By Barry Curtis
When we talk about the large issues facing Dallas, we inevitably speak about north and south. Our politics and economic developments all face the age old quagmire of South Dallas versus the northern part of Dallas. It’s the sad state of this cities continued and sometimes bitter struggle for political and economic dominance.
Give or take a mile or two, Interstate 30 seems to be the line of demarcation. That’s the Mason-Dixon of the city.
Downtown Dallas rest firmly in the northern corridor of the divided city. It’s as if it is the Jerusalem of Dallas. A downtown shared by both the sophisticated upwardly mobile and affluent elements of the north and, the hip risk-taking urbanites of the south.
If you watch the faces of downtown Dallas you can see the concerned and inquisitive looks on the faces of the quickly moving visitors of the contested downtown area. They must be asking, do they dress like me? Look like me? Do they use bar soap or a liquid pump? Would it be briefs or boxers? Are they democratic or republican? Did they drive to downtown or ride the bus? These questions are all critical to determine if that person scurrying about downtown is from the north or south.
Let me see, did that person pay in cash or use a credit card? Because we all know that there are fewer credit cards in south Dallas. That person walking across Main Street has a shopping bag. Is it from Macy’s or Wal-Mart? You know the obvious difference there. Where do they eat lunch, the spot that actually has a valet or a drive thru window? You make the call.
By this point in this commentary you must be at least confused and a little ticked off. Is the author trying to be funny? Is the author serious? Well, perhaps both. Can you honestly deny much validity to this? Is there a divide in Dallas?
