Called Out

   In an uncredited editorial, The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram takes a shot at a ridiculously short-sighted law being pushed by Arlington Police Chief Theron Bowman. The city ordinance, if passed, would "essentially rope off an area that encompasses Rangers Ballpark, Cowboys Stadium, Six Flags Over Texas and neighboring commercial corridors", according to the editorial.
     
    This piece was directed at the residents of Arlington and to people of the area in general. It's comforting to read in the editorial that some city leaders are not "sold on the proposition"; but my favorite quote from the piece is this nice, honest, little bit:

"It has too much the appearance of PR and politics dressed up to look like real crime-fighting."

  That is a strong statement, that just makes me smile. This is an editorial, so it has the Star-telegram's full weight behind it. This is an opinion that can't just be passed off on some columnist or blogger. Granted, in today's world, where newspapers are gasping their last breaths and gaping like carp on the banks of the Trinity River that can't seem flop over the beer bottles and used condoms and get back into the water, an editorial may not have as much weight as it used to. But, you can't tell that to the newspapers themselves, so they make that decision with the same gravity that they always have. It's just that the rest of us don't really notice or care like we did before Al Gore founded the internet for us. This is the paper of Ft. Worth, Arlington too in all actuality, calling out the Police Chief and his supporters for wanting to look like they are doing something, when they really aren't. 

       To begin with, the editorial very adeptly points out the logistical nightmare this would create when the SuperBowl comes to town in February. Of course, the only reason that this ordinance is coming up is because the biggest event in America is going to be there and the world's media will be ready to critique and criticize Arlington and the surrounding areas (like that little town to the east that starts with a "D" and rhymes with malice*) and the police chief is more concerned that it appears that they are fighting prostitution than actually doing anything about it. The Star-Telegram points out that most of the people in town for the game and it's hurricane of events won't actually be staying in Arlington. Neither of the playing teams will be staying there (personally, I'm crossing my fingers that the NFC representatives will just be staying at home and driving to the game instead of staying at a hotel). If they had any intention of really enforcing this law, then they are going to be asking for ID from people as they enter the "zone" or they are not going to be able to enforce it. 

  If they start selectively asking for ID, that's a nightmare. I would say that that kind of profiling would be a weeeeeee bit offensive, especially to some ladies that will be attending the game. Now, I'm technically caucasian, but there is a little Native American (Comanche to be exact) floating around in here and I've been asked a hundred times or more if I am Hispanic, Jewish, and even Middle Eastern. I've never been offended by that and to be honest, before now I've never really thought much about it. But, if you asked me if I was a prostitute, more than likely we are going to have words, with levels of hostility increasing in direct proportion to levels of intoxication, of course. My wife has been known to wear some shorter skirts on occasion and maybe a halter top that was a little iffy, but if you ask her if she was a prostitute, and you are serious, and you're in a police uniform, then she and I will be going to jail. Not for prostitution, but for assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, and failure to signal a right hook. Seriously, can you imagine one of those big-haired chicks that were trophy wives 15 years ago when they married their oil industry-husbands going out to the game and being ID'd for prostitution? I can see it. It would happen.

   I'm proud of the Star-Telegram on calling out the police chief for championing this silly law. I'm glad they pointed out that not only would it not work, but that it is nothing but window dressing. It's a dog and pony show for the world media to see when they come to town with their preconceived notions of what Texans are. Some of them are going to be upset that we don't all ride horses to school and wear wife beater t-shirts to church. Passing something as ridiculous as this ordinance would actually get attention, even during SuperBowl week, but not for the reasons that it's supporters would want. This law would set up Arlington, and Texans with it, as fools in the eyes of the world. I remember reading the bashing of Jacksonville, FL a few years back when the SuperBowl was held there. If some suburb of Jacksonville had done something like pass a prostitution identification ordinance, they would have been killed in the media. I'm glad to see that some common sense is being applied from the editors in Ft. Worth and hopefully they'll keep Chief Bowman from making us all look like idiots. 

*for the record, I originally used another word that rhymes with that city and starts with "Ph". But, even though William Shakespeare used it several times, I don't think it would have been too appropriate for a school blog. In the end, I would rather change the word and have that line not be very clever than just cross it out or actually use the name of the city.