Five stories that have North Texas talking: a state senator makes a comparison to the Holocaust in his swearing-in speech, the candidates for governor squared off in a debate last night, a group in Arlington has taken up "cop watching," and more.
Texas Senator Charles Perry compared what he called a “spiritual battle” across the country to the Holocaust in his swearing-in speech yesterday, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports.
Sen. Perry said: “There were 10,000 people that were paraded into a medical office under the guise of a physical. As they stood with their back against the wall, they were executed with a bullet through the throat. Before they left, 10,000 people met their fate that way. Is it not the same than when our government continues to perpetuate laws that lead citizens away from God? The only difference is that the fraud of the Germans was more immediate and whereas the fraud of today’s government will not be exposed until the final days and will have eternal-lasting effects.”
In his speech, the senator said he will address state financial needs like balancing the budget without raising taxes. He also said abortion and same-sex marriage will be a major focus when he gets to Austin.
Perry was a state representative in 2011 and was elected to the state Senate in a September special election.
- The city of Dallas has activated their Emergency Operations Center after a patient at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital was diagnosed with Ebola. The city said in a statement that the Dallas Fire Rescue EMS crew that transported the patient to the hospital took all the safety precautions. They’ve been quarantined according to guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Dallas County Health and Human Services.
- Republican Greg Abbott and Democrat Wendy Davis went toe-to-toe in their final televised debate before the election. KERA’s Bill Zeeble has a recap of last night’s action, where the two candidates accused each other of ethical violations. If you missed the debate, you can watch it here.
- Forget bird-watching. A group in Arlington has taken up “cop watching.” The Dallas Observer followed a group of Arlington “cop watchers” who spend their nights following patrol cars and filming police’s interactions with residents. Here’s a video of the team in action.
- A sculpture professor at UT Arlington has shortlisted for the ArtPrize, an international art competition. Darryl Lauster was selected for his installation God Bless America. Jurors picked twenty artists from 1,536 entrants for the shortlist. There will be a Grand Prize award of $200,000 and another four awards in the following public vote categories: 2-D, 3-D, time-based and installation. Voting is open until Oct. 4.
