Change Can Make All the Difference

I have been wonderfully busy with friends since last Wednesday. (Tonight's the first night since then I've had dinner at home!) And I have lots of photos from those evenings. But I'm still in the middle of transferring data from two computers to my new laptop and trying to make sure I have adequate back-ups of it all. So those posts will have to wait.

In the meantime, let me share this story about a Texas Wesleyan Alum. His name is Craig Watkins. And he's the new DA in Dallas County. Now, Texas Wesleyan's first graduating class was in 1994, and Watkins was in that class. (As was a remarkable woman named Cliffie, whom I worked with at the Court and whose spirit, spunk, and special sense I adore. I'm sure she doesn't know how much our chats over lunch for those three years affected me, but in learning the right sort of attitude to have about things---I leaned a lot. And for that, I'm delighted.)

Anyway---back to Watkins. I don't personally know him. The first I heard of him was in one of our faculty meetings (must have been that second Wednesday in November) when various faculty members shared news about alum of Texas Wesleyan Law who had been elected to public office. We'd had several JPs for some time. And now we even have at least one local district judge in the mix too---I'm quite sure. (and yes, we have me, the full-time professor who decided not be become a judge; Texas politics and I wouldn't be able to play nicely together.) But this year, we have a DA! (That's "District Attorney" for you non-law folks.)

But not just any DA. We have an alum who's been elected DA of---get this---Dallas County! This, people, is huge.

(Keep in mind that our first graduating class was just thirteen years ago, and we're still building our reputation and all. It takes time.)

Okay, so at first, I was, I'll admit, skeptical. Watkins had little---if any---prosecutorial experience. Why, then, did he win? Because Dallas County sent a loud and strong message to everyone else that they're fed up with the Republican Party. Democrats won all over the county.

Hey---it happens. For the last, oh, ten plus years in Tarrant County, the way to become a judge is run on a Republican ticket. Twenty or so years ago, it was the opposite. That's them thar politics for ya.

Again---back to Watkins. So---me? On his bandwagon? Not so much. I mean, yes---WooHoo for our alums! Slowly lots of us are making our mark, making our way (my move to Memphis is part of my part in all that), and making a difference. But once we get there, we still have to prove ourselves. And as of now (I reserve the right to change my opinion should new facts be learned), DA Watkins is holding his own---at least in certain areas that garner a great deal of respect from me.

Additionally, not only is he paving a way for Texas Wesleyan alums, he (according to the article linked below) is the first black district attorney in the state of Texas. Seriously? It took until 2007 for this? Egads! But bravo, it's here.

I know; I know. Just because he's black . . .

(Sidebar---once I visited Africa this year (okay, and even before, but now I have a real reason), I quit using the term "African American." I saw the reaction when some American I was traveling with tried to be PC and use the "African American" label, and the look on the African's face said, "Excuse me, does that person even know anything about Africa?" Seriously, people. I'm white. I'm American. I have Irish heritage---and British, and Scottish, and German......but I'm not Irish American. First and even second generations of folks who move here---go right ahead. But beyond that, I just don't know. And all of this PC crappolla is what made me feel so very strange ever calling someone "African." I had to remind myself that first, the better thing would be to identify by country----Kenyan; Ethiopian; Ugandan, etc. But still, "African" is no different that saying someone is "European" or "North American." Seriously, people. Wait--don't get me wrong. I am the first (okay, maybe not the first, but right up there at the front of the line!) to be offended by derogatory labels based on slang terms. But "black" or "white" isn't derogatory. Okay, so not to me. Granted, just as soon as someone tells me it offends them, I won't use it in their presence.

So again---back to DA Watkins.

(one more---I call these "rabbit trails," and I'm the queen of chasing rabbits down trails in conversations. The bad thing occurs if I forgot the trail from which I left. Well, that, and sometimes one trail can easily lead to another. And when that happens, the hard part is that often my brain is working too quickly and just making my mouth talk---sort of a "free-flow" of thoughts. That's fine---for me. But my poor conversation partner is usually staring at me, brow furrowed, saying, "Huh?"

Except for Margo. I vividly recall the day we were driving down FM1960, and I chased about three rabbits in succession before she stopped me. Her issue was not that I had lost her. Her issue was that she had followed me! eek! No wonder we were unbeatable at Taboo! :-) (Margo & I were coworkers and friends for a while, then shared an apartment for about 18 months before getting a house along with her boyfriend (now hubby) Eric. What great people. Margo's another one of those friends who really helped me learn about perspective. ))

Okay----once more, back to DA Watkins. See, he had no experience. And I pretty much scoffed at that. But ya know what? Sometimes you need a fresh set of eyes to see things clearly. Change, indeed, can make a difference.

Naturally, as when any new chief comes in, shake-ups in personnel happened. And I don't have an opinion about that; I don't know those people. But what he did that impressed me, well, here---read about it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/us/03dallas.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

That's right---in the New York Times.

Sure, some may think this DNA testing is a waste of resources. But I stand by my feeling that I'd rather a guilty man go free than a man innocent of the crime be locked up.

I don't know about his management style or how else he's doing in that DA's office, but when it comes to exonerating the innocent: You keep rockin' DA Watkins!