that can wind up being more than a year. As citizen, I would feel unsafe knowing that the death of some victims are still left unsolved, and consequentially this would allow the real murderer to commit in more haunting crimes. I find that detectives and Texas government should mandate more officials to work on the cases and open more state labs to allow more evidences to be processed. With only two labs, the evidences must travel around the state just to be analyze. Obviously this will take a tremendous amount of time to transport all of the evidences from the crime scene. Therefore, I would hope that one day in the near future more forensic labs are being built and more cases are solved at a quicker pace.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Article #2: Reduction of Cars
According to the Austin American Statesman, an editorial titled, Incentive to Kick Driving Habits in Austin promotes the usage of riding the Capital Metro with upgraded additions that include flat screen televisions and Wi-Fi access. The author of this editorial supports this idea in order to reduce pollution and traffic during the hectic rush hour in downtown Austin. Most importantly, the author commends on this program that is currently popular in California because it allows the citizens to pay using pretax money. Obama had signed a law focusing on economic stimulus, and this would allow each citizen to use $230 in pretax money each month. Therefore the author also points the fact that transportation for many car owners can dramatically reduce if they choose to ride on the Capital Metro vans.
The author of this editorial focuses on people that wants to save Earth as well as low-income workers. For one, the author states the fact that riding the Capital Metro can reduce the pollution in Austin and make Austin a healthier city to live. This obviously attracts the green lover of our city and those that wants to promote doing green for our environment. Secondly, the author subtlety aims towards low-income families and workers is because of their desire to save money. Most low-income workers do not drive fancy cars or even have the time to turn on the television at home from their busy day to night work shifts. This captivating program allows the low-income families to enjoy their ride to work or ride home from a busy day. Contrary to this, many middle families in Austin have cars with upgraded additions that include GPS and television as well. Not only that, but with the rapid technology people can buy additional items for their cars such as heat warmers or even portable massage paddings for chairs. So with new innovations being created so quickly, people can have all these necessities in their car as well. Why not get your own? This is why this program is focused on low-income families more to tell them that they can have a piece of heaven just like the Mercedes or BMW next to them.
For some people like the author of this editorial, they would all praise and support this program because of its money saving purpose and the reduction of traffic as well as pollution in Austin. However, I do not favor this idea as much. I agree that it may help with pollution and decrease in traffic, but there's no guarantee. The vans and shuttle buses will obviously produce a certain degree of pollution. Not only that, but this program is a business and it can gradually expand. This means that there will be more vans and shuttle buses that might produce more or less the same amount of pollution. As far as decreasing traffic, that won't happen. The Capital Metro can't promote enough to make all of Austin ride the Capital Metro and not their cars. Then car dealership and car insurance will run out of business, and that will definitely hurt our economy.
The author repeatedly emphasized on the fact that riding the vans or buses can save money because it can be paid by using the pretax money. Whether it's pretax or not, money is still money and people still have to pay with their own pockets. In other words, those pretax were still earned by the citizens' own hard work, so why should they spend it on buses if unnecessary? Not only that, but the cost is not that cheap! It ranges from $6 to $12 per person to ride the vans or buses that are specialized with televisions and Wi-Fi accessibility.Yes, it's great to be relax and enjoy the movie or surf the Internet during rush hour, but it's all unnecessary. We all live in Austin and I'm sure that everyone have a computer and television at home. Why can't they wait to get home or to another place with access to both resources? Aren't we in a tough economy right now? We don't need someone to drive us around Austin so we can have comfort at our foot. If the average person that does decide to ride the buses or vans everyday, it will cost him or her around $2190 to $4380 annually!!! On average, it would cost a regular car owner about $1000 for car insurance and $720 for gas, which adds up to be only $1720. Therefore, I personally don't think it's that cheap and it's definitely not a money saving program for me.
Beside the high cost and unnecessary resources for riding the Capital Metro, I also think it is more inconvenient. Commuters would have to get in line and often times wait for their bus or van to show up on time. This is why most commuters leave their houses early to get to the bus transits and often come home later than usual. Not only that, but the commuters often have to do some walking to get to their designated location. The reason cars were created is to allow people to have accessibility to go anywhere they want and whenever they want. All in all, I do not favor this idea because it isn't able to save money for people, which I think is very important especially in this economy.
The author of this editorial focuses on people that wants to save Earth as well as low-income workers. For one, the author states the fact that riding the Capital Metro can reduce the pollution in Austin and make Austin a healthier city to live. This obviously attracts the green lover of our city and those that wants to promote doing green for our environment. Secondly, the author subtlety aims towards low-income families and workers is because of their desire to save money. Most low-income workers do not drive fancy cars or even have the time to turn on the television at home from their busy day to night work shifts. This captivating program allows the low-income families to enjoy their ride to work or ride home from a busy day. Contrary to this, many middle families in Austin have cars with upgraded additions that include GPS and television as well. Not only that, but with the rapid technology people can buy additional items for their cars such as heat warmers or even portable massage paddings for chairs. So with new innovations being created so quickly, people can have all these necessities in their car as well. Why not get your own? This is why this program is focused on low-income families more to tell them that they can have a piece of heaven just like the Mercedes or BMW next to them.
For some people like the author of this editorial, they would all praise and support this program because of its money saving purpose and the reduction of traffic as well as pollution in Austin. However, I do not favor this idea as much. I agree that it may help with pollution and decrease in traffic, but there's no guarantee. The vans and shuttle buses will obviously produce a certain degree of pollution. Not only that, but this program is a business and it can gradually expand. This means that there will be more vans and shuttle buses that might produce more or less the same amount of pollution. As far as decreasing traffic, that won't happen. The Capital Metro can't promote enough to make all of Austin ride the Capital Metro and not their cars. Then car dealership and car insurance will run out of business, and that will definitely hurt our economy.
The author repeatedly emphasized on the fact that riding the vans or buses can save money because it can be paid by using the pretax money. Whether it's pretax or not, money is still money and people still have to pay with their own pockets. In other words, those pretax were still earned by the citizens' own hard work, so why should they spend it on buses if unnecessary? Not only that, but the cost is not that cheap! It ranges from $6 to $12 per person to ride the vans or buses that are specialized with televisions and Wi-Fi accessibility.Yes, it's great to be relax and enjoy the movie or surf the Internet during rush hour, but it's all unnecessary. We all live in Austin and I'm sure that everyone have a computer and television at home. Why can't they wait to get home or to another place with access to both resources? Aren't we in a tough economy right now? We don't need someone to drive us around Austin so we can have comfort at our foot. If the average person that does decide to ride the buses or vans everyday, it will cost him or her around $2190 to $4380 annually!!! On average, it would cost a regular car owner about $1000 for car insurance and $720 for gas, which adds up to be only $1720. Therefore, I personally don't think it's that cheap and it's definitely not a money saving program for me.
Beside the high cost and unnecessary resources for riding the Capital Metro, I also think it is more inconvenient. Commuters would have to get in line and often times wait for their bus or van to show up on time. This is why most commuters leave their houses early to get to the bus transits and often come home later than usual. Not only that, but the commuters often have to do some walking to get to their designated location. The reason cars were created is to allow people to have accessibility to go anywhere they want and whenever they want. All in all, I do not favor this idea because it isn't able to save money for people, which I think is very important especially in this economy.
Article #1: Human Trafficking
According to News 8 Austin, there was an arrest of two men charged for holding the immigrants for ransoms. These two men named, Jose Luis Perez and Santiago Cruz Ramirez smuggled the immigrants and locked them in the Mi Casa apartments located on Duval Street. Perez and Ramirez threatened to kill the immigrants and their family if the victims fail to pay the $2100 for documentation fees. Not only that, but the victims were physically and verbally abused. To further investigate this case and many other human trafficking cases, the immigrant victims were granted with T visa. The T visa allows the immigrants to reside in America only if they agree to help with the investigation.
There has been many disturbances and commotions after the arrest of Perez and Ramirez. This unlawful act that both Perez and Ramirez have done raises many questions for the citizens in Austin, as well as the national security. For one, human trafficking is an international problem that is slowly taking over this globe one place at a time. As a citizen, I feel that human trafficking is wrong in every way. It's not right for someone to take control of another person's life. Why must these traffickers abused and threatened to kill the immigrants' loves ones in their home country?
Human trafficking is the modified term for "slavery". Human trafficking bans the personal freedom and happiness that everybody deserves, whether they are away from home or in debt. This is why human trafficking is such a big issue. It's not going to end just yet. Therefore I recommend people to read this news in order to understand the danger of human trafficking and how it can happen just about anywhere. We all heard stories of girls being trafficked and working as prostitutes, but we must also face the deadly truth that human trafficking is taking place right here in our hometown. For this, we must all raise precautions and spread the word about the negative consequences of human trafficking and how it can ultimately affect everyone in the community. Many may not think that human trafficking can affect them in any way if they are not involve in the process, but it does. Human trafficking affects the whole community and country. For one, it will create a more distrust in the government officials as well as the community for its failure to effectively regulate the problem. Many citizens will then move to more "safer" cities, and this will consequentially create an overall bad impression for the community because no one wants to live in an unsafe place, especially parents and elderly seniors. This is why human trafficking not only affects the traffickers, the victims, but also the citizens in the community.
There has been many disturbances and commotions after the arrest of Perez and Ramirez. This unlawful act that both Perez and Ramirez have done raises many questions for the citizens in Austin, as well as the national security. For one, human trafficking is an international problem that is slowly taking over this globe one place at a time. As a citizen, I feel that human trafficking is wrong in every way. It's not right for someone to take control of another person's life. Why must these traffickers abused and threatened to kill the immigrants' loves ones in their home country?
Human trafficking is the modified term for "slavery". Human trafficking bans the personal freedom and happiness that everybody deserves, whether they are away from home or in debt. This is why human trafficking is such a big issue. It's not going to end just yet. Therefore I recommend people to read this news in order to understand the danger of human trafficking and how it can happen just about anywhere. We all heard stories of girls being trafficked and working as prostitutes, but we must also face the deadly truth that human trafficking is taking place right here in our hometown. For this, we must all raise precautions and spread the word about the negative consequences of human trafficking and how it can ultimately affect everyone in the community. Many may not think that human trafficking can affect them in any way if they are not involve in the process, but it does. Human trafficking affects the whole community and country. For one, it will create a more distrust in the government officials as well as the community for its failure to effectively regulate the problem. Many citizens will then move to more "safer" cities, and this will consequentially create an overall bad impression for the community because no one wants to live in an unsafe place, especially parents and elderly seniors. This is why human trafficking not only affects the traffickers, the victims, but also the citizens in the community.
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