It was last fall that I ran into EJ Carrion one night on the back patio of Tulips. He and I frequent some of the same spots, so this was nothing out of the ordinary. But rather than simply exchanging pleasantries, on this particular night, the local activist had a bone to pick with me. In fact, I recall him literally saying, “I have a bone to pick with you.” Though he might disagree with specifics, when I asked him what he’d been up to, he slyly said something akin to, “Oh, you know, partaking in activist stunts.” Knowing we had recently published a column by my colleague, John Henry, that referenced “activist stunts” — an opinion piece, I’ll note, that mainly targeted those who placed a casket on Mayor Mattie Parker’s front lawn — I knew exactly what he was getting at.
The following conversation got understandably heated. No voices were raised, mind you, but we’re both passionate about our respective roles and causes within the city at large. I’ll refrain from getting into specifics, but I defended the column — even if I didn’t agree with every word of it — and our publication’s civic engagement and the part we play in helping move the city forward while keeping my personal politics out of the magazine. He and I ultimately agreed to disagree — if only all minor spats could wrap up in such a way.
EJ, in case you’re unaware, also hosts the popular 817 Podcast with Wesley Kirk and former city councilmember Ann Zadeh. Perhaps it’s because I follow him and his podcast on social media and my algorithm is knee deep into my recent obsession with Commissioners Court meetings, but EJ has, in many ways, become the face of a growing willingness to challenge local elected officials. Granted, when elected officials take it upon themselves to conduct an unprecedented mid-decade redraw of precinct boundaries (gerrymandering for the politically initiated); cut their number of official meetings in half — giving local residents less opportunity for public comment — and propose a significant decrease in voting sites despite an increase in population, one doesn’t have to be a liberal or conservative to acknowledge they’re dabbling in repressive tactics and creating an atmosphere ripe for the very thing they seem hellbent on curbing: dissidence…