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Its Everything West Texas
Hello I am Floyd Miller the host of It's Everything West Texas and I mean everything. Some of our topics are going to make you laugh and some will make you cry. I guarantee you all of them will make you think.It is the Podcast that highlights people and issues in West Texas. Our stories are relevant, interesting, informative and will be presented with integrity,In other words we don't want to talk over you, we don't want to talk past you,e\we don't want to talk about you but as a neighbor we want to talk with you. The goal is not necessary to get agreement but it is about understanding.We will talk Sports, Politics, Health, Education, Business, Finance and the Hot Topics in your community
Its Everything West Texas
86 years or wisdom: Dr. Morris Baker reflects on hope, leadership, and American democracy
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Dr. Morris Baker was born in December 1939 in Ranger, Texas, into a world deeply divided by segregation. Today, at 86, he reflects on a journey that took him from a small West Texas town to three continents and back home again, carrying a message of hope for uncertain times.
Baker’s early life was shaped by the realities of mid-20th century America. His father worked as a self-employed auto mechanic, while his mother served as a domestic worker in the homes of white families. Both parents, despite limited formal education, instilled in their son the fundamentals of reading, writing and mathematics before he reached school age.
Now, reflecting on decades of experience living under authoritarian regimes abroad, Baker expressed concern about current conditions in America.
“I lived two years in Ethiopia, where the administration was headed by an Emperor,” Baker said. “I lived a year, a little more than a year, in Tunisia, where the administration was clearly guided by the Quran and was headed by a president-for-life. And then in Philippines, I was there for almost three years under Ferdinand Marcos, and where there was martial law.”
In all three situations, Baker said, he felt protected by his American citizenship. “Currently in my home in America, I do not feel certain of that protection,” he said.
Baker traces America’s current challenges to greed and racism, particularly what he calls the delusion of superiority based on skin color.
“There are no super humans on this earth,” he said. “There exist no humans whose skin color renders them superior to any other.”
His message to Abilene and the nation draws from lessons learned across 86 years and multiple continents.
“I would ask each individual to be the leader that they are capable of being,” Baker said. “Don’t wait for the other folks. You go ahead and do your small part, and all of our small parts will add up to something wonderful. Don’t allow fear to control your behavior.”