Yesterday the Dallas Morning News published an editorial written by County Commissioner John Wiley Price. I found it interesting. The piece is about the killing of George Floyd and the need for people to listen to each other. After writing that Whites need to better understand Blacks and that Blacks need to better understand Whites, Price says:
[W]hen we conduct this dialogue, we should really listen to what is being said; talking with someone should not be talking at someone. It should also not be about winning the discussion. We will all win if we learn from one another, even if we still disagree.
I know there will be those who think it is hypocritical that I am asking for less division and confrontation and more understanding, and I understand why that is so. Just let me say that I have been there. I do know what it is like to be confrontational, and I know that, in the past, merely “asking” has often not been enough to modify attitudes or practices that have existed for decades. Yet, I do know there comes a point when confrontation becomes counterproductive.
I suppose 1996 was a long time ago. That’s when Price called a Hispanic Parkland board member a coconut and told him to go “back to old Mexico.” Maybe 2011 is old history. That’s when Price told some citizens speaking at the Commissioners Court, “All of you are white. Go to hell!”
Fine then. How about two months ago? Here’s some video from April 17, 2020. For context, he and Commissioner Elba Garcia were talking about what constitutes an “essential business” and when these places should be allowed to reopen. Garcia is a dentist.
