Privacy...what's that?

In the article Protect Cell Phone Privacy on the Daily Texan Lisa Kinzer speaks about HB1608 which would set stronger restrictions and boundaries on authorities ability to gain access to one's cell phone. After 9/11 it has been as simple as a couple of pressed buttons to have access to hand held devices which American's worlds revolve around. The reasons behind 'hacking' into our cell phones were justifiable, then, with the situation we were in, but authorities took a bit of an advantage of being in a bad place. Authorities could and can even  11 years later have access to the deepest of our conversations, e-mails, facebooks, texts, where we are in relation to a cell tower, anything that can be held in our devices can be held in their hands whenever they would like without any justification or consent from any one including ourselves. This is our Free America? I think that is a bit past violating our right to privacy.

There is a fine line that needs to be drawn and hopefully this bill will draw it. If there are previous allocations against someone, or probable cause then I agree that it is completely appropriate to gain access to any device, but with someone's consent or a warrant. This bill will assure that cell phone providers are not being bribed by money, which has previously been done, to release cell phone records, and will document exactly what is being accessed when, and exactly how many tax dollars will  be spent on warrants to gain access to cell phone records. This bill is a much needed step back toward the privacy we deserve as Americans that we had before 9/11.

Bag Bans: Positive or negative?

I completely disagree with  Through The Eyes of a Texan 's post to repeal the Bag Ban. The intentions of the bag ban is not work on being a step closer to bettering the environment, not one's pocket. If one is financially responsible enough to be able to purchase groceries, one should be able to purchase one or two dollar  reusable bag that holds double if not triple what a plastic bag holds. 

I'm 20 and I live in Pflugerville and have previous experience working at a grocery store, the bag ban has not even been enforced here and 8 out of the 10 people that walk out the door have groceries in a reusable bag. I have my own reusable bags, and there are so many different kinds that make it difficult to forget, like the ones that are compact enough to fit in a woman's purse, or the ones that fold up. 

It's difficult to come up with an excuse to not bring a reusable bag when the positives outweigh the negatives. The plastic bags that the few heartbroken are so desperate to use are the same plastic bags that are not biodegradable, they trap wild life, and if thrown away instead of recycling they end up in our waste composites and create harmful toxins when burned. 

As far as the reusable bags being unsanitary, that is one's own prerogative. If one would like a clean place to put their groceries then there are ways to sanitize one's bags. 

I think it's safe to say spending an extra dollar for something one can reuse at any store as they please is worth saving hundreds of thousands of animals, not unintentionally polluting our air and  creating a less harmful place to live in.