Dorris Ellis, Houston Sun Publisher


Weekly, the Houston Sun staff work to bring you news and information that you can trust. We attempt to offer you what we think is important to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We strive to bring you insight into what is happening at home and around the world. December is the month of our birth. It was December 8, 1983 when the first edition of the Houston Sun was published. My family and were so proud. For we had gone from a clean sheet of paper, placed ideas on it and resulted in a product that we could share with Houstonains. Twenty-six years later, we are still proud of starting with a clean sheet of paper, a brain, and ideas to create a product using different technologies to get a message to the people who choose to read the Sun.

Like you, we live with the uncertainties of the economy, changes in governmental policies and not getting it right or a complete understanding of what is actually happening in our lives. We too, try to make sense of decisions that will impact our lives as we live one-day-at-a-time while making efforts to plan for a better future for self and family but also for community, nation, and our world.
Learning to become global citizens in tough economic times can cause speculation without a clearly defined outcome. The notions of our work can very well be fuzzy. It could be a little black, a little white, and a little gray. We therefore, must find a common sense of foundation. We must establish standards that are meaningful with which sustaining beliefs will come forward as the diamonds in our lives.
Houstonians are asked to go to the polls to vote in a runoff election on December 12. There should be no fuzziness about for whom you should vote. By this time, you should have paid enough attention so that you can make intelligent wise decisions. No one needs to tell you how to vote. It is each person's civic responsibility to discern what is in his or her best interest. You have families. You have friend discuss what you want for your family and your community and determine which of the tow mayoral candidates would be the best person to show leadership and a role model in your household. Voting is an individual act. It is one name per person. It is not a group process. Civil liberties are actions that we take on individually and with the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, you are pretty much obligated to do it because so many African Americans laid down confronting major odds so that you can stand and walk into the polling booth and demonstrate the strength of our man and womanhood by voting.

I beg of you not to allow Dec. 12 at 7 PM come and go without you having done something for yourself and your family. Voting ought to be the gift that you willingly give your family for this Christmas. The act of voting is a gift that really keeps on giving. For the actions taken and decisions made by those who win elections set policies, establishes an agenda that will impact our lives for future generations. Each election serves as a cornerstone relating to how money is spent, determines who gets specific jobs, while establishing the climate of commerce and goodwill for the citizenry. I have already voted and I hope that you will join me in voting. Don't let the sun go down on you and you have not given your ancestors the gift of voting. Take your family and friends along with so that they too can give the gift of voting. The vote is a diamond of this season.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Voters must vote at the precinct that has been designated for them to vote. Go to www.harrisvotes.org/ or call (713) 755-6965 for your voting location

May God bless, and I will see you next week.

Dorris Ellis, Houston Sun Publisher


Thanksgiving is over.  According to the American Automobile Association, more families went over the rivers and through the woods to spend time with grandma and the other relatives and friends.  It was a time of reflection and now we are inching toward what has become the "keep the economy running season" as consumers push and shove, going into stores in frenzy competition with other shoppers for items we really can live without. Yet, we anticipate and live in hyper anguish as during the12-days of Christmas and prior.

Living in a slowly recovering economy, maybe this is the perfect time to learn how to make a change in our purchasing habits.  All of us require disciple so that we can use the investment of time and money in a wise more sustainable manner.  Looking and watching the citizens is a joy as boys and girls await an opportunity to talk with Santa.  This is important, as it is an American tradition, one that the boys and girls look forward to all year-long.

Although, we will buy for the children at Christmas, we must also teach them how to be grateful even when it's Santa Claus.

President Barack Obama has asked Americans to contribute to our communities without pay as volunteers. There are many persons who are available to give time and expertise to the children.  And they should.

The Houston Sun is starting its "New Bright Ideas Club" and "Volunteers Club" to help you keep track of the time that you give to your community.  Sometimes, we will grow to understand that our gift that we give can be one of service to your fellow humankind.  So, go on and get prepared and you will be able to make your beloved happy throughout the year as you complete your volunteer effort

This is for volunteers and the building of a better nation.

May God bless, and I will see you next week.

Guest Blogger: Siddiq McMillian

The subject of health care reform has been the topic for heated discussions over the past year.  Solutions on how to reform the broken health care system are numerous.  While everyone from politicians to news anchorshave weighed in on the health care debate, there has been one groupthat has been noticeably absent from the discussion.  Individuals inthe age group of 24 and under have yet to let their voice be heard. Although this is a disturbing fact, it is not totally surprising.  Longgone are the days when college students were vocal with their opinionsby protesting, staging walkouts, or even signing written petitions.

Today's college students have become complacent with accepting whatever the system feels they deserve, there is no more rebellious spirit inside today's college aged citizens asking the question "why".  The fact is that the majority of college students are not properly informed about the choices or facts surrounding proposed reform bills.  There is no excuse for our ignorance towards such an important decision, as west and to be the ones most affected by both the cost and the outcome of any reform.  Information about reform bills and the facts surrounding the current health care system is conveniently available on the Internet.  As the most technologically advanced generation in history, it is disappointing that we choose not to take advantage of the resources at hand. Instead of properly educating ourselves about what is included in reform bills, we spend most of our time on You Tube or chatting on Facebook. We can spend hours to find out how to hack the new I-Phone so it works on any service provider, but cannot spare a couple hours to research how many billions of dollars health care reform will cost us.

The fact is that today's college kids will end up being stuck with the majority of the cost to reform the broken health care system. The lack of interest by the 24 and under generation to know the facts stem from many reasons.  One of those reasons being that as young people we feel as though we are invincible.  The truth is, the current 24 and under generation is one of the most unhealthy generations in history.  It is not uncommon for college student to graduate with upwards of five thousand dollars in medical debt. The minds and voices of the college student needs to be awoken to the world they live in, and the pressing issues that need to be addressed.  This awakening can begin either through classrooms once again becoming an arena for discussions on current topics, or even requesting your local representative to address your campus in a public forum.  Regardless of how this awakening occurs, we as college students cannot continue to live with our heads under the sand while those in power make decisions that could be detrimental to our future.

— Siddiq McMillian is a student at Texas Southern University