FUND-RAISING PHIL GRAMM LOOKS TO '96 Pg. 10 A JOURNAL OF FREE VOICES NOVEMBER 13, 1992 $1.75 Remembering the Alamo . Heights BY NANCY FOLBRE San Antonio; Amherst, Mass. HERE'S AN ENGLISHMAN, A Frenchman, a Texan and a T Mexican, plus a pilot, on a four- engine cargo plane flying an emer- gency mission. One of the engines conks out and the pilot announces that the plane will crash unless they lighten their load. He asks for a vol- unteer to parachute from the plane. The Englishman quietly says "God Save the Queen" and steps out the door. A few minutes later, a second engine conks out. Another sacrifice is required. The Frenchman leaps out, with a gallant "Vive la France." Then a third engine goes, and the pilot screams, "Act fast, boys, somebody else has got to jump." The Texan yells "Remember the Alamo!" and pushes the Mexican out the door. When I first heard this joke, in the halls of Alamo Heights High School about 25 years ago, I thought it was incredibly funny. For some reason, I was reminded of it when I received Demetrio Rodriguez and his grandson at new elementary school ALAN POGUE an upscale brochure in the mail ask- ing for my donation to the Alamo Heights School Anyway, I didn't exactly whip out my check- Court ruling that struck down the principle of Foundation. "This year," the enclosed letter said, book. What can you expect from someone who "separate but equal" education in 1954, Brown "approximately $4 million of Alamo Heights was elected "most revolutionary" of the gradu- v. the Board of Education, did little more than Independent School District (AHISD) property ating class of 1969? (It was a new category; I set the stage. Although school segregation is no tax revenue will go to other schools in our don't think it lasted beyond that year). Still, I longer enforced by law, it is reproduced by County Education District." The brochure grew nostalgic thinking about my favorite Alamo economic inequalities that are, in turn, repro- explained that private donations to the foun- Heights teachers, and decided to study the Great duced by unequal access to education. This dation, unlike tax revenues, will be used exclu- Texas School Funding Fight. It's a story worthy circular process has been challenged by a series sively for the students in the Alamo Heights of the big screen, with shoot-em-up anger, edge- of state court rulings in Texas, Arkansas, school system. of-the-seat suspense and a grand patriotic theme: California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Kansas, "We don't want people to get the wrong the meaning of equal opportunity. Montana, New Jersey, Washington, West idea about what we're doing," explained the Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The Texas foundation's president last December. "We're challenge will put a case called Edgewood into not trying to get ahead of other people; we're Keep Your. Eyes the history books alongside Brown. just trying to make up for what was taken from on the Prize In 1953, a bunch of African-American stu- us." These words are a bit ironic, because that's dents walked out of a Kansas classroom, protest- exactly what advocates of school funding equal- Many books have been written, and courses ing the poor quality of their education. That's ization are trying to do. I guess a lot depends taught, on the Civil Rights Movement. People how Brown v. the Board of Education came to on who "we" are, and what we think belongs tend to describe it as a thing of the past. Actually, to "us." it's just getting started. The famous Supreme Continued on page 6 DIALOGUE Progressive Dissent Gov. Richards cannot take that position and neither — re your half-hearted realpolitik rver Ronnie Dugger writes that we should be endorsement — can the Observer. As for ashamed because we are not toeing the line Guerrero, a resignation after election (should for Bill Clinton. Ashamed that we oppose a that come to pass) would be an important step candidate who was in favor of war in the JOURNAL OF FREE VOICES towards her future rehabilitation, something A Persian Gulf? We will serve no group or party but will hew hard to which in her history of political duplicity is the truth as we find it and the right as we see it. We are Ashamed that we oppose a candidate who long overdue. dedicated to the whole truth, to human values above all embraces the North American Free Trade — Rod Davis Oak Cliff interests, to the rights of human-kind as the foundation Agreement? of democracy: we will take orders from none but our own conscience, and never will we overlook or misrepresent Ashamed that we oppose a candidate who the truth to serve the interests of the powerful or cater runs a TV ad saying he's not like the old Editor's Note: Rod Davis is a former Texas to the ignoble in the human spirit. Democrats, he's a new kind of Democrat who Observer editor. The current editor, who Writers are responsible for their own work, but not dumps on welfare recipients and brags about wrote the "realpolitik endorsement," agrees for anything they have not themselves written, and in pub- with Davis. lishing them we do not necessarily imply that we agree supporting the death penalty? with them, because this is a journal of free voices. We're not ashamed. We're proud. Bill Clinton will not solve the fundamental prob- SINCE 1954 lems of this country, and Ronnie Dugger is Publisher: Ronnie Dugger fooling himself — and his readers — by sug- Enough Bad Advice Editor: Louis Dubose gesting that electing Clinton is a crucial part If as you reported (PI 10/16/92), the Dallas Associate Editor: James Cullen of the "great evolutionary search for the Layout and Design: Diana Paciocco, Peter Szymczak ACLU told El Centro College students, available better reality." who were denied permission to leaflet at Copy Editor: Roxanne Bogucka Bill Clinton is not the missing link. Dugger Mexico City Correspondent: Barbara Belejack the downtown Dallas campus, that college Editorial Interns: Paula George, Lorri J. Legge. buys into the great-man theory of history. He administrators have greater authority to con- Contributing Writers: Bill Adler, Betty Brink, Warren believes that if you can just put the right per- fine speech on college campuses under post- Burnett, Brett Campbell, Jo Clifton, Terry FitzPatrick, son in the White House, many if not most of Gregg Franzwa, James Harrington, Bill Helmer, Ellen Vietnam War U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Hosmer, Steven Kellman, Michael King, Deborah our problems will be solved. the Dallas ACLU is flat wrong. Lutterbeck, Tom McClellan, Bryce Milligan, Debbie But that's not how democratic social Further, the Texas Supreme Court has Nathan, Gary Pomerantz, Lawrence Walsh. change occurs in this country. Dugger's made it clear, time and again, that there is Editorial Advisory Board: David Anderson, Austin; beloved Lyndon Johnson did not do good Frances Barton, Austin; Elroy Bode, El Paso; Chandler greater speech freedom under the Texas Bill Davidson, Houston; Dave Denison, Cambridge, Mass; things because he was a good person; he did of Rights than the federal First Amendment. Bob Eckhardt, Washington, D.C.; Sissy Farenthold, good things because millions of civil-rights The battle for civil liberty is tough enough Houston; Ruperto Garcia, Austin; John Kenneth Galbraith, protestors took to the streets to demand without throwing in the towel ahead of time, Cambridge, Mass.; Lawrence Goodwyn, Durham, N.C.; redress. Change comes from the bottom, not George Hendrick, Urbana, Ill.; Molly Ivins, Austin; let alone giving bad advice. Larry L. King, Washington, D.C.; Maury Maverick, the top. —James C. Harrington, Legal Director, Jr., San Antonio; Willie Morris, Oxford, Miss.; Kaye What we need today is to build a grassroots Texas Civil Rights Project, Austin Northcott, Austin; James Presley, Texarkana; Susan Reid, movement in this country that will demand Austin; Geoffrey Rips, Austin; A.R. (Babe) Schwartz, fundamental democratic change. Once we do Galveston; Fred Schmidt, Fredericksburg. that, it will not matter who sits in the Oval 4.„ .........0% A€--k Office. %■.4 ea Poetry Consultant: Thomas B. Whitbread There are no shortcuts. Glamorizing Bill iv; • Contributing Photographers: Bill Albrecht, Vic Hin- Horse terlang, Alan Pogue. Clinton is a diversion at best. At worst, it is a Contributing Artists: Michael Alexander, Eric Avery, set-up for disillusionment and despair. 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