Ron's Big Mistake
Submitted by Allen Gwinn on Sun, 08/14/2005 - 17:15.
On Saturday, I went to a South Dallas political forum. One of the speakers was Dallas School Board Trustee Ron Price.
Ron, yesterday, made a huge mistake; and it wasn't the comment he made about me.
You see, on Saturday, I met Ron's mom.
I had the distinct pleasure of being invited to attend the IKOJA meeting in South Dallas. IKOJA is a small (but growing) group of young South Dallas activists who want to bring about a political change South of I-30. So they invited several black politicians to show up and answer questions in a moderated forum.
Ron brought his mom.
I immediately liked Ron's mom.
It so happens I've been hanging onto this video from the Woodrow Wilson High School graduation back in the Spring (May 21, 2005 to be exact).
While I was at the meeting, I asked Ron about part of the speech he gave to the 245 graduating seniors at the high school. One thing, for instance, was his claim about growing up in Spanish Harlem and not speaking English until he was 11.
According to Ron, it was all true.
Which, I must admit, is very impressive.
For a non-English speaking person to have grown up in poverty in (of all places) Harlem, New York to rise to where Ron Price is today; now that's impressive. I will admit that my opinion of Ron rose many points.
So I turned to Mrs. Price to talk to her more about Ron's life of poverty in Spanish Harlem and the challenges faced by her and her family.
"That's impressive," I said to her, "that Ron grew up in Spanish Harlem and didn't speak English until he was 11."
"What," she replied?
Ron immediately cut her off and me too. "Mom, don't listen to him," Ron told her, "he's just out to get me!"
I didn't get a chance to ask about Ron's impressive and undocumented rise to (according to his graduation speech) "President of the State Board of Education." I was unable to find any record of Ron ever getting elected, much less serving on the State Board of Education (here's their website).
So I met Ron's mom. I'm usually a pretty good judge of character, and here's what I think:
I think Mrs. Price is from the "old school." I think she is a tough woman who fought hard to make things better for her family. And I think she is painfully honest, and she tried to instill honesty in her kids.
So I really want to show this video to Ron's mom.
I want to hear the story of Spanish Harlem from her perspective. I want to hear her story of moving her family from the projects to Dallas when Ron was 11.
I think an interview with Ron's mom would mean alot to the 245 young people who heard Ron's graduation speech.
Hopefully somebody can help me set this up.
I can't believe this whole situation, though.
Not Ron, me.
I've sunken to a new low on Dallas.Org.
I'm going to tell someone's mommy.
I need to go upstairs and see if I can still look at myself in the mirror.
Another Ron Price Lie?
Why has no one ever done a investigation about Ron being an instructor for DISD? He was a teacher assistant yet on DISD web site he states he was a teacher. Another lie?
Ron Price that Liar
I’m an African American and a resident in Dallas. From the first day I met Ron Price I thought him to be a liar and a corrupt man. Does he have NO integrity?
Excusing His Behavior
Well, I have to say that there are certainly a large number of people willing to just excuse his behavior and write it off. What they're saying, in effect is: "it is OK for our school board representative to lie to our kids--and this is the example we want set for our children."
Maybe they should let him take care of their bank accounts for them :)
The Excuse
Sometimes the reality of what is, is not as interesting as what could be. He wasn't lying, he was just doing a bit of historical fiction to make his speech more interesting!
It however seems that no one is interested in opposing him for election, so what is the alternative?
Would folks north of I-30 think kindly of someone who works diligently for the interests of those south of I-30?
Or do they prefer someone who uses their elected position for personal gain and is thus easily corrupted and weak.
He is very flawed leader, but he keeps his position because he is beholding to someone that wants to keep him in his position.
Look at it this way, do you mow your own lawn? If you do good, if you don't then you hire someone, then most likely hire some company to do it for you. I wonder what there health insurance is like. So when the guy cutting your lawn gets hurt, he goes to the clinic and his health care plan covers it.
He goes to Parkland and sits around for half a day waiting for them to stich him up.
If someone south of I-30 was elected they might think it would be the thing to annex Highland Park into the City of Dallas. Far be it from me to see HP as a tax haven for the rich. They get the benefits, a cheap ready labor force in Dallas, a place to work in Dallas, but don't have to put up with to much of trouble that comes with living so close to an urban area.
I think Price is better alternative. If the well off could ever start to live in the places they have contempt for I would have more respect for them. If you really want South Dallas to be better, move there, run for office.
America is the most free country in the world, yet we have the most people in prison. America is spreading freedom around the world. As a kid I never knew how many people had to be killed to make them free. But you see through killing them, we are making them more free. Is it possible to impose freedom?
This ties in because you called Ron Price a liar. Is the truth more than a lie told often enough that people believe it? If his mother would have backed his lie would it have then been a lie? If he has not grown up in Spanish Harlem, where did he grow up? Is his mother old and confused? If you can expose him as liar, I want you to give me the truth. I am beset on every side by liars and cheats in the government, I have the miracle of TV, it brings lies from all angles.
Please blog about the truth, not the lies you know that other people are telling. Without that, the truth becomes the lies one chooses to believe.
Then we can all get crazy and live in the street. But the homeless are a topic for a different day.
That's It: Historical Fiction!
Naphtha, you are a genius!
Ron didn't lie to a room full of graduating kids, it was "historical fiction!"
He didn't falsify a campaign report. He produced a report and a notary signature of what a November form would have looked like had it been done on May 1!
It's historical fiction. It's art!
Thank you for setting me straight.
On the other hand, we've chatted about this subject before. There will always be richer and poorer people than you and me. There will always be some guy who didn't have to work as hard as you or I, and there will be those we don't have to work as hard as.
Life isn't fair, and (even though I'd like for it to be) everyone isn't as equal as the Good Book intended.
But there is one area where each of us has a equal chance of success: being honest, ethical and not taking unfair advantage of our fellow human beings.
None of us need lie to 245 kids for no apparent reason. Whether it's your upbringing or claiming to be the President of the State Board of Education, it's wrong.
None of us need falsify a report so we wouldn't have to take a little bit of personal responsibility.
None of us need accept just any money anyone throws our way--leaving our constituents wondering if we made that "big" decision because it was the best decision, or made a decision because someone padded our wallet.
I disagree with you.
A lie is never the truth--no matter how many times it's told.
Go watch the video again. Tell me what you think.
And I have another idea: why don't you oppose him. You seem to have a grasp, and I get the distinct impression that this kind of behavior doesn't sit well with you.