A matter of perspective: It all depends on whose ox is getting gored

FROM MY FRONT PORCH

Sam Houston is the publisher of the Hood County News. He is also an actor, author, playwright, performer and entertainment producer/promoter.

We all have different perspectives of the world. Sometimes people hold opinions based on assumptions that may or may not be true. It is only when a problem becomes personal to them that they begin to see how things may not be as they first thought.

Years ago, I worked with a brilliant veterinarian. I was told he graduated first in his class from Texas A&M, and he had a wonderful talent when it came to dealing with equines. He had been raised in a small, rural Texas community and from my perspective he was a little narrow minded when it came to some issues. The truth is, we did not disagree on many issues. When we did, I came to learn he sometimes formulated an opinion not based on facts, or true analysis, but rather on emotion or what he had been told by others. This is something he would not do in his work. On the job, he was thorough, consistent, and would never draw a conclusion without medical evidence.

We were having lunch and he expressed very strong views about then-Gov. Bush’s tough on crime policies. “Hang them all! I am sick and tired of people flaunting the law, stealing and not working. The judges need to put people away for as long as possible, every chance they can.”

I tried to explain that there are all sorts of reasons crimes get committed and while I believed people should be punished for wrongful acts, there needed to be some consideration given for the circumstances of the act. A single mother stealing to feed her kids is not the same as a career burglar, and they should not be treated as such. I tried to explain that is why a judge “judges” based on the facts; they do not simply sentence. My words made no difference for Doc had his mind set. Period. No exceptions.

We let the subject matter drop and went back to work.

About a month later, Doc was driving through a small town while coming home from an emergency call. In the early morning hour, he was driving 59 in a 25-mile-an-hour zone. The police officer wrote a ticket, which Doc flippantly tossed up on his dashboard with all the other loose papers and lab results. Doc’s dashboard was his “mobile office.”

The ticket commanded Doc to pay the fine or make an appearance in court within three weeks to contest the matter. Once Doc “filed” the citation it was completely forgotten. Breeding season was a busy time. He was working seven days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day. A month went by, and then a second. Finally, one day he received a letter from the court telling him he needed to appear at a time certain, advising him he was in contempt of court and an arrest warrant had been issued for him for failure to appear. Doc, knowing my legal background, immediately brought the notice to me and said, “I guess I forgot all about that durned ticket. You gotta help me get out of this mess.

I immediately looked Doc in the eye and smiled. I then said, “Wait a dang minute. I believe in Gov. Bush’s ‘get tough on crime’ policy and support it. These folks that ignore citations and flaunt the authority of the court need to do about 60 days in jail. It will make them stop speeding in our communities and endangering public safety. It will send them a clear message that flaunting a citation will not be tolerated! There should be no exceptions.”

Doc immediately responded, “Come on now! This isn’t funny. I admit I screwed up. I have been too darn busy with breeding season to worry about a speeding ticket. Can’t I go ahead and pay the fine and you take care of it for me? I am no criminal.”

I then giggled and said, “but all evidence is to the contrary.”

I did keep Doc from going to jail. He paid the fine plus a fee for failing to appear. He also walked away with a slightly different view on life.

It’s interesting how your viewpoint can change, depending on if your ox is the one that is getting gored.

Thought for the day: The world isn’t fair, so why the heck can’t it be unfair in my favor?

sam@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066, ext. 260