Betty Culbreath Has Bought Herself a Gun
A few days ago, I drew your attention to an op-ed written by D Magazine contributing editor Trey Garrison about President Barack Obama’s speech today to the kiddos. The upshot: Trey isn’t a fan of the notion. Over the weekend, Betty Culbreath, the former director of Dallas County Health and Human Services and a current DFW Airport board member, sent Trey a note and copied me on it. You can jump to read the entire note. It’s interesting for several reasons. But I’ll point you to one passage in particular, in which Culbreath writes:
You angry White men are so full of hate for this one Black man that all of you are losing your minds. I purchased a gun a few days ago because as much as you hate [Obama], with Perry putting fuel on the fire, you people will start killing Black folk like back in the Klan days and I want to be ready.
I don’t know what to say about that. It’s just so, er, bizarre. I should mention that I think Trey is insane — in a good way, mostly. But his op-ed was anti-government. It really had nothing to do with race. Nonetheless here’s what Culbreath wrote to Trey:
I understand what you are saying, even if in your heart you think you are not a racist. You are the kind that has kept racism alive. Your View Points column says, you don’t want a President presenting himself as the All Powerful Oz until your Kid has the wherewithal to look behind the curtain, translation you don’t want a Black man in a suite and tie talking with you kid because your kid may get a sense of comfort about Black people before he can see that Black people are not all like him.
You know the limited role of the President and its not his role to encourage Kids to stay in school and study, but its his roll to give out Federal money to be spent trying to make sure Kids to that very same thing.
Why is it important to listen to the President and other Elected officials, mayor and etc.
Well if its not important to listen we should not have them. When the Mayor ask you Kid to do his best to help the environment, you kid will respond, sorry my father said I do not need to listen to you. When Governor Perry ask you Kid not to litter the highway in an effort to keep them clean your kid will throw the McDonald wrapper out the window because my Dad said don’t listen to elected officials. When the County Sheriff is standing on the corner near your Kids school and ask you Kid to step back from the curb, your kid will may get hit because you Kid doesn’t listen to elected officials.
The material from the Education department that you and I know President Obama did not write, is just an exercise in listening comprehension. What job is he asking me to do? Be a good student, stay in school. Is he asking anything of anyone else? Pay attention to Teachers, Principal and Parent follow their lead. The American people? Be better parents and provide a stable learning environment for you kid.
President Obama has been in office nine months yet you want to put the troubles of this world on him. George Bush mortgaged your grandchildren but you just can not except the Truth. When Bill Clinton left the White House there was a budget surplus and you know that is the truth, yet eight years later we had a trillion dollar deficit, hell Obama couldn’t have done that in nine months. You angry White men are so full of hate for this one Black man that all of you are losing your minds. I purchased a gun a few days ago because as much as you hate him, with Perry putting fuel on the fire, you people will start killing Black folk like back in the Klan days and I want to be ready. You have the nerve to say this did not start with Obama I know it didn’t. You Parents and Teachers should worry about the Kids, but from the drop out numbers, juvenile department population, teen pregnancy rate, abortions, smoking weed, driving drunk, shooting and etc. the Parents need help. I think President Obama is much better then Chief Kunkle, DEA, FBI and others.
Many of you claim to be Conservative, I am 68 years old and was a die heart Conservative with the likes of Jim Jackson, Tom Crouch and Erick Johnson, Lee Atwater, they were Conservative on issues not people, if you were Republican regardless of your color you were accepted. These new so called Conservatives or a bunch of haters under the banner of conservatism. In the old days they would have been thrown out of the party. Rush Limbaugh a convicted drug abuser, millionaire on the radio spreading hate under the influence of drugs and you take his vile drugged out smut as truth and he get paid to do it.
If it was real it would be free. God Bless America. Only in America can people like you and me live in the same State with different views and elect Obama President of the United States of America or as you say President of the Republic of a federation of states by a majority of the electoral college votes. Only in America, God Bless America.
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Oh my.
There are, like, nine great fantasy football team names here.
I am absolutely positively not commenting on this, other than this.
Is a suite and tie the new fashion for the fall? Ever since Project Runway moved to the all-gyno network, I’ve been soooo out of touch.
Surely “you Kid.”
Everyone needs to put the weapons down, grab some popcorn in a brown paper sack, sip on a cactus juice, and have a tasty Texas Earl Campbell Link.
Seriously, I can’t decide on the best one: Die Heart Conservative or All Powerful Oz. Almost as good as Forgetting Brandon Marshall or Somewhere Over Dwayne Bowe.
Despite the disagreement and, um — misunderstanding? — Betty is a really cool lady.
Football team? Die Heart Conservative is my next CD title!
Never have so many issues been dealt with in such little space. If she was aware of how to construct a complete sentence, she may have been able to solve even more of the country’s problems.
It is not unusual for writers who publish on controversial topics to receive a wide array of impassioned e-mail. Most who make the effort are writing with the intention of conveying personal thoughts. Unless the e-mails are threatening, writers/editors should suck it up. That is, respect confidentiality. A writer can learn a great deal about a great number of things from readers who make the effort to communicate.
Thanks to the internet and the decision to publish her e-mail, Ms. Culbreath will have to live with this post for a very long time.
um… er.. the State Fair of Texas opens in a few weeks!
This woman is currently a member of the DFW Airport board and was the former director of Dallas County Health and Human Services. What an embarrassment to both entities that someone who can not string together a simple letter was in any form of leadership position with these organizations.
I feel safer knowing she’s armed.
This post + comments back on = best day on FB in, like, forever…
She has a blog. To her credit, she cops to the odd solecism:
I miss spell words, I leave out commors but I don’t lie.
That was THE. BEST. READ. in a very long time. I think I snorted out loud 10 times.
Wow. The NRA has a new demographic that I heretofore would have never crossed my mind. Someone tell Wayne LaPierre to start a new mailing list!!!!
All kidding aside, this debate is an indication of how fractured this country is. Our rightfully elected president wants to talk to school children and we’re so up in arms about it that some people are pulling their kids out of school, and some people are buying guns because they think the KKK is on the way back. It’s a really sad commentary on where we are right now.
People People People…..we need to ask the big questions here…
What kind of gun? American made? German? God forbid Israeli!
What caliber? What size clip? What kind of ammo? These are the important questions we need to find out.
All the typos really undermine Culbreath’s argument. The only languages that capitalize nouns with such frequency are German and Public Relationish … Both have fascist tendencies. I’m not saying, I’m just saying.
“Many of you claim to be Conservative, I am 68 years old and was a die heart Conservative”
I really loved Bruce Willis in Die Heart.
No, Trey, there is NO misunderstanding. Betty’s got your number. (And it is not ONE.)
@English Teacher
Did you mean: If she *were* aware… ?
IJS
Crap, I’m really worried now. I always figured Betty to be a nut job (she’s the cactus juice /Democratic primary ballot absconder right?) But I find my (white) self agreeing with her that there exists a degree of sublimated racism in the small government rhetoric getting shouted over the politicians at town hall meetings and brouhahas over the the pres addressing the public school kiddos.
@Bob
It’s TWO?
“a degree of sublimated racism in the small government rhetoric getting shouted over the politicians ”
I’m not surprised by Ms. Culbreath’s rant/diatribe whatever accusing Trey of racism. The same thing is said by many on the left these days even after President Obama said we will be leaving racism behind.
Yesterday Victor Davis Hanson wrote; “Americans were assured that with the ascendance of Barack Obama we would evolve beyond race. Yet in the last ninth months it is almost as if precisely the opposite has occurred — but with a strange twist. The country has been serially lectured about race from some of the most privileged Americans in the country.”
http://bit.ly/F7FIv
Jay Nordlinger wrote today; “One thing was sure during the 2008 presidential campaign: If Obama won, dissent would no longer be the highest form of patriotism. One wag suggested — this was a reader of mine — “No, dissent will be the highest form of racism.” And it is becoming true, as charges of racism fill the air.”
http://bit.ly/1Z30le
Ms. Culbreath is but one example of what Hanson and Nordlinger wrote about. The sad part is that Ms. Culbreath probably sees nothing wrong with what she wrote.
Now me I’m going back upstairs for another four fingers of 12y.o. Glendronach
I hope that I never see another journalist complain about “right wing zealots” after having read Ms. Culbreath’s screed
thanks again for opening up the comments
To be fair, I think I’ve read as many opinions to the left of Trey’s as to the right.
And Trey has inspired me to arm myself as well – goddamn opossums!
Can’t wait to get this Fantasy Football Recap: Much Better Then Chief Kunkle 113, He Get Paid To Do It 99. Big win for the Chief.
i just hope that chaz guy is giving her fire safety lessons. and i hope this hard.
Eric @ September 8th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Marry me. You had me at ‘did you mean.’
See you on Craigslist, my grammarian soulmate.
If she got a gun, I guess I better get one too.
Fascinating, funny, scary, depressing–all in one letter. A true work of art!
“Erick Johnson” (sic) is she talking about the late Dallas mayor?
Sometimes it’s hard to type with your fingers securely wrapped around a trigger.
94% of all blacks murdered in the USA are killed by other blacks, according to the US Department of Justice.
@Destiny
I read your blog and concluded Tim needs to hire you. Ah, if I could have written like that at 26…
I am married and old and looked for you when I was 26. Thanks for putting an extra spring in my step today.
KEEP WRITING.
What a ratings gimmick – get a “cranky libertarian” to chum the waters with veiled racism and watch what happens. Pure genius.
I can’t see the President’s color, I only see ideology. That is what concerns me. Is that OK ?
It maketh me wonder about the qualifications required for the DFW Airport Board. Could we perhaps nominate both Don Hill and D’Angelo Lee for positions? That way we will have three of the clearest and critical thinkers on board (pun intended).
Sorry kids if Trey does not fit the shoes.Maybe so much emotion older people who have lived different life feel very deep about issues.Having never played the race card its hard to see it and not feel it.I can stand by what I write.I saw the Lewisville Teacher say” she did not want her students indoctrinated by Obama and then said “I don’t trust him With any Child”.
Do-oh
I have volunteered in this city for 41 years ,8 years on DFW Board 2 as Chair,back again,City Plan Commission 6 years 2 as chair,Mayor Miller ask me to come back clean that Lee mess up,I did as Chair.Having been on life support near death I missed only two meetings. I blog for fun this is not professional writing.You understand what I mean.The first thing I learned in elementary school was how to make a complete sentence, from those old ragged books from the white school.So don’t be so quick to judge people by a fun gig.Trey is paid staff,I’m a retired blogger . Next time you are out at DFW look in terminal D see my name,none of that was there when I got there,look at the food court,people mover system or call Administration ask them what did I do .Drive around Town point to anything ask someone did Betty Culbreath have anything to do with this project? Fool do you think they put my stuff in the DMN if I am some crazy lady that cannot make a complete sentence. CAll Dallas and Fort Worth ask them why no sales tax money came to them from DFW for 25 years? Ask them who was Chair and went to Austin to get legislation passed to change that, now Dallas and Fort Worth receive about $10 million a year helping your property tax stay down.You people can be so shallow quick to judge by some false set of standards.I’ve been an active Republican since age 25 and had to defend them and my being one of them for years and never before have I seen so called Republicans act like they are today.Nixon,Ford,Reagan,Bush and others would have called this mess to a halt in the old days,even Newt didn’t do this kind of hate messaging.Say what you may ,I have worked on a job and volunteered all my life now it looks that my color blind eyes have seen a part of people I though was gone long ago.English Teacher since you love the language so much try spending some time tutoring some young kid,correct them,I know how to write a professional document and If I need help I have a well paid Assistant so don’t worry about me.Try and live long enough to retire,own your home,travel,volunteer in your city or someplace,integrity,and respected by people across racial and political lines. My only worry is what Do-oh and English Teacher say about me.Trey they really love you ,they have come over to my Blog and told me off. Sorry Trey you know I love you ,call off your followers! Tell them the gun was not for you it was for home protection,I’m not like the men who went to hear Obama speak with their holsters and guns on!I start my hand gun class next week.
Betty, thanks for the fool reference (Mister T perhaps?).
As for the accomplishments mentioned, am I to believe that you alone were responsible for the outcome (building Terminal D single handedly)? As for driving around Dallas and pointing to anything, that reeks of a self righteousness usually reserved for John Wiley Price.
Volunteering is to commended when it is undertaken withour political currying or for self promotion. Unfortunately, I see both shining brightly in your post.