'ATX Together' ... but where are the conservative voices?

Who gets to co-host a forum on Austin unity?
The county Democratic chairman (right), of course.

If you watched or attended the "ATX Together" forum hosted by KLRU-TV on Monday night, you may have noticed something wasn't quite ... together about it.

It was a noble, town hall-style event, and we stand behind any and all efforts to discuss plans for how to counter the kind of violence we've seen over the past two weeks. No problem there.

Many friends of this publication cheered it on, including Maura Phelan, Republican candidate for District Attorney, who took to Twitter to share her vision of a brighter future for the Travis County justice system. And we were grateful for any effort to seek common ground and bridge a deepening gap between the community and law enforcement.

But there were serious gaps in the patchwork of voices at the forum -- whatever the reason for the oversight may be.

There were no Republicans or notable conservative leaders seen in the audience, which isn't unusual for many Austin events given the local political climate. Yet the Travis County Democratic Party Chairman, Vincent Harding, was one of the emcees. (The Tracker is currently unaware of any Travis GOP party official, candidate, or office-holder being directly invited.) Prominent shots of local Democratic party officials abounded.

Bruce Elfant, County Tax Assessor-Collector, is seated behind the guest at the mic.

KEYE-TV veterans Ron Oliveira and Judy Maggio came out of broadcast retirement for the event -- and we know where most journalists are situated on the political spectrum.

As far as audience comments went ...

There was a gracious amount of input from the spiritual community -- particularly Christian ministers and charity volunteers. Alas, most of the talk was about laying important doctrinal matters aside to foster good feelings between religions or to seek a "Higher Power."

There was no shortage of back-and-forth regarding "checking your privilege," but nothing much said of creating jobs to help the poor improve their economic conditions.

One of the hosts prodded a participant into a ramble about gun control, but thankfully he didn't take the bait. The NAACP's Nelson Linder said "Stop killing black men." Agreed -- and might we add our men and women in blue?

"Whitewashing." "Unlearning." "Safe spaces." You get the idea. Below is a marker-board presentations that sums it up well (forgive the incomplete image):

For those of you who are tired of the same ol' responses to racism in society, we suggest two alternatives that allow both political diversity and different approaches to the problems our communities face.

Trailer Park Show -- special episode on race relations.

Did you know there was another local TV show on this subject airing at the same time? Adella Fernandez, a co-host of Austin Public Television's "Trailer Park Show," reports Monday night's episode on similar topics went well despite there being some volunteers missing. Also missing was the continual blame game and ethereal concepts about endemic racism that seem to plague other community race roundtables. Instead, this episode was dedicated to the shocking concept that All Lives Matter. We'll post a video of this episode when one can be located.

Tonight's episode was amazing! If you were able to tune in, I hope that you were intrigued by at least one, if not all the opinions of our guest and fellow cohosts.
See how we're all smiling? That's what open dialogue with respect to one another's differences can produce. It was a heated yet civil discussion on the ‪#‎BlackLivesMatter‬ and the ‪#‎AllLivesMatter‬ mentalities, and I can say honestly, for myself, I walked away from the studio with perspectives to add to my treasure trove of ideologies, opinions, facts, personal stories, and disagreements, which all are inevitably part of my growing process.

Fernandez, Marilyn Jackson, and local justice advocate Theophilus Scales Jr.

"It's Time for Unity" Town Hall in Manor

A forum dedicated to the dignity of the individual and peace in our communities is set for Wednesday night (July 13) in Manor. The "It's Time for Unity" Town Hall is set for 6:30 p.m. at Manor United Methodist Church's facility. East Travis County residents (particularly Manor and Pflugerville) are invited to this event featuring Manor Police Chief Ryan Phipps and Pflugerville Police Chief Chuck Hooker to discuss concerns that the community may have in relation to recent events and what local law enforcement departments are doing to better connect with the community. Sponsored by the Gabriel Nila Campaign, the MLK Association of Austin, Central Texas Diaspora, the Austin Togolese Society, and others (this event is a work in progress -- follow the Facebook Event page for more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/255674838152789). Mr. Nila informs us the Democrats have been invited, as have a few Green Party activists and Libertarians.

No, the organizers of these events did not grace the Austin City Limits stage on Monday night, but they have nonetheless critical views necessary to form a complete picture of diversity in Travis County. To ignore these voices would be a shame to a city boastful of its tolerance and innovation.

It's time to hear some new voices.