Columns/Opinions

By TONI WALKER
I recently read somewhere that it is better to be a bottle of water than a bottle of soda. Bottles filled with soda that are shaken will explode when finally released; however, a shaken bottle of water remains calm, even as it outside tension and stress builds around it.

When looking at our life as the bottle, this mentality seems to oddly make sense. When our lives are filled with “soda,” we bounce along, enjoying the good things in life that come from that what we have poured in. The flavor, vitality, and excitement, just like in a bottle of soda, sustain us through the good times. However, when things start to be shaken, and the pressure builds, we attempt to curb the effects of our past choices before finally exploding when we do release the built up stress. Conversely, when we fill our lives with water, we will find that no matter what we face, we can do so with calmness, peace, and dignity.

By Tony Walker

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about women. Women’s right, equality for women, and more seems to be a major topic for discussion. However, I think the best thing the best thing we can do is teach our daughters how to be strong women.

There is a picture that goes around on Facebook periodically that reads “Strong Women; May we be them, may we know them, may we raise them.” As the mother of two girls, I can tell you that one of my greatest goals in life is that my girls will grow up to be strong, independent women, who, would be able to take care of themselves on their own if the need arises. More than that, though, I want to raise my girls to be strong in their faith, and strong in the belief of themselves. One of the greatest things that my mom and dad did for me was to teach me to believe in myself.

By ED STERLING

AUSTIN — In early voting, Texans participated in greater numbers in the state Democratic primary than the Republican primary, but on Election Day, March 6, the Republican turnout exceeded the Democratic turnout by half a million votes.

Primaries historically have been light-turnout affairs. This time, about 10 percent of the state’s 15 million registered voters cast ballots in the Republican primary and about 7 percent in the Democratic primary. In contrast, in March 2014, 7 percent of the state’s 13 million registered voters cast ballots in the GOP primary and 3 percent cast ballots in the Democratic primary.

By ED STERLING

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for immediate action to ensure the safety of Texas’ junior college campuses following a Feb. 14 mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

Abbott’s order came in a Feb. 28 letter to Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Commissioner Raymund Paredes. He issued a similar order addressing the safety of all Texas schoolchildren a week earlier.

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By TONI WALKER

There seems to be a lot of talk about what is lacking. Everything from faith, to trust, to honesty, and more are mentioned when people talk about what is wrong with our country today. Well, I am going to tell you what I feel is the biggest this we are missing…it is respect. Where has all the respect gone?

When I was a child, I was taught to say “Yes, sir,” “No, ma’am,” please, and thank you. It was expected that you said these things to anyone that was older than you by more than just a few years. To this day, I still say these to people, sometimes who are not much older than I am. It’s funny that some of them actually are bothered by it because they say it makes them feel old. (ok, I have to admit that I am one of those that feels that way sometimes!)

by ED STERLING

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott on Feb. 21 sent a letter to Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath ordering immediate action to ensure the safety of children in Texas schools following the multi-fatality shooting at a Parkland, Florida, high school on Feb. 14.

Abbott listed steps for Morath and other state education leaders to take to respond to and prevent such tragedies, including:

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By ED STERLING

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott traveled to Rockport and Houston on Feb. 13 to announce the availability of new funding for hazard mitigation projects along the Gulf Coast following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey.

Abbott invited cities and counties to submit applications for projects and said the funding would provide an estimated $1 billion for hazard and flood mitigation projects designed to both help Texas rebuild and reduce the risk of future damage from flooding and Hurricanes.

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