Introduction
I am from Texas, a state that has had a strong influence on my political views. I've been learning about politics since I was a child by watching tv, listening to radios, overhearing conversations, and attending rallies with my friends. There were many political opportunities in our home, such as books, which I often find myself reading, introducing me to great politicians, activists, and other material that has educated me with broad political beliefs and values. Both of these incidents have provided me with information and a better view of the government.
Texas as the Future of America
Texas is a very populated state with its major cities Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas being amongst the top ten most populated cities in the United States. Thus, due to its population, editors like Lawrence Wright ("America's future is Texas" The New Yorker, July 10, 2017) describe Texas as the America's future. This assertion comes as right-wing zealots take over most of the legislature, making the state's political demographics shift to the left while Texas becomes a bellwether. These political activities have aroused my interests in politics. My beliefs, attitude, and understanding of the government, both at the state and national level have become more explicit so that I can discern what is right and what is wrong.
Factors Influencing My Interest in Politics
My parents, peers and the media are the main factors behind my interest in state and national politics. My parents love politics and most of the time when at home they would switch on either the television or radio to listen to those channels broadcasting politics. I have also discovered that I associate more with individuals who love and argue about politics, something that gave me the drive to seek a vote through registration. Since my registration, I have voted only in the recently concluded election that saw President Trump take office. I did not participate in the prior elections, as I was unqualified due to age. Much as most people in Texas have strong political affiliations, I have often considered myself an independent candidate (unlike my parents who are Democrats) since I assess what a party has done regarding development and not racism, favoritism, etc. My parents are active in politics and spend the most time discussing politics. However, their political affiliation as Democrats does not affect my choice to be independent-minded when deciding which side to support. Also, much as I participate in political arguments and discussions, my peer's opinions and thoughts do not sway my political stand to be independent minded. Ideals and values have inspired the reason behind my political stance that certain individuals like Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman, Nelson Mandela, Troy Perry, etc. had. In most of their political careers, they stood for justice and not a race, economic class, political inclination, etc. Because of these values and an independent mind, I chose Hillary Clinton, given that her work in the government was outstanding while she also received consent from President Barrack Obama. On the other hand, Donald Trump had no previous political history, which meant he was first to learn politics before coming into what is supposed to be done to the citizens.
The Recent Texas Legislative Session
The just recent Texas Legislative session came up as a shock as leaders, especially non-Texas leaders criticized it as a sanctuary for immigrants and pushed for a bathroom bill that was to deny human rights to transgender persons. The legislation concerning sanctuary cities in Texas was meant to enhance compliance with immigration laws. The second issue was that the bathroom bill that sought to restrict transgender individuals in public bathrooms choices. To me, the law was contrary to what President Obama had attempted to improve regarding transgender rights, showing great pretense in that Trump has been trying to oppose and overturn any good deed initiated by the previous president. This is a selfish move as it hurts others while an individual pursues selfish motives to prove themselves superior instead of working for the public.
Sanctuary Cities
Sanctuary cities bill was in a way necessary to curb illegal immigrants, even though the manner in which it was to be executed seems to me an infringement of immigrants' rights. When at one point I interrupted my parents when arguing on this bill, I for a moment discovered that my parent's opinions were congruent with mine. My friends have mixed opinions on the same where some support while some oppose. The legislatures' efforts to bar undocumented aliens from Texas cities were a positive move that could even aid in regulating crimes and ensure proper planning of the resources at hand. This is one moment that I agree with Trump that all immigrants must be documented so that they can easily be traced in case anything extraordinary happens. However, much as the move has positive implications, Trump could be pursuing his secret objectives of discriminating against a particular faction of the population.
The Bathroom Bill
I have several friends who have been affected by the legislation, even though most have been born in the US. This majorly affects them if their parents have never been documented. However, my parents are documented and I have not suffered the impacts of the bill. To ensure that the bill is implemented and turned into law without discrimination, there should be clear guidelines on what happens to those found undocumented and their children. States should ensure that they corporate with immigration officials and the federal government to make the process less severe and humane.
Even though I have no friend or family member affected, the bathroom bill is a garbage legislation that attempted to oppress human beings that have a right to be who they are and make choices they like. At one point, I tried telling my parents that the bill was discriminative and they could not listen, as they seemed to support it. Some of my friends approved it while some disapproved the bill. However, the majority of them approved the bill claiming lack of privacy since transgender individuals have no way of determining who they are and if they should see normal people changing clothes.
My parents and friends thought that the bill was likely to restore confidence when sharing a restroom, which to my opinion was a waste of time and resources that could be used in developing the economy. The bill was creating a bad impression on people concerning LGBT individuals. The bill also attracted an uproar, causing boycotts from entertainment, business, and national sports events. Most of them saw the bill discriminatory against societal values and morals. Trump's support for the bill is a show of deficit in human rights consideration on the head of a federal government, even though some including my parents continue supporting it. He does not care for the rights of LGBT, questioning his legitimacy as a president of a country that holds great values and principles of human rights. The federal government should discourage any policies that seem to infringe the rights of LGBT while state governments should prioritize human rights above anything else when proposing bills.
