Casie Pierce
                             

03/26/08  Complicated Man trying to do some good things.

If you have been reading DallasArena.com for a long time, you know things have not always been friendly between Councilman Dwaine Caraway and me.  I supported Ed Oakley over Dwaine in the old District 6.  Dwaine called me a cockroach who should be eliminated.  It got worse.

On more than one occasion afterwards, Dwaine tried to apologize, but I would have none of it or him.  The night Laura Miller was elected Mayor, Dwaine defied the "hood" and was at her watch/victory party.  This time when he waived at me, I went over to shake hands.  He would have none of that handshake -- he grabbed me up in a huge bear hug.  We started working on a friendship that night. 

Dwaine Caraway builds bridges rather than hold grudges.  A remarkable trait in any politician.

When Betty Culbreath almost died in July of 2006 from a botched colonoscopy, it was Dwaine Caraway who was at the hospital with her 24/7 and keeping her friends advised of her status.  He had nothing to gain.  He just stood by our desperately ill friend when she needed him.

In that same video tape where Dwaine calls me a cockroach, he also implored Black citizens and South Dallas residents to clean up their act, pick up their neighborhoods, show some pride in their environment.  He compared South Dallas neighborhoods to North Dallas, and called on South Dallas residents to take pride in their community.  He talked about the "new" term "Southern Sector" being used for South Dallas and Oak Cliff.  He talked from the standpoint of a Dallas native, from the standpoint of someone who grew up here and who cares.

Jim Schutze has a long story on Dwaine in this week's DallasObserver.com:

		The Dwaine Caraway Show DallasObserver.com (3/27/08)
Jim Schutze

That's what it all comes down to for me.  Dwaine Caraway may not fit everyone's dream of the perfect politician, but my first priority for a perfect politician is that he or she CARE and hold their friends to high standards.  Dwaine is one of the few minority politicians who believes "his people" are capable of acting like responsible adults.  That goes a long way toward fixing so many wrong things in this town.  No excuses -- he wants results.

Was Dwaine over the top in his statements of praise for Lynn and Rufus Shaw?  Sure, he was.  But, how much time do you have to practice being cool when two people you have known for years kill themselves?  They weren't just a couple of dead people to Dwaine.  They had been his allies.  The Shaw's and others like Dwaine were/are tired of waiting for things to happen in the "Southern Sector".  They want hot sheet motels closed down - now.  They want DART stations in the Southern Sector clean and safe - now.  They want jobs and development in the Southern Sector - now.  Dwaine has done the work to get it done.  Has every effort been successful?  No, but not for lack of trying.

Dwaine always dresses nicely and respectfully at City Hall.  He understands he is a role model to young people in his community.  He demands to be treated respectfully.

I am not a Caraway constituent, and my support is not necessarily an asset for him in the Southern Sector.  Doesn't matter to Dwaine.  He's available to me when there's an issue I need to discuss with him.  So, I may not be a constituent, but I am a Caraway supporter. 

To expect or accept a low level of accomplishment in the African-American community is racist thinking.  I've never understood how some of my liberal friends can make excuses for crime and mayhem in minority neighborhoods as if they don't believe minority citizens are capable of adult responsibility.  Dwaine Caraway has never accepted those low expectations for his community.

Has Dwaine had financial failings?  Sure!  Has Dwaine let past failures hold him back?  Nope! 

As someone who has run for elected office and lost 3 times, I marveled at Dwaine's perseverance when he ran against Maxine T-Reese the second time (his 3rd race).  When he kept running for Council District 4 that would be open with T-Reese's term limitation, I was astounded.  He didn't let other people's opinions keep him from doing what he believed needed to be done. 

Is Dwaine Caraway perfect?  Depends on the issue.  He's been right on a lot of matters that matter to me.

I'm glad Schutze ended his article with the comments quoted above.  Dwaine Caraway is doing good things.  He may stumble from time to time, but don't we all?

If you dismiss Dwaine, you are making a mistake.  He's like the Energizer Bunny -- he just keeps on going and going and going -

sb