Former governor visits the Hilltop

“Don’t be boring,” Ann Richards said.

It’s a good thing she follows her own advice.

Richards, the former governor of Texas was the featured speakerat the Louise Ballerstadt Raggio Endowed Lecture Series on Thursdaynight. The lecture was sponsored by the women’s studiesprogram at SMU and the Association for Women Journalists.

President R. Gerald Turner described the Richards he knew,saying, “No one has ever accused her of being afraid to speakher mind.”

Richards spoke her mind on a myriad of topics, ranging fromwomen’s rights to public perception of politics to thecurrent state of education.

Regina Montoya, the president of the workforce training companyWorkRules, conducted the interview for the first part of thelecture.

Richards got her start in politics after discovering that beingjust a housewife wasn’t for her.

“I can remember going and checking a bird book out ofHighland Park library … just to try to get some mentalstimulation.”

It was during these years when Richards started to get involvedin politics. Richards and her friends, “dedicated ourselvesto make the Democratic party pure…through the Democraticexecutive committee.

“I love politics because it’s the most pervasiveinfluence in our lives other than our family. It affects the airyou breathe, it determines the water you drink, it determineswhether or not you’re going to go to a decent school, itaffects the economy… it determines whether or not you havehealth care.

“How anyone can resist getting involved in decisionmaking, I just have never understood,” said Richards.

Richards also discussed the different political climate in theDallas of the 1960s.

“Those were the days when the Republican women wouldstand… when Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson came andspit on them… and they had picket signs. It was bizarre.

“They [the Republican women] would jangle their charmbracelets when Adlai Stevenson came so you couldn’t hear himspeak. That was the atmosphere.

“I’m sure it’s improved.”

Richards expressed concern regarding the tarnished public imageof politics.

“Everybody talks about how dirty politics is… I cantell you it’s all dirty. Business is just as mean aspolitics. The only difference is politics is on the frontpage.”

Speaking strongly on education, Richards questioned theviability of the Bush administration’s current educationpolicy.

“No child left behind? Give me a break. The insincerity ofsaying to public schools ‘Please don’t cutteacher’s salaries’…what choice are we givingpublic schools?

“The biggest problem is the country can’t continueto finance the needs of citizens and pour money into… Iraqand Afghanistan at a time when our reputation as a nation is at its lowest point globally.”

She also referenced the recent scandals over the Houston schooldistrict’s misrepresentation of dropout rates in order tokeep funding.

“You might think if a school wasn’t doingwell… perhaps they need more money, not less. But look atus, we’ve got federal standards!” she said concerningthe punitive approach applied to educational districts.

Richards’ advice to those attending the lecture emphasizedindividualism.

“Do what you want to do. Never turn down new experiencesunless they’re seriously illegal. Learn who you are and whoyou want to be and be it.”

But Richards credits her friends for her successes in life.

“They gave me permission to speak out. Louise, it’san honor to be your friend.”

The namesake of the lecture series, Louise Ballerstadt Raggio,is a staunch advocate of women’s rights and claims manyfirsts in the history of Dallas – she was the first femalegraduate of SMU law school, the first female prosecutor in theDallas district attorney’s office and the first womandirector of the State Bar of Texas.