This column represents the thoughts and opinions of Jason Hennington. This is NOT the opinion of the Taylor Press.
This week, I should be talking about how great the ninth annual Taylor Press 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament went last weekend.
I had hoped to highlight the 23 teams that came, played and showed competitiveness, sportsmanship and enthusiasm at the event, which benefits area youth. I wanted to talk about how the return of the Shining Stars was so incredible.
Instead, I’m going to focus on what might be a hate crime, along with the misguided argument from some that Juneteenth shouldn’t be considered a holiday.
All of this happened within three days.
The burning July 10 of Dr. James Lee Dickey’s home at 500 Burkett St., which was expected to house a future museum and multipurpose center, was a tragedy. Not to mention that it happened while we were beginning day two of the tournament.
I commend the Taylor Police Department for making a quick arrest in the case.
A 47-year-old Taylor man taken into custody in connection with the incident is charged with arson, a felony. He was picked up a couple of days after the blaze on an arrest warrant signed by Municipal Court Judge Randall Pick.
Was this a hate crime or an offense tinged by mental illness? It’s possibly both. According to a witness quoted in the affidavit, the defendant said, “I had to burn down that pagan church.”
To me, nothing excuses the destruction of the future museum, which would have showcased the pioneering efforts of Dickey and other African Americans to provide services, dignity and hope to persons of color, among others.
However, our laws presume innocence, not guilt. The burden is on the state to show a person committed a crime. But my first thought when I heard about the arrest was, “Put him under the jail” if the defendant is found guilty. Yet the more I think about the matter, I’ve decided he also needs help if convicted, not just a prison sentence. The only way to fix a broken society is to address issues such as mental health.
Another one of those issues is ignorance. The definition of ignorance is the lack of knowledge or information.
At the recent Williamson County Commissioners Court meeting, agenda item 39 was the discussion and approval of the 2022-23 holiday schedule. A motion was made to remove July 3 in favor of June 19, or Juneteenth, as a paid holiday for county employees.
The ignorance was not on the part of the commissioners, but a speaker advocating for a July 3 observance.
The resident said Juneteenth should not be a holiday if it meant losing the same status for July 3. According to the speaker, July 3 is the day hundreds of thousands of Confederate and Union soldiers were killed in the War Between the States, which — all rhetoric aside — was a conflict fought to both preserve or end slavery. He concluded by asking how many paid holidays county employees receive every year.
This person was ignorant about the fact Independence Day was established in 1776 when colonists proclaimed their freedom from the British crown. But that freedom didn’t include everyone. It would take another 90 years before the Emancipation Proclamation would be signed Jan. 1, 1863, ending the bondage of slaves. However, slaves in Texas only found out two years later – June 19, 1865 — when they received word from arriving U.S. troops.
Since the commissioners voted to add Juneteenth, I hope the speaker will learn more about the significance of June 19 to millions of Texans.
I’m going to get off my soapbox now. With the success of the ninth annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament, it’s time to start working on next year’s event. It’s number 10 and we have to go BIG!
“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” – Thomas Sowell
