Undesirable No. 1

There was a buzz amongst the crowd and whispers in ears. That was, until August 13th, 2011. Now we all know with certainty that Rick Perry is going to attempt to run for President. My first thought was he'd be out of Texas. But then my conscience and empathy kicked in and I realized I just couldn't place that kind of burden on the good people of this nation.

For people who see through all the fluff, Texas is not in the grand economic standing Perry lead the nation to believe it was in. (Around about the time he was loosely throwing around the term of succession.) In fact, like many of the states in our nation, Texas has some major defects of our own. Just a couple of them being our poor education system and non-existent budget. The idea that his decisions will be on a national level is scary.

Amongst one of the many reasons I feel this way is his stance on Gardisil. For those who don't know or remember, this is the HPV vaccination he was fighting to make mandatory for all teenage girls in the public school system. A vaccination for a disease that is transmitted sexually for the teenage girls who aren't having sex because they're being educated properly on sexual activity in the sex ed classes that teach only abstinence. I feel this is a great invasion of personal rights and that the HP virus can not compete with the severity of a measles outbreak. Kids aren't having sex right? Cause it's wrong? So why make this mandatory?

Rick Perry's stance on immigration is also questionable. For the time being, he seems to be the most lenient of his components in the race for the GOP seat. It's not all that hard to believe considering that he comes from Texas. However, I can't help but doubt his diligence to the cause if elected. It's no secret the Republican party think immigration is a hot button topic and they certainly aren't the party that will be on the welcoming committee. Will he be able to go against the grain and fight for his true beliefs? If so, he may just find out what it feels like to be our current President and if he does, will he be able to stand his ground?

In another blow to women of his state, Perry made it priority to pass the Sonogram bill, requiring women who have chosen to have an abortion to first view the fetus on a sonogram and hear it's heart beat. As if the decision to have an abortion isn't already a great burden on women, he believes it necessary to force HIS personal views upon those choosing to have one. His implication that an alternate solution will be reached after hearing the heartbeat or seeing the fetus is nothing short of insulting to women. Regardless of whether it's a choice he agrees with, it's a perfectly legal act. It can't be summed up any better than the quote, "If you can't trust a women with a choice, how can you trust her with a baby?"

Being a minority and a woman, it's a double edged sword. I can't say who the next president should be or who is going to be able to change the world but I can say that it's a safe bet Rick Perry won't be my choice.

Let's talk about sex.

I greatly enjoyed reading Ashley Sanchez's commentary, in the Statesman, about teen sex education. She gladly reports on the statistical decrease in sexual activity for teens between the ages of 15-19 years old. Her article also reports an increase in contraceptive use for teens who are choosing to partake. She attributes these changes to the teachings of both abstinence and the use of protection if sexually active. I couldn't agree more.

I never understood why sex education had to be one way or the other. I couldn't (and still can't) grasp the concept that people can't rationally see why it's necessary to teach our children about both of these options. I was thrilled to see someone else writing about the necessity I've felt is common sense. Ashley points out the benefits of both methods, explaining that proper education in regards to protection will at least help in preventing teen pregnancy and the passing of sexually transmitted diseases. She also explains the methods used in regards to teaching abstinence. About informing the children of the morality factors and spiritual factors. I just can't agree more. I believe it's so important to educate on both grounds, despite the concern for being hypocritical. Sex is extremely personal and meaningful when you find a person that you love, but we can't just forget that it's just as biological as well. Regardless of how we each feel about it, puberty is inevitable and teenagers will always suffer from raging hormones. We simply can't ignore that.

I hope that education systems will eventually come to a compromise and realize that the best way to handle the situation is to join forces rather than being at odds with one another. We're all wanting to promote the same outcome. Young but wise individuals capable of making their own decisions and being educated enough to know how to properly prepare for those situations. After reading Ashley's article, I will continue to have hope that Texas will see the error of it's ways and promote the education of both abstinence and safe sex. It doesn't have to be one way or the other because sexuality is anything but black and white.