A Yes Vote on Proposition 1 in Houston is Your Patriotic Duty!

     Initially this article on the Burnt Orange Report tugged at my veteran strings but did not seem worthy of a critique.  Not because it was poorly written but because it was written very well.  Allow me to explain.  The author, Andrea Greer, uses a simple and straight to the point writing style in A Yes Vote on Proposition 1 in Houstonis Your Patriotic Duty.  So when I first read the article it seemed logical, of course I am patriotic and support our troops.  Only after reading other pieces about Proposition 1 that the cleverness of Andrea Green’s unique approach really hit me. 

   There really is a whole lot of commotion about this proposition.  There are those who oppose it and voice their fear of men dressed in woman’s clothing being able to enter the woman’s bathroom.  Those that support the proposition trying to debunk the “bathroom” fear in Houstonians.  Both sides are taking their stance to try and win over the people but Andrea Greer did not speak to one side or the other; she appealed to the patriot in all of us.  SO CLEVER!!

    Aside from her writing style she gave a face to make the issue more personal via a video featuring the story of a veteran with first hand discrimination experience. A face to think of when voting.  She touches on one of the reasons why employers may be fearful of hiring veterans, PTSD, and backs it up with a link to a story by USA Today which talks more in depth about employers’ fears.  But just how many people does a portion of this proposition really affect? 1.5 million Veterans living in Texas.  And if for any reason the reader is skeptical a link is provided to the Demographic Study which was used to get the population of veterans living in Texas.

    Overall I think the author did a great job at bringing a different portion of Proposition 1 to light.  As a veteran myself I think she did justice to the cause.  I do however wish there were more information about the author to make a correct assumption about the author’s credibility. According to an editor’s note on a previous piece she is a recent addition and "a progressive activist from Houston, who will be covering women’s health, reproductive justice, and more”.