By now, there are probably very few people out there who haven't heard of the terrible dragging-killing of James Byrd, an African-American man, in Jasper.
It's horrible. No one can argue that point. Unfortunately, it has also lent the entire region - maybe even the entire state - a reputation of racism and hatred.
Many of us may have had out-of-town relatives or friends comment on the case: "Well, that kind of thing happens all the time in East Texas, doesn't it?"
Well, no, that kind of thing does not happen all the time. It should revolt all of us, and according to talk on the street and on television, it does. People in Jasper are probably sick of news media poking microphones in their faces asking for more quotes, and what is more, everyone seems to be going to Jasper to demonstrate their various opinions. The New Black Panthers were first. The Ku Klun Klan plans a rally this weekend. And then the Panthers will be back for a counterattack.
The Jasper sheriff reportedly has called for reinforcements from across Texas, and townspeople are wondering what will happen at the rallies - if anything. But hey, Jasper isn't a racial proving ground. And neither is the state of Texas. Unfortunately, we just keep doing things that make people believe we are.
The KKK rally, of course, can't help but bring up images of Vidor. Then there's the A&M student who is suing for his right to display the Confederate flag on his foot locker - which, no matter what his intentions, is just not the best thing to fight for these days.
And now we have three sick, backward "white supremacist" people who killed Byrd in Jasper. The tragedy in Jasper, then, was a double one. Not only did those individuals murder Byrd, but they fired point-blank at Texas' reputation.
For all its achievements and the remarkable diversity of its residents, Texas has, again, fallen back to languish in the dust that the rest of the country thinks blows across its barren plains. No paved roads, ranches in downtown Houston, Cadillacs and murder. All the good stories come out of Texas.
We hope the next good story, though, will be one of justice. The Jasper County District Attorney has announced he plans to pursue capital murder indictments against two of the three men involved in the Jasper killing. Lawyers in the DA's office are evidently planning to build a strong case against the men, and they should.
There is no way to compensate for a life lost, but we can all hope that justice will be swiftly served in Jasper.
Until then, we'll just have to sit back and watch events unfold. With any luck, the next big report will be that of a jury sentencing those responsible for the murder that has turned the spotlight full on East Texas.
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