Call The (Honors) Dawgs

Hey everyone! I hope y'all had a great Tuesday, whether it be in Athens, Atlanta, or anywhere else. Today was certainly another interesting day for me! The weather in D.C. has been up and down to say the least. And today was no exception: it was HOT, humid and rainy outside today. Not the best combination. But work was pretty exciting for a couple of different reasons:

• I attended a markup today on the SAFE Act in the House Judiciary Committee. The SAFE ACT (which stands for Strengthen and Fortify Enhancement Act) is one of several immigration bills currently in the House. This particular bill would give local and state authority the ability to investigate and arrest undocumented immigrants and transfer them to federal authorities for deportation. The bill also strengthens border security as well as interior enforcement (for individuals already unlawfully present in the U.S., VISA overstays, etc.). The markup was filled with proponents and opponents of the law. Several of the opponents of the law were the so-called Dreamers, or children who were brought to the U.S. by their parents. They were dressed in graduation robes. At the very beginning of the markup, a group of individuals stood up and began chanting Shame Shame Shame. Stop the pain!, expressing their disapproval of the bill. And while they were escorted out, they began chanting Si se puede! in the Rayburn Hallways. It was very interesting and intense to say the least. Obviously, immigration is a very sensitive and controversial topic for people on both sides of the argument. And while both sides of the aisle agree that the current immigration system is broken, the way in which we go about fixing it remains to be seen. 

• After work, I headed over to a Cuban restaurant called Cuba Libre for the Honors in Washington/UGA Alumni dinner. Maria, our HIW intern coordinator, invited 60 UGA Honors alumni currently living in D.C. to network and mingle with the current interns in D.C. I met a lot of great people, from attorneys to nonprofit workers to staffers on the Hill. Dr. Williams, the President of the UGA Honors Program, was also present! I must admit, I was a little overwhelmed with all the advice and information I received. But I am incredibly grateful that I was able to meet so many wonderful people. And of course, GO DAWGS everywhere I go! 

 Jackson and me at the UGA Honors Alumni dinner!

HIW moderates, haha! And we finally got a roommate picture!

• I am currently watching Game Six of the NBA Finals; if my prediction holds, the Spurs will hang on to this lead and take the title. But the Heat are starting to warm up a little so I'm not writing this game off yet. But with Tim Duncan is playing like the ageless wonder he is, the Heat are definitely in trouble. Guess we'll see! 

I'd like to end my post a little differently tonight with some food for thought. In the markup I attended today, Congressman Trey Gowdy of South Carolina offered some wise words in the midst of chaos and controversy stirred up by the SAFE Act. Gowdy--a conservative Republican and the author of the SAFE Act--reminded his colleagues to 'never question the motive of another member' because you never truly know another member's experiences or beliefs. Debate facts, not motives, Gowdy added. And while I obviously do not agree with Mr. Gowdy on a number of different issues, his words really stuck with me. Sometimes it is difficult for us to fully understand the other side but that is because we will never fully know the other side. There's a reason there are two sides to every debate; one will never be the 'right' one because we all have different viewpoints and perspectives. In conclusion, I urge my readers to reflect over Congressman Gowdy's words and understand that although we may not agree with the other side, we must never question their motives because we will never fully understand their motives. And that goes for BOTH Democrats and Republicans.

Goodnight everyone!