By: Melanie Yoes
A new bill being debated in the Texas Legislature could allow concealed handguns to be carried onto college campuses statewide if it passes.
The bill, entitled Senate Bill 354, would enable licensed concealed handgun permit holders to bring the weapons onto college campuses and into classrooms. The Texas Concealed Carry Law, signed into law by then-Gov. George W. Bush in 1995, already allows licensed permit holders to carry concealed handguns in the state of Texas.
To be eligible to receive a concealed handgun license, or CHL, applicants must be at least 21 years of age, or 18 years old if they are currently serving in or have been honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces. In order to receive a CHL, Texans also must have a clean criminal history, pass a background check along with a 10-15 hour training course and pay a fee.
In 2004, Utah became the first state to allow concealed handguns to be carried onto college campuses, and lawmakers in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Tennessee are also considering passing similar legislation.
Supporters of Senate Bill 354 said the goal of the legislation is to increase the safety of college students by providing them with a means of self-defense should a gunman open fire on campus.
“Long before the Virginia Tech tragedy, I have been a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment and our right to defend ourselves and our loved ones,” said State Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, a co-author of the bill. “I want to put an element of doubt in a potential shooter’s mind. And, if some deranged person does open fire in a Texas college classroom or dormitory, I want to give the faculty, staff and students the ability to defend themselves.”
The April 2007 Virginia Tech school shooting, during which student Seung-Hui Cho went on a killing spree that ultimately claimed the lives of 32 people, remains the deadliest in U.S. history. The second deadliest school shooting occurred in 1966 at the University of Texas when student and ex-Marine Charles Whitman, 25, killed 16 people and wounded 31 others with a rifle from the 29th floor observation deck of the University Tower before being killed by Austin police officers.
The most recent episode involving a school shooting in Texas also took place at the University of Texas last September, when a student armed with an assault rifle fired several shots before killing himself in an on-campus library. No one else was injured during the incident.
Those in opposition to the bill said that having more guns on college campuses would lead to an increase in violence, not stop a potential shooter from opening fire.
Colin Goddard, who was shot four times during the massacre at Virginia Tech, has since devoted his life to preventing gun violence.
"Our colleges should be safe havens, students should not have to feel their lives are at risk to receive an education," said Goddard, now Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Students at Texas State appear to be divided on the issue of allowing concealed handguns on campus and in classrooms.
"It's not like they let anyone use a gun. I went through the same background check as police officers,"' said Kurt Little, a 21-year-old Texas State student who recently obtained his license to carry a concealed handgun.
Little added that he would feel more safe knowing there were CHL holders with guns on campus because the training they receive makes them more responsible when handling their weapons.
Texas State Sophomore Jordan Gass-Poore, 20, who was raised around guns in a rural area outside of Seguin, said she doesn’t agree with Senate Bill 354.
"Even growing up around guns, you know, I still don't think people should be able to carry a handgun," she said. "I remember a few years ago at Texas A&M when there was that shooting scare. My cousin was in a class and got stuck in her class because they didn't know if there was a shooter on campus or not,” recalled Gass-Poore. “I was in a teaching theater and remember thinking, if a guy with a gun comes in the door right now we could all die. My cousin was calling her mom, and her mom was calling my mom, and she was calling me. It was crazy."
"A handgun's sole purpose is to shoot or kill a human being. They aren't used for hunting or to kill animals or anything like that," Gass-Poore added.
However, Texas State History major Jackson Dampier, 20, said he can relate to both viewpoints brought about by the controversy.
"The issue is moot because the risk and reward with guns cancel each other out. Either way guns will still be there," said Jackson. "But I'm still pretty on the fence about it. To me there are bigger issues going on and everyone is hyping this up.”
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Tuesday, November 29, 2011
CNN journalist speaks to Texas State students
By: Melanie Yoes
Award-winning journalist and TV personality Soledad O’Brien addressed a crowd of 1,400, mostly undergraduate students at Strahan Coliseum Wednesday as part of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Distinguished Lecturer series in coordination with the 2011 Common Experience.
O’Brien spoke about the role of First Amendment rights as they concern the media as well as in everyday life. O’Brien also discussed her accomplishments in the field of broadcast journalism and how freedom of speech as well as freedom of the press is of the utmost importance in both her personal and professional life.
O’Brien, who was born in 1966 and grew up in a racially segregated America, credits her multi-racial parents with her decision to go into the field of journalism, and to focus on stories that are often underreported in the mainstream media. O’Brien’s mother, a black woman of Cuban nationality, particularly impressed upon O’Brien the importance of being a witness, and to stand up against intimidation and discrimination.
“By watching my mother, I learned how incredibly important it is just to observe people. A true witness is a rarity, and by seeing and telling those stories that might not otherwise be heard is what journalism is really about to me,” O’Brien said.
The journalist also stressed the importance of accuracy, credibility and integrity the media should always maintain when reporting a story.
“You have to have credibility and be as fair and accurate as possible when covering an issue. We, as the media, have an obligation to the public that we have to uphold,” she said.
O’Brien’s First Amendment address was well received by the audience in the coliseum, and several times she had to halt her speech in order to let the crowd’s cheers die down.
“Inspiring, truly inspiring,” said Texas State freshman Daniel Montoya, who attended the event as part of his university Common Experience requirement. “I really had no idea who she was before she came to Texas State to speak but she was awesome,” he said.
Sophomore Dana Smith shares a similar opinion.
“I loved the speech! It was great, especially when she talked about her background and what she went through to explain why she covers the stories she does,” she said.
At the end of her address, O’Brien received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Award-winning journalist and TV personality Soledad O’Brien addressed a crowd of 1,400, mostly undergraduate students at Strahan Coliseum Wednesday as part of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Distinguished Lecturer series in coordination with the 2011 Common Experience.
O’Brien spoke about the role of First Amendment rights as they concern the media as well as in everyday life. O’Brien also discussed her accomplishments in the field of broadcast journalism and how freedom of speech as well as freedom of the press is of the utmost importance in both her personal and professional life.
O’Brien, who was born in 1966 and grew up in a racially segregated America, credits her multi-racial parents with her decision to go into the field of journalism, and to focus on stories that are often underreported in the mainstream media. O’Brien’s mother, a black woman of Cuban nationality, particularly impressed upon O’Brien the importance of being a witness, and to stand up against intimidation and discrimination.
“By watching my mother, I learned how incredibly important it is just to observe people. A true witness is a rarity, and by seeing and telling those stories that might not otherwise be heard is what journalism is really about to me,” O’Brien said.
The journalist also stressed the importance of accuracy, credibility and integrity the media should always maintain when reporting a story.
“You have to have credibility and be as fair and accurate as possible when covering an issue. We, as the media, have an obligation to the public that we have to uphold,” she said.
O’Brien’s First Amendment address was well received by the audience in the coliseum, and several times she had to halt her speech in order to let the crowd’s cheers die down.
“Inspiring, truly inspiring,” said Texas State freshman Daniel Montoya, who attended the event as part of his university Common Experience requirement. “I really had no idea who she was before she came to Texas State to speak but she was awesome,” he said.
Sophomore Dana Smith shares a similar opinion.
“I loved the speech! It was great, especially when she talked about her background and what she went through to explain why she covers the stories she does,” she said.
At the end of her address, O’Brien received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Comm grads needed as Austin high-tech job market continues to expand
By: Melanie Yoes
Austin has been known as a high-tech haven for the past two decades, and the scores of online startups and web-based companies still flocking to the “Silicon Hills” should provide plenty of job opportunities for tech-savvy communication graduates.
A high quality of life, low cost of living, tax incentives and a young, educated population base attract businesses from around the world to the Silicon Hills, a nickname Austin acquired after it experienced a technology boom in the early 1990s similar to that of Silicone Valley in northern California.
While the market for mobile apps and online services continues to grow, more and more jobs are becoming available to communication graduates in and around Austin, particularly in the field of social media management.
As part of Mass Comm week at Texas State, Andrew Waldrup, culture evangelist at Gowalla, Whitney Francis, community manager at Google Places, and Jennifer Stafford, social media manager at HomeAway.com, spoke to students Wednesday about the importance of networking and communication within the realm of social media and the high-tech world.
“It’s not really so much about what technical skills you have, but about who you know in this business,” said Stafford, who handles social media for HomeAway.com, a vacation rental web site. “If you can pick up at least the basics it will be really helpful for you, but you don’t have to go to school for, say, web development to get a job in one of these fields. Basic HTML is about as techy as I get.”
Waldrup, a Texas State alumni recently hired by Gowalla, said keeping up with the latest social media platforms and practices is important for those considering a career in a high-tech or social media field.
“You need to have a presence on all the social media sites, as well, so employers can see that you know what you’re doing,” he said.
Francis, who manages the social media for Google Places, recommends that students research the company they are interested in before applying, start a blog about a hobby or interest and print business cards with their contact information to hand out at monthly high-tech meet ups at bars and restaurants around Austin.
“I ran a blog called Free Eats Austin and did social media consulting for restaurants and bars a few years ago. Someone in the Google HR department found my profile on LinkedIn, brought me in for an interview, and that’s how I got my current job,” she said.
Waldrup also suggests that students create a business Facebook or Twitter account to get experience running the back end of those social media outlets.
“It’s very different, running your personal social space versus running one that’s representing a company,” she said.
Many of the new high-tech startups are looking to hire young, creative types and early adopters rather than job-seekers with a standard business mindset.
“The more personality you have the more interested we are in getting to know you, rather than the cookie-cutter person with a PR degree,” said Francis. “Your resume is key when you’re looking for a job in this field. The type of resume you would send to a regular business is pretty boring to a tech company, because culture is really important to us. Since it’s such a tightknit setting and you end up working closely with people, often for long hours, it’s important to express your personality in that piece of paper.”
Austin has been known as a high-tech haven for the past two decades, and the scores of online startups and web-based companies still flocking to the “Silicon Hills” should provide plenty of job opportunities for tech-savvy communication graduates.
A high quality of life, low cost of living, tax incentives and a young, educated population base attract businesses from around the world to the Silicon Hills, a nickname Austin acquired after it experienced a technology boom in the early 1990s similar to that of Silicone Valley in northern California.
While the market for mobile apps and online services continues to grow, more and more jobs are becoming available to communication graduates in and around Austin, particularly in the field of social media management.
As part of Mass Comm week at Texas State, Andrew Waldrup, culture evangelist at Gowalla, Whitney Francis, community manager at Google Places, and Jennifer Stafford, social media manager at HomeAway.com, spoke to students Wednesday about the importance of networking and communication within the realm of social media and the high-tech world.
“It’s not really so much about what technical skills you have, but about who you know in this business,” said Stafford, who handles social media for HomeAway.com, a vacation rental web site. “If you can pick up at least the basics it will be really helpful for you, but you don’t have to go to school for, say, web development to get a job in one of these fields. Basic HTML is about as techy as I get.”
Waldrup, a Texas State alumni recently hired by Gowalla, said keeping up with the latest social media platforms and practices is important for those considering a career in a high-tech or social media field.
“You need to have a presence on all the social media sites, as well, so employers can see that you know what you’re doing,” he said.
Francis, who manages the social media for Google Places, recommends that students research the company they are interested in before applying, start a blog about a hobby or interest and print business cards with their contact information to hand out at monthly high-tech meet ups at bars and restaurants around Austin.
“I ran a blog called Free Eats Austin and did social media consulting for restaurants and bars a few years ago. Someone in the Google HR department found my profile on LinkedIn, brought me in for an interview, and that’s how I got my current job,” she said.
Waldrup also suggests that students create a business Facebook or Twitter account to get experience running the back end of those social media outlets.
“It’s very different, running your personal social space versus running one that’s representing a company,” she said.
Many of the new high-tech startups are looking to hire young, creative types and early adopters rather than job-seekers with a standard business mindset.
“The more personality you have the more interested we are in getting to know you, rather than the cookie-cutter person with a PR degree,” said Francis. “Your resume is key when you’re looking for a job in this field. The type of resume you would send to a regular business is pretty boring to a tech company, because culture is really important to us. Since it’s such a tightknit setting and you end up working closely with people, often for long hours, it’s important to express your personality in that piece of paper.”
Horticulture club plans off-campus nursery project
By: Melanie Yoes
Despite a lingering drought that has parched native plants, gardens and lawns throughout the area, the Texas State Horticulture club, Hortus Colere, is preparing a 40-acre, off-campus site for use as part of a Community Supported Agriculture nursery project for future students and potential consumers.
The Horticulture club, which is responsible for maintaining much of the university landscaping, plans to use an existing structure on the site, located on state hwy. 21 east of San Marcos, to construct a nursery and also intends to develop the dusty, weed-strewn land surrounding the building into a working farm.
“The land has been available to the university for a while now but I think this is the first time that a student organization has been able to do something with it. We have a great group of students who are making this happen,” said Aron Feathers, a club member.
The club plans to sell the fruit and vegetables they produce to support the project during the bi-monthly farmers market in the quad and also to local consumers that visit the nursery, according to club president A.J. Perez.
“There is an abandoned building already on the property that we are hoping to turn into a nursery at some point. We plan to grow a variety of edible plants that we can sell at the campus farmers market to support our cause, or maybe someday have people come pick the vegetables off the vine here,” said Perez.
Members of the group are working to update an outdated irrigation system in the building in anticipation of their future water needs.
“There’s already a water system in the building, but we need to install a drip irrigation system. It’s the most effective form of watering plants because so much moisture is lost through evaporation when you try to use a ceiling system like this place has. We had about 40 peach trees already at the site when we got it that survived the drought and are in pretty good shape so we’re lucky. There are a few farms around the site and the soil is good, so we just have to get it ready,” Perez said.
The Horticulture club acquired the 40-acre site through the Texas State University system, but intends to seek grant funding from the Environmental Services Committee to expand the project. The club hopes to receive a grant by the end of the month and is preparing the 40-acre site for a year-long growing season starting next semester.
“We’re going to start tilling the soil and sowing seeds now so the farm should be perfect for planting next semester.” Perez said.
The facility will also function as an off-campus learning environment for students majoring in agriculture or horticulture.
“Once we get the farm ready, Texas State will be able to have an ag-business class completely about growing vegetables and fruit, which they haven’t had before because they don’t have any space for it,” said Perez.
“We really haven’t been able to practice the business skills we’ve learned in our classes since we just work in the campus greenhouse, but now we’ll be able to interact with the public and use those skills on a larger scale,” said Dag Osorio, Horticulture club Treasurer, regarding the new site.
Osorio believes the group’s project will continue to grow and receive support in the future due in part to a new eco-friendly attitude that he’s noticed on the Texas State campus.
“I think we’re relying on the increasing environmental awareness of students here,” Osorio said. “We’re really just trying to be as sustainable as we possibly can be.”
The Texas State Horticulture club is open to students of all majors and classifications who have a GPA of 2.0 or higher. For more information contact A.J. Perez at ap1306@txstate.edu.
Despite a lingering drought that has parched native plants, gardens and lawns throughout the area, the Texas State Horticulture club, Hortus Colere, is preparing a 40-acre, off-campus site for use as part of a Community Supported Agriculture nursery project for future students and potential consumers.
The Horticulture club, which is responsible for maintaining much of the university landscaping, plans to use an existing structure on the site, located on state hwy. 21 east of San Marcos, to construct a nursery and also intends to develop the dusty, weed-strewn land surrounding the building into a working farm.
“The land has been available to the university for a while now but I think this is the first time that a student organization has been able to do something with it. We have a great group of students who are making this happen,” said Aron Feathers, a club member.
The club plans to sell the fruit and vegetables they produce to support the project during the bi-monthly farmers market in the quad and also to local consumers that visit the nursery, according to club president A.J. Perez.
“There is an abandoned building already on the property that we are hoping to turn into a nursery at some point. We plan to grow a variety of edible plants that we can sell at the campus farmers market to support our cause, or maybe someday have people come pick the vegetables off the vine here,” said Perez.
Members of the group are working to update an outdated irrigation system in the building in anticipation of their future water needs.
“There’s already a water system in the building, but we need to install a drip irrigation system. It’s the most effective form of watering plants because so much moisture is lost through evaporation when you try to use a ceiling system like this place has. We had about 40 peach trees already at the site when we got it that survived the drought and are in pretty good shape so we’re lucky. There are a few farms around the site and the soil is good, so we just have to get it ready,” Perez said.
The Horticulture club acquired the 40-acre site through the Texas State University system, but intends to seek grant funding from the Environmental Services Committee to expand the project. The club hopes to receive a grant by the end of the month and is preparing the 40-acre site for a year-long growing season starting next semester.
“We’re going to start tilling the soil and sowing seeds now so the farm should be perfect for planting next semester.” Perez said.
The facility will also function as an off-campus learning environment for students majoring in agriculture or horticulture.
“Once we get the farm ready, Texas State will be able to have an ag-business class completely about growing vegetables and fruit, which they haven’t had before because they don’t have any space for it,” said Perez.
“We really haven’t been able to practice the business skills we’ve learned in our classes since we just work in the campus greenhouse, but now we’ll be able to interact with the public and use those skills on a larger scale,” said Dag Osorio, Horticulture club Treasurer, regarding the new site.
Osorio believes the group’s project will continue to grow and receive support in the future due in part to a new eco-friendly attitude that he’s noticed on the Texas State campus.
“I think we’re relying on the increasing environmental awareness of students here,” Osorio said. “We’re really just trying to be as sustainable as we possibly can be.”
The Texas State Horticulture club is open to students of all majors and classifications who have a GPA of 2.0 or higher. For more information contact A.J. Perez at ap1306@txstate.edu.
Last "last meal" served in Texas prison system
By: Melanie Yoes
With the controversial execution of Georgia inmate Troy Davis still stirring debate amongst the American public, recent changes to Texas’ capital punishment process have also drawn the country’s attention to the state.
The case of Troy Davis, 42, drew national attention when he was put to death Wednesday after the U.S. Supreme Court denied him a stay of execution after Davis exhausted his appeals. The case sparked outrage among many Americans opposed to his execution who felt that a lack of physical evidence linking Davis to the murder of Savannah police officer Mark Macphail in 1989 should have encouraged a more thorough investigation of the crime and his appeals to be further reviewed. Since Davis’ initial trial, several key eyewitnesses have recanted testimony linking him to the crime.
Also on Wednesday, Texas Department of Criminal Justice prisoner number 999327, Lawrence Russell Brewer, became the eleventh person executed in Texas this year in Huntsville. Brewer, 44, a white supremacist gang member, was sentenced to death row for the 1998 dragging death of James Byrd Jr., a black man, in Jasper, a racially-motivated murder that horrified the nation because of its brutality.
However, it is not Brewer’s execution that has sparked a controversy but rather the circumstances surrounding his last meal request. Brewer, like many other death row inmates before him, was granted a special final meal, a tradition that is thought to date back 87 years in Texas.
Brewer received a 9-course feast which included two chicken fried steaks, a meat lover’s pizza, an omelet, a triple meat bacon cheeseburger, one pound of barbeque, a large bowl of fried okra, three fajitas, a pint of ice cream, peanut butter fudge and three root beers, then refused to eat any of it, saying only that he wasn’t hungry.
Steven Woods Jr., who was executed in Huntsville on Sept. 13, also requested a large last meal, although he ate his. Woods was given a large pizza with bacon, sausage, pepperoni and hamburger, fried chicken breasts, chicken fried steak, hamburgers with bacon on French toast, garlic bread sticks, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, root beer, sweet tea and ice cream.
In contrast, James Edward Smith, executed in 1990, requested as his final meal “a lump of dirt”, which the prison declined. He was instead given a small container of yogurt.
In a letter sent to prison officials Thursday addressing Brewer’s refusal of his last meal, state Senator John Whitmore described the tradition of offering an opulent last meal to condemned inmates as “extremely inappropriate” and called for an end to the privilege. Texas prisoners slated for execution will now only have the option to eat whatever meal the prison kitchen prepares for the rest of the inmates.
The state’s decision to end the practice has provoked a mixed response from the American public.
“I don’t believe they should get a last meal, period. In fact, don’t even tell prisoners what day they’re going to be executed,” said Quincy Mitchell, 45, who works as an analyst at Dell in Round Rock.
Charles Keene, 32, a tape backup advisor, shares a similar opinion. “I think when a person gives up their right to belong to humanity they also give up their human rights and privileges as well,” he said.
Amit Mittal, 36, a native Indian from New Delhi who has lived in Texas for the past 18 years, disagrees with the state’s decision.
“You should allow them a last meal, no matter what they did. To me they deserve at least that much, and as a human you shouldn’t deny them it. In India they even try to fulfill a last wish if it’s reasonable,” Mittal said.
Amelie Benedikt, a professor of ethics at Texas State University, also believes that denying prisoners the choice of a last meal is inhumane.
“The prisoner is still a rational, deciding human being. Even though they made a terrible mistake that voided their right to life and liberty, they are still human and one of the last choices they will ever get to make is the last meal choice. The idea of having a choice left to them keeps them feeling like a human being instead of like an animal,” Benedikt said.
Benedikt cited the philosophy of Immanual Kant, a strong supporter of capital punishment but proponent of the prisoner’s right to choose his or her last meal, as the basis for her beliefs, and feels that justice and human decency are the ultimate goals when an inmate is scheduled to die.
“You have to grant as much residual respect as possible to the individual that deserves the punishment. I would oppose getting rid of the last meal very strongly even if they didn’t touch it, even if they threw it across the room,” Benedikt said.
Brian Price, a former inmate and cook within the Texas prison system who prepared the final meals for over two hundred death row inmates, has volunteered to personally honor last meal requests at no cost to taxpayers. The Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice declined Price’s offer.
Texas has executed the most death row inmates in the nation, 475, since the death penalty was reinstated in the state in 1974. Only a handful of those put to death in Texas have declined to request a special final meal.
With the controversial execution of Georgia inmate Troy Davis still stirring debate amongst the American public, recent changes to Texas’ capital punishment process have also drawn the country’s attention to the state.
The case of Troy Davis, 42, drew national attention when he was put to death Wednesday after the U.S. Supreme Court denied him a stay of execution after Davis exhausted his appeals. The case sparked outrage among many Americans opposed to his execution who felt that a lack of physical evidence linking Davis to the murder of Savannah police officer Mark Macphail in 1989 should have encouraged a more thorough investigation of the crime and his appeals to be further reviewed. Since Davis’ initial trial, several key eyewitnesses have recanted testimony linking him to the crime.
Also on Wednesday, Texas Department of Criminal Justice prisoner number 999327, Lawrence Russell Brewer, became the eleventh person executed in Texas this year in Huntsville. Brewer, 44, a white supremacist gang member, was sentenced to death row for the 1998 dragging death of James Byrd Jr., a black man, in Jasper, a racially-motivated murder that horrified the nation because of its brutality.
However, it is not Brewer’s execution that has sparked a controversy but rather the circumstances surrounding his last meal request. Brewer, like many other death row inmates before him, was granted a special final meal, a tradition that is thought to date back 87 years in Texas.
Brewer received a 9-course feast which included two chicken fried steaks, a meat lover’s pizza, an omelet, a triple meat bacon cheeseburger, one pound of barbeque, a large bowl of fried okra, three fajitas, a pint of ice cream, peanut butter fudge and three root beers, then refused to eat any of it, saying only that he wasn’t hungry.
Steven Woods Jr., who was executed in Huntsville on Sept. 13, also requested a large last meal, although he ate his. Woods was given a large pizza with bacon, sausage, pepperoni and hamburger, fried chicken breasts, chicken fried steak, hamburgers with bacon on French toast, garlic bread sticks, Mountain Dew, Pepsi, root beer, sweet tea and ice cream.
In contrast, James Edward Smith, executed in 1990, requested as his final meal “a lump of dirt”, which the prison declined. He was instead given a small container of yogurt.
In a letter sent to prison officials Thursday addressing Brewer’s refusal of his last meal, state Senator John Whitmore described the tradition of offering an opulent last meal to condemned inmates as “extremely inappropriate” and called for an end to the privilege. Texas prisoners slated for execution will now only have the option to eat whatever meal the prison kitchen prepares for the rest of the inmates.
The state’s decision to end the practice has provoked a mixed response from the American public.
“I don’t believe they should get a last meal, period. In fact, don’t even tell prisoners what day they’re going to be executed,” said Quincy Mitchell, 45, who works as an analyst at Dell in Round Rock.
Charles Keene, 32, a tape backup advisor, shares a similar opinion. “I think when a person gives up their right to belong to humanity they also give up their human rights and privileges as well,” he said.
Amit Mittal, 36, a native Indian from New Delhi who has lived in Texas for the past 18 years, disagrees with the state’s decision.
“You should allow them a last meal, no matter what they did. To me they deserve at least that much, and as a human you shouldn’t deny them it. In India they even try to fulfill a last wish if it’s reasonable,” Mittal said.
Amelie Benedikt, a professor of ethics at Texas State University, also believes that denying prisoners the choice of a last meal is inhumane.
“The prisoner is still a rational, deciding human being. Even though they made a terrible mistake that voided their right to life and liberty, they are still human and one of the last choices they will ever get to make is the last meal choice. The idea of having a choice left to them keeps them feeling like a human being instead of like an animal,” Benedikt said.
Benedikt cited the philosophy of Immanual Kant, a strong supporter of capital punishment but proponent of the prisoner’s right to choose his or her last meal, as the basis for her beliefs, and feels that justice and human decency are the ultimate goals when an inmate is scheduled to die.
“You have to grant as much residual respect as possible to the individual that deserves the punishment. I would oppose getting rid of the last meal very strongly even if they didn’t touch it, even if they threw it across the room,” Benedikt said.
Brian Price, a former inmate and cook within the Texas prison system who prepared the final meals for over two hundred death row inmates, has volunteered to personally honor last meal requests at no cost to taxpayers. The Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice declined Price’s offer.
Texas has executed the most death row inmates in the nation, 475, since the death penalty was reinstated in the state in 1974. Only a handful of those put to death in Texas have declined to request a special final meal.
Wildfires continue to rage across Central Texas
By: Melanie Yoes
BASTROP, Texas - Several wildfires continue to burn uncontained across much of the Central Texas area, destroying hundreds of homes and thousands of acres located in their paths.
The largest of these fires, located in Bastrop County 40 miles east of San Marcos, flared up Sunday after high winds and months of below-average rainfall in the area provided ideal conditions for the wildfire to spread rapidly. Hundreds of residents in the Bastrop area have been forced to evacuate their homes as the flames reached residential areas outside the town.
“My wife called me Monday and told me we had been given the order to evacuate,” said Monte Land, a retired Lower Colorado River Authority employee who lives outside Bastrop. “We spent the rest of the day hauling out our horses and most of our pets. A couple of our dogs are still missing because the sirens scared them away from the house,” Land added.
Those who are missing pets in the areas affected by the fires in Bastrop County are urged to contact Bastrop Animal Control and provide them with their home addresses so officers can round up the animals and provide them with food and water.
Land said it was unclear whether his home had been destroyed in the fire, and has received little information about the condition of his neighborhood as crews continue to battle the flames raging in the area.
“As of Tuesday morning we had a visual of the house and it was still standing, but who knows what’s happened since then,” he said. “We’re just keeping our fingers crossed.”
Hundreds of residents in the area have not been as fortunate.
“I lost everything. My house burned to the ground,” said Jason Miller, whose father, a firefighter, broke the news to him. “I guess I’m one of the lucky ones, though, because I still have my job and a place to stay and a lot of people around here don’t,” said Miller, who is staying with relatives in a nearby town not affected by the wildfires.
Fires also continue to burn in the Leander and Steiner Ranch areas north of Austin, including one that is being investigated as a suspected arson.
Several road closures in the Central Texas area and increased traffic from fire and rescue crews and evacuees may make the drive more difficult for Texas State students commuting from areas north and east of San Marcos, and they are encouraged to leave early to make up for any delays they might experience. Information about Hays County and San Marcos road conditions and closures can be found on the city of San Marcos website, http://www.sanmarcostx.gov/.
Texas State students and their families affected by the wildfires and need to make their situation known to the university should contact the Dean of Students office at 512-245-2124.
During 2011 alone, wildfires in Texas have burned more than 3.5 million acres across the state, an area roughly the size of Connecticut, according to a statement from Governor Rick Perry, who flew to Bastrop from North Carolina Tuesday to address the fires.
“I have seen a lot of big fires in my life, and this one is as mean-looking as any I’ve ever seen, partly because it is so close to this city [Bastrop],” Perry said at the press conference Tuesday.
As of Wednesday, five deaths have also been attributed to the wildfires in Central Texas by authorities, including an 18-month-old infant and a City of Austin employee.
Texas State students who wish make a monetary donation in support of the victims of the wildfires can do so online through the Salvation Army at http://www.salvationarmy.org/ and the Central Texas Red Cross at http://www.centex.redcross.org/.
Donation drives will also be held at seven area Wal-Mart stores on Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Items needed include medical supplies, toiletries, bed linens and bottled water.
BASTROP, Texas - Several wildfires continue to burn uncontained across much of the Central Texas area, destroying hundreds of homes and thousands of acres located in their paths.
The largest of these fires, located in Bastrop County 40 miles east of San Marcos, flared up Sunday after high winds and months of below-average rainfall in the area provided ideal conditions for the wildfire to spread rapidly. Hundreds of residents in the Bastrop area have been forced to evacuate their homes as the flames reached residential areas outside the town.
“My wife called me Monday and told me we had been given the order to evacuate,” said Monte Land, a retired Lower Colorado River Authority employee who lives outside Bastrop. “We spent the rest of the day hauling out our horses and most of our pets. A couple of our dogs are still missing because the sirens scared them away from the house,” Land added.
Those who are missing pets in the areas affected by the fires in Bastrop County are urged to contact Bastrop Animal Control and provide them with their home addresses so officers can round up the animals and provide them with food and water.
Land said it was unclear whether his home had been destroyed in the fire, and has received little information about the condition of his neighborhood as crews continue to battle the flames raging in the area.
“As of Tuesday morning we had a visual of the house and it was still standing, but who knows what’s happened since then,” he said. “We’re just keeping our fingers crossed.”
Hundreds of residents in the area have not been as fortunate.
“I lost everything. My house burned to the ground,” said Jason Miller, whose father, a firefighter, broke the news to him. “I guess I’m one of the lucky ones, though, because I still have my job and a place to stay and a lot of people around here don’t,” said Miller, who is staying with relatives in a nearby town not affected by the wildfires.
Fires also continue to burn in the Leander and Steiner Ranch areas north of Austin, including one that is being investigated as a suspected arson.
Several road closures in the Central Texas area and increased traffic from fire and rescue crews and evacuees may make the drive more difficult for Texas State students commuting from areas north and east of San Marcos, and they are encouraged to leave early to make up for any delays they might experience. Information about Hays County and San Marcos road conditions and closures can be found on the city of San Marcos website, http://www.sanmarcostx.gov/.
Texas State students and their families affected by the wildfires and need to make their situation known to the university should contact the Dean of Students office at 512-245-2124.
During 2011 alone, wildfires in Texas have burned more than 3.5 million acres across the state, an area roughly the size of Connecticut, according to a statement from Governor Rick Perry, who flew to Bastrop from North Carolina Tuesday to address the fires.
“I have seen a lot of big fires in my life, and this one is as mean-looking as any I’ve ever seen, partly because it is so close to this city [Bastrop],” Perry said at the press conference Tuesday.
As of Wednesday, five deaths have also been attributed to the wildfires in Central Texas by authorities, including an 18-month-old infant and a City of Austin employee.
Texas State students who wish make a monetary donation in support of the victims of the wildfires can do so online through the Salvation Army at http://www.salvationarmy.org/ and the Central Texas Red Cross at http://www.centex.redcross.org/.
Donation drives will also be held at seven area Wal-Mart stores on Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Items needed include medical supplies, toiletries, bed linens and bottled water.
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