we eat our own

On their Other Opinion page Wednesday morning, the Amarillo Globe-Republican called guest columnist Allen Finegold a "longtime Amarillo resident and Democratic Party activist."

Well, he's certainly a longtime resident.

And until I read his latest column, I would certainly have agreed about the other, too. Hell, I've seen Mr. Finegold at Democratic events for years.

But, while Democrats have widely-ranging views and are possessed of a Quite Big Tent, there are, there must be, certain values that unite us.

The most charitable thing I can say about Mr. Finegold's column is that it is very vaguely worded and, uh, "not up to his usual standards." It's quite possible that I completely misunderstand Finegold's backhanded prose. Maybe he's not advocating the effective dismantling of public education-- but it sure looks like it.

If I do understand this column, Finegold's joining with Texas Republicans to dis and destroy public education.

Here's where I should say: I'm sorry, but that's my line in the sand, my deal-breaker, my litmus test. Here's where I should say: I'm sorry, but if you don't support public education, you ain't one of us.

Except that I'm not sorry.

Because public education is, was, and remains What It's All About. In the world of symbolism, as well as the dirty and compromised Real World, public education remains Democracy's Last Hope.

You can give up on it if you want, Mr. Finegold, but that makes you one of Them. Tell Joe Lieberman we said hello.

SPACEDARK