If I Knew THEN What I Know NOW...

Last Night, I finished my last undergraduate class I'll ever take and realized that as fast as I came is as fast as I'm leaving. I never realized the extent of everything I'd see these past four years and the significance of all my experiences. There have been up's and down's; though far mores up's then down's. FAR MORE. I wish I could say it wasn't over but it is. There's a time for everything and I'm moving on to the next chapter in my life. I can say though, there are things I wish I either knew well in advance of college, or things I did in college.

1. ENGAGE PROFESSORS : None of us are perfect in EVERY part of our curriculum and I wish I really understood the amount of help and insight professors and teaching assistants could provide. I wasn't at first fond of the idea of attending meetings I wasn't required to go to but after a number of difficult classes, I've realized that the best answers sometimes can't be found in a textbook. Some answers and material just needs to be explained by an actual person who can sit down and talk it through with you.

2. SCHOLARSHIPS : Unless you're on a free to college (not most of us), we could never have too many money from scholarships. Although a substantial amount of money was given to me in grants and scholarships, I never realized the extent of how much free money for school there was out in the world until I was already in college. Also, I was one of the many people who went through college with the idea that after high school, there weren't many more new scholarships that could be attained. WRONG. Big mistake on my part and unfortunately, I'll be paying for it (No pun intended)...

Moving Right along..

3. NETWORKING: I was lucky enough to appreciate the value of networking way before college yet was not anticipating the extent it would have on not only my academic life, but my career. I will say I've done a substantial amount of networking in college, yet wish I did even more considering just how competitive it is out there "in the real world" (a phrase I DETEST, by the way). Bottom line is the timeless saying remains more true than ever in today's world: "It's not about WHAT you know; It's about WHO you know."

For anyone graduating, these things might be a tad too late for you as they are for me. But for anyone who can still take advantage of more college years to come, do so. Remember how fast your first year of college was?

... It doesn't get any slower.

Time Flies and just when you feel like you're catching up, it gets faster.

To The Years,
- David.

My First Blog Poem

As I was rummaging through my old papers, I came across a few poems I wrote last summer (just to see if I still had it in me!) I was a little rusty after so many years, but I tried! haha, I figure I'll put a few up that some people might be able to relate to.

"You've been hurt, battered and bruised; left out on your own.

You entrusted him with all you had, now you're all alone.

You had your heart broken and it still has not healed

Tell me this, tell me now; how do you really feel?

Do you see your life with another, or is your life just you?

When another man steps to the plate, tell me; what will you do?

Is one man at fault for another man's neglect?

You think with your mind but love with your heart; which one will you protect?

Will animosity run your life or will you live life by fear?

Are you scared of love and getting hurt; are you scared of tears?

To love is to be helpless; are you scared of trust?

You know there are other beautiful women, so are you afraid of lust?

What is it you're scared of and why is it you run?

Is it because you Hate Love from the harm one man has done?

I see your lessons learned, and you say you will not bend

but tell me this, tell me now.. When will you love again?"

In my attempts to get my poetry swag back!
- David.

The State of Hip Hop in 2011: Has it Come Out The Coma?

Hip Hop Is Back!

Why do I say this, some might ask. The reason I say this is because while there are still several rappers and artists who do not deserve the radio air play or the financial success given to them, it is becoming more and more apparent that the mainstream Hip Hop audience has become sick of the trend that came about from what I call, snap-rap. "Crunk" rap is becoming less and less played on the radio airwaves. Ringtone Rappers are becoming decreasingly popular and as a result, are putting out less music and receiving less airtime. It's fair to say, I think they got the hint. They Suck.

What do you folks think, Is Hip Hop back on the come up and out of it's Coma, or do you disagree and say either it was never in a "coma" or it still hasn't recovered from the slump in recent years?

Hip Hop Forever,

- David

The Falling Dominos in the Middle East.

First Tunisia.
Then Egypt.
Now the oppressive regimes of Libya and Bahrain are battling for their tyrannical holds on power against their own citizens.

Moammar Gadhafi appears to be the next domino to fall in a line of decades-long dictators who've refused to loosen his grip on power within his respective nation. It appears that the longer the dictator has been in power (in Gadhafi's case, close to 40 years), the less willing they are to accept changes to the status quos' they've imposed and developed. After Gadhafi is kicked out of power, which he WILL be based on news reports and the atrocities he's committed over the past weeks, Libya will be faced with the difficult task Tunisia and Egypt have encountered. The question of rebuilding and reform will fall upon the nation of Libya and as is often the case, the youth will have more say in the fate of their country; both short term and long term. With so many protests going on in the region, it begs the question:

Who's Next To Go?

Best Wishes To The Youth of The World,
 - David

Julian Assange: Our Necessary and Contemporary Dark Knight

When our government discourages the public from reading something, we have reason to be suspicious.

When one man's organization takes the task of whistleblower that media outlets like CNN and Fox News refuse to do, we must be worried.

When Democratic governments around the world collaborate to shun, cover-up and silence one man's work and free speech, we need not apologize for our curiosity.

When political leaders call someone a terrorist, despite that person never causing any violence or responsible for anyone's harm, we need to see through the fog.

When the media and the government demonize one man and his efforts to speak out on ANYTHING, we must ask “Why?”

Julian Assange is 2010's Dark Knight for the simple fact that he has taken on the spoiler role to the many secrets governments around the world possess. Governments like England, France, Spain, Australia, the United States and other Democratic governments are making attempts to minimize Assange's reach to the internet community and taking steps to prevent people from reading the leaked documents Assange has released. I find this disturbing considering the extent of how international governments are working together in order to silence one man and the secrets he possesses. Keep in mind Assange's documents aren't entirely military secrets. According to reports, banks and major corporations are aware that Julian Assange has thousands of documents concerning their ways of business; most likely cases of corruption, fraud and other illegal practices they are afraid of being revealed to the public and stockholders.

I worry Julian Assange's necessary 'evil' will be silenced due to international pressure and organized attempts to keep the secrets from reaching the public. Ask yourselves.. Why do the governments and businesses want to keep the secrets concealed so bad? What exactly are they afraid of?

Ron Paul recently came out in support of Julian Assange and said “When truth becomes treason, we're in trouble.”

I hope you all agree.

Timeless Democracy,

David Javier Solis

Good Point, Ron Paul.

Ron Paul, while not someone I always agree with, is someone I'm always impressed with. His ability to raise questions very few are willing to raise is a trait I believe more politicians should possess. Here are a set of questions he rhetorically asked to Congress on February 12th, 2009 that I believe we can all ask ourselves, as citizens and as students.

What if we wake up one day and realize that the terrorist threat is a predictable consequence of our meddling in the affairs of others?

What if propping up repressive regimes in the Middle East endangers both the United States and Israel?

What if occupying countries like Iraq and Afghanistan - and bombing Pakistan - is directly related to the hatred directed toward us and has nothing to do with being free and prosperous?

What if someday it dawns on us that losing over 5,000 American military personnel in the Middle East since 9/11 is not a fair trade-off for the loss of nearly 3,000 American citizens, no matter how many Iraqi, Pakistani, and Afghan people are killed or displaced?

What if we finally decide that torture, even if called "enhanced interrogation techniques," is self-destructive and produces no useful information - and that contracting it out to a third world nation is just as evil?

What if it is finally realized that war and military spending is always destructive to the economy?

What if all wartime spending is paid for through the deceitful and evil process of inflating and borrowing?

What if we finally see that wartime conditions always undermine personal liberty?

What if conservatives, who preach small government, wake up and realize that our interventionist foreign policy provides the greatest incentive to expand the government?

What if conservatives understood once again that their only logical position is to reject military intervention and managing an empire throughout the world?

What if the American people woke up and understood that the official reasons for going to war are almost always based on lies and promoted by war propaganda in order to serve special interests?

What if we as a nation came to realize that the quest for empire eventually destroys all great nations?

What if Obama has no intention of leaving Iraq?

What if a military draft is being planned for the wars that will spread if our foreign policy is not changed?

What if the American people learn the truth: that our foreign policy has nothing to do with national security and that it never changes from one administration to the next?

What if war and preparation for war is a racket serving the special interests?

What if President Obama is completely wrong about Afghanistan and it turns out worse than Iraq and Vietnam put together?

What if Christianity actually teaches peace and not preventive wars of aggression?

What if diplomacy is found to be superior to bombs and bribes in protecting America?

What happens if my concerns are completely unfounded - nothing!

What happens if my concerns are justified and ignored - nothing good!

Kiva: Where You Can REALLY Make a Difference

Most of us wonder what charity we can contribute to and which charity can contribute the most to those who need it. I asked myself this question for years and made up my mind after I spoke with my economic development professor. Organizations like the Red Cross, March of Dimes, ACS, Salvation Army, and other charitable organizations do a great job in helping out towards the causes they stand for. The problem with these types of organizations though, is we often do not see our donation make a particular difference and while we know the donations given to these charities make a major difference in the causes they work for, the lack of visible results can sometimes discourage a prospective donor from contributing. With Kiva, donors can see their contributions at work and even have their contributions returned to them after they've served their purpose and paid back.

We know families throughout the world are struggling to find adequate work and many are struggling to even feed their families. Through Kiva, we can contribute a small loan to families in need throughout the world (including the United States) and as opposed to other aid programs, these contributions often allow the borrower to become self-dependent and not rely on future donations to get by. Secondly, the contributions are paid back to us, the lenders.

Whether your passion is economic development, universal education, health care, human rights, medical causes or other social awareness causes, I truly believe organizations like Kiva provide opportunities to contribute to all these areas. Think about what you would look for in a charity and take Kiva into consideration.

Trying to make the world a better place then I found it,
- David.

Investment In The Next Generation

Improving the American Economy has been the focus of all political talk for years now, yet we've failed to understand that without first enhancing the American workforce, we can do very to little to retain our Economic advantages and edge in the global economy. I believe it's time to bring education reform to the attention of everyone from students, parents, school boards, state governments, non-profit organizations and most importantly, Congress. For too long, our American government has recklessly spent trillions of dollars that gave back to America very little in return,  and the one issue that can most significantly improve the state of our country and economy is being ignored. There should be nothing political about educating the students of our country and in education reform, partisanship and political bickering will only hurt OUR generation and the next to come. If fixing the economy is the number one issue among all Americans and American institutions, why then, do we ignore education reform? We must all realize that we cannot have one without the other.

For tomorrow's America,

- David.

The Meaning of Faith

WHAT IS FAITH? 

"complete trust or confidence in someone or something"

I often struggled with the term, 'faith'; not because I did not have trust and confidence or believe in a higher being but because I did not know how to interact with that higher being. I struggled with the idea that you can acquire strength from a belief you never could've had without it. One of the greatest assets in human nature is the idea that we are stronger than what we hold within ourselves. Here's a few quotes on what some people believed was faith and how they felt about it. Hope this clarifies the meaning of Faith for those who aren't quite so sure as I was. Enjoy

A FAITH that hasn’t been tested can’t be trusted.
- Adrian Rogers 
 
FAITH, as Paul saw it, was a living, flaming thing leading to surrender and obedience to the commandments of Christ.
- A. W. Tozer

FAITH is different from proof; the latter is human, the former is a Gift from God.
- Blaise Pascal 

A FAITH to live by, a self to live with, and a purpose to live for.
- Bob Harrington

FAITH is the art of holding on to things your reason once accepted, despite your changing moods.
- C. S. Lewis

Obedience is the fruit of FAITH.
- Christina Rossetti 

FAITH is building on what you know is here, so you can reach what you know is there.
- Cullen Hightower

FAITH is the refusal to panic.
- David Martyn Lloyd-Jones 

FAITH makes all things possible… love makes all things easy.
- Dwight L. Moody

The key to FAITH is what we are willing to sacrifice to obtain it.
- Elder Cloward 

If you desire FAITH, then you have FAITH enough.
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

FAITH is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation.
- Elton Trueblood

Flatter not thyself in thy FAITH in God if thou hast not charity for thy neighbour.
- Francis Quarles

There are no miracles for those that have no FAITH in them.
- French Proverb 

The beginning of anxiety is the end of FAITH, and the beginning of true FAITH is the end of anxiety.
- George E. Mueller

To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. FAITH means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.
-Gilbert K. Chesterton 

FAITH is a higher faculty than reason.
- Henry Christopher Bailey 

The smallest seed of FAITH is better than the largest fruit of happiness.
- Henry David Thoreau 

FAITHless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.
- J. R. R. Tolkien

FAITH is not believing God for the inevitable but for the impossible.
- SoulSupply

Patience in the present, FAITH in the future, and joy in the doing.
- George Perera

The greatest act of FAITH is when a man understands he is not God.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

FAITH has to do with things that are not seen, and hope with things that are not in hand.
- Saint Thomas Acquinas 

FAITH is to believe what we do not see; and the reward of this FAITH is to see what we believe.
- St. Augustine 

Vision looks inwards and becomes duty. Vision looks outwards and becomes aspiration. Vision looks upwards and becomes FAITH.
- Stephen S. Wise 

You can judge the quality of their FAITH from the way they behave. Discipline is an index to doctrine.
- Tertullian

The errors of FAITH are better than the best thoughts of unbelief.
- Thomas Russell 

Painting is a FAITH, and it imposes the duty to disregard public opinion.
- Vincent Van Gogh

It’s not dying for FAITH that’s so hard, it’s living up to it.
- William M. Thackeray 

When you put FAITH, hope and love together, you can raise positive kids in a negative world.
- Zig Ziglar

Gotta learn to live with regrets.

"On the rise to the top, many drop, don't forget;
In order to survive, gotta learn to live with regrets"

Jay-Z couldn't have said it any better.

Throughout the world we live in, we see the results of someone's success. We fail to acknowledge though, that their success often coexists with that person's mistakes and regrets. When it comes to a person's ability to learn and experience new things, we fear the idea of things like rejection, failure or shortcoming. We're scared that whatever we decide to do with our lives, we'll ultimately regret what we did or didn't do. Regret can sometimes instill a sense of opportunity within us though. If it weren't for regret, how do we learn from our mistakes?

We'll all make mistakes. We'll all have regrets. Some regrets minor; some major. This much is true. My biggest point is this..

Don't go through life petrified of what you may one day regret. 

If mistakes make us better, regrets keep us humble. 

- David

P.S. I'm Backkk.

Jim Crow Laws: 2010 Latino Edition

Recently, the country has seen a number of laws introduced to state and federal government which attempt to aggressively address the controversial subject of illegal immigration. We've seen lawmakers call for enforcing existing immigration laws and pass state laws that give state officers the same federal jurisdiction federal officers possess so for example, since immigration to the United States is a federal issue, state officers have no jurisdiction in enforcing immigration law. With the recent downturn in the economy, we've seen Americans and government once again scapegoat immigrants as being the culprit for high unemployment, crime and ballooning budget deficit. History shows time after time after time again immigrants will forever be demonized in times of economic hardships and embraced in times of economic expansion. Don't believe me? Read an American history book, pal.

- Take citizenship rights away from U.S. Born children of undocumented immigrants.
- Repeal the 14th amendment.
- Deny educational rights to the children of undocumented immigrants.
- Make "immigrant status" a probable cause for profiling (aka Racial profiling)
- Deny undocumented immigrants the ability to purchase insurance.

There are certain inalienable rights in our world; some would argue though, that education, health-care and social equality are not some of them. We've seen society scapegoat the most exploited groups for centuries. The fact is that our country hasn't seen this much emphasis on a person or group of people's legal status since the days of slavery. Once slavery was abolished, the super elite convinced Americans to hate runaway slaves. Now that formal segregation has been done away with, mainstream America is now being taught to despise "illegals" who illegally left their lands in search of better life (sound familiar?)

Of course, Slavery and immigration have their distinct differences, yet the principles of leaving one place to find better life in another is fundamental. When we talk about the logistics and resources to maintain current immigration policy, opponents of comprehensive immigration reform say that we must enforce current law. Funny thing though, is when they rant and rave about how government isn't handling the immigration issue effectively, aren't the immigration laws in place now the problem to begin with? We need immigration policy that is both comprehensive and enforceable. Can we make all undocumented immigrants legal citizens? No. Can we deport all undocumented immigrants back to their countries of origin? No. Can we be realistic and find middle ground; deport all convicted violent criminals who are in the country illegally and legalize the millions of families who peacefully live under the shadows American society; that sounds far more realistic.

Some spew hatred and mask it with their concern for their country... but as we all know..

When all else fails, "Patriotism is a bigot's last resort"

Whose country are you protecting, I ask. Yours or ours?

Stop the Hate,
David J. Solis

P.S. I expect this post to get a lot of heated feedback. I encourage it. Thanks.

Slow Jam Throwbacks for us 80's Babies!

Good ol' times! Enjoy the jams!

There Is No Such Thing As 'The Real World'

"I just found out there's no such thing as the real world, just a lie you've got to rise above."

I graduate in May. This is it; the time in my life I worked so hard to get to and to my advantage (or possible disadvantage), there's plenty left to do in my last 2 semesters in college. After I do all that needs to be done, some have told me that I need to prepare myself for the 'real world' and everything that comes along with it. I've never sat down with anyone and had an entire conversation on why the term 'real world' holds no value for me. Here goes.

I came into college in the summer of 2007 and since then, my biggest focus was enhancing my resume and gaining every experience possible. I've got a few things under my belt now that 3 full years in college have passed. Everything I've learned are important beliefs, changes, habits, knowledge and experiences that all make me who I am. When I finally graduate and find my first post-graduate job, that won't be the first milestone of mine into what people keep telling me would be the 'real world'. As far as I'm concerned, the life I've lived up to this point isn't fake. It hasn't been artificially made by anyone other than myself. Granted, I don't have a family of children and wife of my own, I don't have a mortgage to pay. I don't even have a car of my own. With all this said, am I defined by my possessions and liabilities? I've lived a life up to this point that's taught me things in classes that I'll bring out with me throughout my life but even more significantly, I've learned things in life that classes could never teach me. I recognize what goes on; I've seen debt, poverty, struggles, violence, discrimination, prejudice.. I know what's real and I know what's false.

The life I've lived, the places I've been, the people I've met, the things I've seen and the knowledge I know are all real. There is nothing false about what I've experienced. There are always mistakes, misconceptions and accidents that happen but if someone takes these lessons and personally learns from them, well then they are made useful and therefore true.

Some say I haven't entered the real world until I have my own house to pay for, my own bills to pay, my own children to raise and my own marriage to maintain. Really? Those will determine the beginning of my real life and my entry into 'the real world'?

To wrap up how I really feel about that one phrase, I say this...

Your world is what you make it.

My world is more than all of that. Shouldn't yours be too?

 Living life,
- David Javier Solis

Henrok: Unrivaled Talent in Hip Hop Production

"Hip Hop is a Vehicle" - Talib Kwali

When it comes to talent, we're told to give credit where credit is due. This is the credit that's due. Henrique Marques III aka Henrok is someone I've grown up with since 4th grade of elementary school. I can honestly say that music has always been his life, his ambition, his drive. Nas, KRS-One, Dr. Dre, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Wu-Tang Clan, The Lox, Jay-Z, N.W.A., The Firm, Eminem and Big Pun were all on blast when it came to Henrok's music selection. From memorizing the lyrics to knowing the track lists of hip-hop albums, Henrok is everything a true Hip-Hop artist is supposed to be. 

Since middle school, Henrok has made productions and tracks that would surprise and impress the most experienced Hip Hop artists and producers. Randomly, I've described to him what I want a beat to sound like and almost instinctively, there it was...

And I don't even rap.

Henrok is someone you'd go to for a hip-hop question, a suggestion for lyrics, a tip in productions or just to talk about music with. Encompassing the old school melodies with 90's hip hop beats into contemporary beats with an old school sound to it puts true hip hop fans into a nostalgic state of mind. Not to mention he ain't too shabby on the mic. Take a listen for yourself:

When looking for a instrumental production, I'd recommend no one else. When asking for someone to collabo with, I'd suggest no one else. When you say underrated and productions in the same sentence, Think Henrok. Anyone he's worked with can attest to his ambition and skill. Take a listen to the radio then listen to Henrok's productions; it's like Sterling Silver to 24K. 

When it comes to talent on the productions, with the lyricism and just an overall knowledge in TRUE Hip Hop; I've heard no better. Henrok; this one's for you, fam. Get 'em.

Giving Credit Where It's Truly Due,

- David Javier Solis

No Idea's Original

Here's a quote that wrapped up what I think is one of the most encompassing saying's I've ever read. Lemme know what you think.

"Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery—celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: “It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to.”

"I Think They Call This 'Venting'"

In the past few weeks, I've been asked what I'm going to do next in my career. I was asked when I'm gonna have my first child. I've been asked when I'm going to get married to my girlfriend of almost 6 years. I've been asked if I'm going to open a business and if I am, when? I've been asked who my true friends are. I've been asked if I regret going to college and not the military as I had intended in high school. I've come to a realization that for the first time in a long time, I've got more questions than answers and I haven't had the time to step back and compose myself on what to do NEXT. I never anticipated how much I need to figure out in such a short period of time. Just when I think I've got space and time to myself; I end up feeling like I got all the eyes of the world on me with everyone asking themselves what my next move in life is going to be.

All this on top of making good on the promises I've made in my life. Getting to UConn, I made a promise to my family and myself that I'd do what it takes to progress out of everything we've seen and been through. I promised my girlfriend I'd give her the time, effort and patience the relationship deserves after so much time and energy spent on it. I promised my closest friends that college wouldn't change me, DC wouldn't change me, money wouldn't change me but after all that I've seen, learned and experienced after high school, would they blame me if I did? I'm confused on how to keep certain things about me intact while transforming parts of my whole mentality and personality. I promised my family the world and now I'm stuck wondering.. How do I give it to them?

I've come to realize that I've had wrong impressions of people; unfortunately, that's a good and bad thing..  I thought I knew people and I always considered myself a person with good judgmental ability of others. I've realized that there's really no such thing. People have surprised me in the past few months in ways I didn't imagine them doing. Some shocked me with their good sense of character and ability where I had to admit to myself that they were better people than I assumed. Others though, just couldn't have shocked me more with their inability to think, judge or even speak. Some of my closest friends unfortunately have showed me their true colors and while I won't just up and stop talking to them; it's a shame how you think you know one particular person so well. Maybe it's the distance, maybe it's the time of the year, maybe they're changing. Hell, maybe I'm changing...


I know I ain't the only person in the world who's sitting at the computer thinking to themselves, "Damn, life's passing me by".

Venting,
David

Back From My 2 Month Bloggin' Hiatus!

These past two months have been my catch-up months in my life from being away at school for so long; now that I'm home and got myself on solid ground with everything, I finally got time to do writing that I actually enjoy. I feel like I gotta change a few things with the blog and format it in a way that helps me write more frequent than before and make feedback a lot more easy for the viewers (you). Promise I'll keep posting on the topics, issues and subjects yall' wanna talk about.

- D.

By The Way; how many of you can relate to the random picture? Haha!

What We Need In Immigration Reform

When immigration reform happens (hopefully sooner than later), there are a set of things I feel we're going to need to make sure the reform sets policies in place that make immigration to the United States under control and sustainable while also respecting the immigrants and their families this reform stands to affect most. Unless you hate the fact that there are immigrants in this country that don't look like they came from Europe, I think we can all agree that we need to fix this broken immigration system and create one which reflects the 21st century society we live in today.

1. Accept reality

We can't deport all the undocumented residents in the United States. It's unfeasible, unrealistic, impossible and unintelligent. Displacing over 12 million people from one country will devastate local economies and communities; not to mention the actual families themselves. Last time that many people were kicked out from their homes and communities was during during the holocaust and uhh.. That didn't go too well. Even the most ardent anti-immigrant opponent must realize mass deportation is not an option. As soon as we have consensus about this in both society and Congress, we're already making headway and progress.

2. Secure the Borders

Like the way I put borderS and not just border? We've got the technology to detect movements over all sorts of terrain; let's put some of that to use in order to alleviate some of the pressures border patrol officers are facing. We've got a great amount of undocumented residents in the United States and in order to first implement something like a guest worker program or amnesty, we need to be able to adequately monitor who comes in and out of the country. I wonder if anybody's mad I think we should secure the border with Canada..

3. Create Guest worker/Path to citizenship program

The millions of undocumented workers in the United States are not here to spite the government; the majority of them are here to give their families and children a better life than the ones they would have in their country of origin. They did in fact violate American immigration laws and as a result, should be accountable for things like back taxes, citizenship process fees and a number of other expenses as a way to make things fair for all residents of the United States; legal and illegal. Undocumented immigrants with a violent criminal record who are hiding in the country should be deported immediately. After this is done, the program should allocate resources for these first generation immigrants to learn English and not naively think they can fluently learn to speak, read and write English by themselves within a short period of time.

There are always complications with programs like these and like we've seen in 1986; nothing in government bureaucracy works as it was designed to entirely do. That does not change the importance of what immigration reform has on so many communities found in the country. With no reform, families stand to be torn apart and social inequalities between immigrants and non-immigrants will continue to be the status quo. There are some in our nation that don't want to see immigration reform because it would threaten the status quo that works just fine for them. Some can't stand the idea of bilingual citizens with an embrace for their non-American culture. The idea of empowering disadvantaged minorities; especially undocumented ones, threatens their sense of security and power they find in their own societies. As a democratic nation of immigrants, it is vital we give this issue the attention and caution it deserves. Without immigration reform, we will be condoning the inequalities that exist in immigrant communities, hurt the American economy and not live up to the standards of the world's greatest nation of Immigrants.


You promised, Obama.

- David Solis

3 Reasons I'm reluctant about the Tea Party

Enter 2008... People are pissed off about George Bush, the economy, the wars and everything else. Out of this frustration, a political climate is set for atypical politicians that don't come off as average lawmakers and voila, Barack Obama is elected president based off his popularity and themes of change and hope. He supported large hundreds of billions of dollar in initiatives such as the bailout and the stimulus package. Upon his election, his first major domestic agenda he decided to work on was health care. Not too long after, a little something called the Tea Party Movement emerged due to the growing unpopularity and outrage against these matters Obama had passed and attempting to pass in health care reform; something that may or may not happen this weekend. While I share a few of the organization's political and fiscal statements, here's why I'm very reluctant to engage myself with the organization and its cause...

1. No room for moderates

It's no secret that Tea Party organization members despise anything that isn't completely conservative. There goes my support from the organization based on my views on immigration, education and climate change. Despite my pro-life stance, fiscal conservative views and small-government-works-best-mentality, I'm not sure they'd reconcile with me on my ideas of universal access to education and comprehensible amnesty or my belief that the Earth is warming from human carbon emissions.

2. Audience connection

I was in Washington D.C. for the September 12th Tea Party protests at the Capitol. No; really, I was there in the crowd with some of the interns I was staying in DC with. What a sight. I liked all the "don't tread on me" flags; I can connect to that message about telling the government to back off. I'll tell you this though, I stuck out like a sore thumb. I was a dark-skinned young moderate Hispanic man in an audience full of white middle-aged conservative men with their wives and infant children. There was little to no diversity found in this audience. The Tea Party movement makes frequent statements on why their views are best for the people of the country, yet the organization is hardly a snapshot of the very American people they claim to represent. I'd need to see more diversity within the organization before I can feel they are an embodiment of what is truly best for the country.

3. "Birthers"

I'm not a fan of Barack Obama and this administration, but for some people to question Barack Obama's religion, place of birth or national allegiance is pretty low; even to me. First, that's his business and if his policies are horrible, they're simply bad ideological stances; nothing more. I sense a hint of xenophobia in the Tea Party Movement as I'm sure many of us do as well. To question these things show a sense of insecurity in trusting someone based on what social groups they belong to. I'm  huge on Martin Luther King Jr's dream where he believed a man should be judged by his character; not his color. I don't have to disguise my dislike of the current administration behind claims of the president's background; I judge and criticize him by his character and his methodologies as President.

Again, I believe that small government works best. I believe government has become too big. I believe government should take far more responsibility in how it spends tax dollars. I believe that much of Obama's agenda are rooted in socialism. I also believe lobbying in government has led to forms of corporatism in our government system and economy. Do I believe the Tea Party Movement represents the American nation and its best interests? Ehh.. I'm not yet convinced.

Keeping it 100,
David Javier Solis

Why We Need College Direct Lending

News just recently came out that the Democrats are looking to cram college loan reform in with health care reform through reconciliation. I'm not sure what they intend to put in their package but here's why I think Direct Lending should be included, if anything.

1. Gets rid of the middle man

There's nothing that the banks do with student loans that the department of education can't. If we're going to have these bureaucracies and major departments, it's essential that they work for the people and people only. Banks charge "low" interest rates that the government subsidizes and with these interest payments out of the way, that's extra billions of dollars down the road to either help reduce the deficit or fund other essential programs.

2. Loan repayments are based on proportion

After we graduate college, we're required to make payments 6 months upon our graduation. The problem with this is that often, many college graduates have not yet established steady full time jobs. This was especially seen in the past few years due to the recession. As opposed to paying fixed rates, direct lending allows for proportionate rates of repayment that make it more flexible for recent graduates and helps reduce the financial burden college can have on students.

3. Fiscally responsible

If we can save money in the tens of billions that would've otherwise gone to banks, why not?


4. Increase in Pell grants

Education, like many other essential parts of our life, is not free. In fact, its very expensive and with the increase in its costs, it's only reasonable to believe that we need a system that works better for its students. Increasing pell grants is necessary, given the extent of the financial situation taking place. Pell grants have helped students across the country afford a college education and with an increase in the amounts of pell grants and its value, more wouldn't hurt!