Raja A. Richardson
Mr. Markley, Gregory
Texas Government 2305
22 September 2015
“Florida vs Texas”
I am a native of Florida who lived in the state for the majority of my life. I visited the state of Texas on numerous occasions, if I had to choose one of the two states to retire I would first outweigh the difference between the two. My decision will be based on cultural climate, recreational activities and economics.
From a cultural experience there is no state in the U.S. that has the diversity of people as Florida. It is comprised of Anglo and African Americans, Caribbean
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Islanders, South and Central Americans, Canadians and others throughout the world. The multicultural environment brings a variety of festivals such as Calle Ocho, Carnival and Goombay (just to name a few), that allows you to experience the different food, music and language of other ethnicities without having to travel abroad. The state of Texas also has an ethnically diverse population, however the majority is made up of Anglo, Hispanic (Mexican) and African American. Therefore choices in food, music and language is few and doesn’t compare to the Florida experience. The recreational activities in Florida are plentiful and caters to all ages and groups of people.
Tourist flock to the state primarily for its beautiful beaches, year round warm weather and variety of theme parks. Walt Disney World’s theme park alone receives more than 47 million visitors annually, making it the most visited theme park in the world. Also, Florida offers some of the best charted boat fishing trips in the nation that attracts huge numbers of anglers from around the world. The city of Miami is a hot spot for tourist due to its beaches, art-deco scene and famous nightclubs, it’s nicknamed “Hollywood of the south”, where more films are produced and more movie and music stars are beginning to call home. Compared to Florida, Texas recreational activities ranges from visiting historical landmarks, exploring canyons, caves and museums. The states most popular attraction is “The Alamo” which is located in San Antonio and draws more than 2.5 million visitors annually. The advantage Texas has over Florida is if you don’t like what’s in Texas you can travel elsewhere, being that the state borders New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mexico. Florida only borders Georgia and Alabama, but it’s within close proximity to more Caribbean Islands than any other U.S.
State. The economy plays the most important role in deciding where to reside. The price of homes, taxes, health care and job opportunities are some of the key factors to consider prior to making a decision. Residents of both states are exempt from income taxes, however those who reside in Texas maybe more vulnerable to higher property taxes even though the prices of homes are much cheaper than Florida homes. Healthcare services in Texas was rated as the worst in the nation according to the Federal Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. The report card gave the state poor remarks in preventive healthcare, care for the elderly and disabled patients, and treatment for cancer and diabetes patients. However, they did receive high remarks for maternal and child healthcare measures. Texas residents also may be a victim to conservative lawmakers who decided to shave the state’s Medicaid program by four billion dollars in order to cut back on state spending. However, Florida is not exempt from its problems in healthcare as well. The state ranks 44th in the nation for overall quality health care and 35th for healthcare affordability, obesity has increased to 27% of the population (70% Texas) and 21% of residents are uninsured ( 25% Texas).
When we see Texas, we remember today mainly for its BBQ, Football and Black Gold, Texas tea. However, there is much more than just the usual itineraries that we find in most other states as well. Molly Ivins in her essay “Is Texas America” categorically states that, “Here's the deal on Texas. It's big. So big there's about five distinct and different places here, separated from one another geologically, topographically, botanically, ethnically, culturally and climatically” (Ivins). This is a true belief from Molly Ivins of how huge Texas was and how the demographics changed in each geographical location in Texas. The population of Texas and the demographics are two essential factors that include many important parameters in deciding the history of any state. The presence of many ethnic groups further adds to the diversification of
Texas and Texans. 1. 1. New York, New York, Columbus, Ohio, Chicago, Illinois, Peoria, Illinois, Woodland Hills, California: National Geographic, Mc Graw Hill, 2003. 232-233. Print.
Texas is a unique place with a colorful history of legendary cowboys and tall tales. The state stretches over the middle section of the southern United States. Texas has experienced shifts in governmental control within the United States. French, Spanish, Mexican, and Confederacy, and all having once been in charge, not to mention the time Texas spent as an independent republic. Texas has had many battles and wars within its borders, resulting in seven different constitutions within a span of fifty years between each document.
Roughly thirty-eight million people live in the state of California. (U.S. Census Bureau, www.quickfacts.census.org) Imagine the various types of people to meet. California is the home to many ethnicities and cultures. Its high population hits on all types of groups of people, leaving no one out. From hardworking business men and women, to the laid back beach dwellers, California accepts everyone. The state is home to singers, actors, doctors, beach goers, snowy mountain inhibiters, and much more. Although Florida is known for its beautiful boardwalks, it is only home to nineteen million Americans. (U.S. Census Bureau, www.quickfacts.census.org) The state is not home to as many people as California; it is not home to various groups of people either. Florida does not offer a place to live for those who enjoy big forests and windy mountains. Florida is the land of pesky resort owners and beach-bums. In comparison, Florida is not as diverse, and is much smaller in population size.
Living in a city like Houston, diversity is present in every corner. From different races and beliefs to different sexual orientation. However, having grown up in Miami, diversity was not present in most situations. Most of the people in my community were mostly Cuban or from Central and South America. All my friends knew how to speak Spanish and shared similar cultures.
There have been several regions of United States that have gone through cultural changes throughout time. The indigenous people on the East coast went through a cultural change when the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. The people that lived in the North went through a cultural change when the French entered by the St. Lawrence River bringing their Roman Catholicism religion. The people that were living in what is now Alaska went through cultural change when the Russians entered the area with their new language and orthodox religion. More recently, the people of Miami have gone through cultural changes since the Cubans have entered Southern Florida. To understand the migration of Cubans to Southern Florida, one must be familiar with the history of Cuban migration, immigration policies, and their implications.
I believe that Southern California is a great place to visit because of the great weather and the beautiful and fun attractions to visit. This would be a great place for a vacation. I might be a little bit biased since on May 17, 1995, I was born in Southern California and lived there for the first 10 years of my life. I have many fond memories of the Sunshine State.
Florida is known for many things like its fresh oranges, its sunshine and warm climate, its beautiful beaches, its Everglades National Park, cigar factories and many more interesting things. There is also one more thing that adds on to Florida’s popularity and it is its film industry. The film industry in Florida is one of the largest in the United States. In 2006, Florida was ranked third in the U.S. for film production, after California and New York, based on revenue generated.
Florida has had quite an eventful history. It’s first human inhabitants are believed to be several Native American tribes, including The Panzacola, Chatot, Apalachicola, Apalachee, Timucua, Calusa, and the Matecumbe. These tribes occupied land all over Florida.
Texas is unlike any other culture in the United States. Inside the state of Texas, many different forms of dialect, ways of life, and even land forms can be found. Texas in unique because it is both a culture and a co-culture. Both platforms are very important to overall life in Texas. Texas residents are also very ethnocentric. Texas as a whole is considered a culture because, most residents share certain traits and beliefs. For example, Texas is set apart from other states because of the strong pride that comes with being a resident, their unique dialect, and the love for football. As a co-culture, Texas is represented by differencing land forms
The Texas Rangers (78-67) absolutely embarrassed the Houston Astros (77-69) tonight, slaughtering the Astros by a score of 14-3. Many were wondering how the Rangers would respond to going from the hunter to the hunted, and they responded mighty well. Martin Perez (3-5, 4.96 ERA) pitched brilliantly and got the win for the Rangers, while Dallas Keuchel (17-8, 2.56 ERA) was humiliated while taking the loss.
As decades pass, Florida’s population continues to grow and change rapidly. Being from both Dominican and Puerto Rican decent, the difficulties Latin Americans encounter become obvious. Trying to make a comfortable living in any Hispanic country is not an easy task. Many Spanish families, for that reason, decide to move to the United States for a better standard of living. And many of these individuals have been able to achieve their goals in life considering their minority roles in our country. Since Florida is the first peninsula most travelers come across when arriving into the U.S., the individuals find themselves to stay. South and Central Florida have especially been common areas for Latin families. Therefore, having so many successful Hispanics around, can be very inspiring to a person.
Have you ever been to Texas? I have been once. My trip to Texas was unbelievably awesome. I saw many of things on my way there. While we were there, I had loads of fun. Many things happened while we were there. Texas was the coolest place I have ever been.
Today the Second Amendment is in the media more and more due to the recent up rise in crimes with firearms. Every person seems to have an opinion on whether our Second Amendment should be removed or it should not ever be touched. “A free people ought not only be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunitions to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include the government.” (George Washington) The Second Amendment of the constitution reads "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Today the actual meaning of the second amendment is still not fully clear. If you were to ask multiple people the definition of the second amendment, you would receive a different one from each person. Also, you would be able to determine whether they are pro or anti-gun