The Concert for Racial Harmony in North Texas to Honor J.D. Tusan and Dennis Scales

Hatred simmers in American hearts, hatred for our neighbors, our colleagues, members of our congregations. It is something that many of us cannot understand, something we may not want to understand. For half a century Americans have asked, "How do we quell the bigotry in America?" That is what North Texas citizens are asking now as they organize their 2nd Concert for Racial Harmony in honor of J.D. Tusan and Dennis Scales.

“Tolerance, tolerance, tolerance,” we hear from our politicians and community leaders. “Tolerance,” they say, “it is the answer.” Are they telling us that the best we can do is tolerate, or ‘put up with’ one another? We must not accept this as fact!

Tolerance is a quality that is useful when you neighbor’s dog repeatedly leaves gifts in your driveway. Tolerance is necessary when you stand in line at the DMV for three hours. Tolerance is quite handy when your party host serves you tofu burgers. But tolerance will never bring harmony to Americans. Tolerance will never alleviate the hatred that is brewing in our neighborhoods.

Why not believe in something better than tolerance? Tolerance is not going to heal the festering sores that seethe in the hearts of racists like Ammon Reich. On September 19th, 2004 this man instigated a racially motivated altercation that ended Joseph Tusan’s life and paralyzed his friend Dennis Scales. Ammon Reich, whose name seems fitting, along with his teenage daughters and their stepmother, retrieved additional guns from their home with the intention of making trouble for the group of University students who were not welcome at the gathering because of their race.