Talking Points: Did You See What They Said?

"We are living in a time of anger and fear. Anger only freezes and weakens us." -- French President Emmanuel Macron in his address before Congress. (Wednesday, Business Insider)"Discrimination is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting and achieving exactly the same results." -- Austin lawyer Renea Hicks arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court in Texas' redistricting case (Tuesday, Texas Tribune)"The idea of going back to where all this happened ... affects a lot of us. None of us are afraid, but we're aware." -- U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, on the return of the GOP baseball team to the field where a gunman opened fire last year, wounding House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and several others. (Thursday, The Dallas Morning News)"Mexico and the U.S. and Canada, we are more than just friends. We are family ... and that cannot be broken." -- U.S. Rep Will Hurd, R-San Antonio, on NAFTA (Wednesday, Twitter)"It's clear that in so many areas of the system, we just haven't thought at all about women." -- Policy Attorney Lindsey Linder, author of a report showing women in Texas prisons do not have the same access to education and job training as male inmates. (Tuesday, Texas Observer)"When I was about 14, we went down to watch the first two Viking landers launch to Mars. At that point, I realized studying the geology of planets was actually a thing. Weirdly enough, at age 14, I decided I wanted to become a planetary geologist, and that's what I did." -- Ellen Stofan, who will become the first female director of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. (Thursday, CNET.com)"You don't have to agree with Trump but the mob can't make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother." -- Rapper Kanye West (Wednesday, Twitter)"Thank you Kanye, Very cool!" -- President Donald Trump (Wednesday, Twitter)"In a related story, Trump just made Kanye the new secretary of Dragon Energy." -- Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon (Wednesday, Newsmax)"I think people generally did not care. I don't think that people who were victims would feel particularly supported by going to someone and asking for help, whether that person was in HR or that person was a colleague." -- Journalist Soledad O'Brien on sexual harassment in the news industry (Thursday, The Washington Post)"The Texas Education Agency is committed to providing the quality of support needed to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. This strategic action plan provides a solid foundation for our state to make meaningful, lasting change in how we educate and support children with special needs." -- Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on the $212 million the TEA will spend on special education. (Tuesday, Houston Chronicle)What's your view?Got an opinion about this issue? Send a letter to the editor, and you just might get published.  Continue reading...