4-12-90 . . . There is talk these days of “two Texases”, one represented by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ann Richards and the other by Republican candidate Clayton Williams. The “new” Texas, of which Richards is the representative, is urban, intellectual, liberal, and sophisticated. The “old” Texas, of which Williams is the representative, is rural, old-fashioned, patriarchal, and conservative. I’m a good example of the new Texan. I have little or no sense of Texas tradition, despise the “good ole boy” mentality of the state, and want reforms of public education, voting procedures, and criminal law, among other things. Thousands of Midwesterners and Easterners have flocked to this state in the past two decades, many of them liberal to radical in their social and political views. These people are solidly behind Richards in her race for governor. Opposed to us are the traditional Texans, those who identify with cowboys, enjoy such things as hunting and fishing, work with their hands, and believe in “law and order”. These are people who think that politics is a man’s world, despise blacks and Hispanics, and view the environment as a source of raw materials (oil, timber, and grass) for economic exploitation. That’s why this fall’s gubernatorial election is so important to me; it’s a referendum on what sort of state this is and will be. I would like to think that Texas, like me, is modern, liberal, and sensitive. 4-12-90 . . . There is talk these days of “two Texases”, one represented by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ann Richards and the other by Republican candidate Clayton Williams. The “new” Texas, of which Richards is the representative, is urban, intellectual, liberal, and sophisticated. The “old” Texas, of which Williams is the representative, is rural, old-fashioned, patriarchal, and conservative. I’m a good example of the new Texan. I have little or no sense of Texas tradition, despise the “good ole boy” mentality of the state, and want reforms of public education, voting procedures, and criminal law, among other things. Thousands of Midwesterners and Easterners have flocked to this state in the past two decades, many of them liberal to radical in their social and political views. These people are solidly behind Richards in her race for governor. Opposed to us are the traditional Texans, those who identify with cowboys, enjoy such things as hunting and fishing, work with their hands, and believe in “law and order”. These are people who think that politics is a man’s world, despise blacks and Hispanics, and view the environment as a source of raw materials (oil, timber, and grass) for economic exploitation. That’s why this fall’s gubernatorial election is so important to me; it’s a referendum on what sort of state this is and will be. I would like to think that Texas, like me, is modern, liberal, and sensitive.Twenty Years Ago
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Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 