Thou Shalt Not Steal Much?

A neighborhood of conservative Christian Republicans makes me covet a securitysystem

I’m thinking about getting a home security system, and boy do I resent it. Security systems go against the whole 1970s-liberal-Democrat-spirit of my upbringing. Guarding your house was a bourgeois concept — completely repugnant to my parents’ way of thinking.

And ridiculous, too, because it implied that we had property that was actually worth protecting. With a house full of threadbare furniture, books for Mom and Dad, and rented cellos and violins for the kids, not only did we not need a security system, but we also didn’t even need to lock the front door.

Our neighborhood was a little on the hardscrabble side, and we had some sketchy next-door neighbors who weren’t exactly law-abiding citizens. But Dad came to an understanding with them early on, and, for the most part, they left our house alone.

Security systems have always made me feel less rather than more secure. It was as if their very presence served as a constant reminder that my safety was in peril.

Fast forward to five years ago. I was at the onset of a contentious divorce. My gadget-loving, twentysomething son, who tends to be a little on the protective side, was on me to get a home security system. I gave it some thought but decided against it mainly because the couple of times I’ve lived in houses with security systems, they have always made me feel less rather than more secure. It was as if the very presence of a security system somehow served as a constant reminder that my safety was in peril.

Over the past five years I’ve had some tense moments. The most notable was the time last summer when a dead body was discovered in our neighborhood park. As it turned out, the murder had not taken place in our subdivision, but the perpetrators had selected our tennis and swim center as the perfect site for their victim to rest in suburban peace.

The robo-calls from security companies began almost immediately — and I’m still getting them today. The pre-recorded message informs me that a house gets broken into every eight minutes, then reassures me that a company representative will be in my neighborhood next week to help me secure my home. These calls never have the intended effect, and I’ve never taken the bait.

But I’ve finally encountered a threat that has me rattled. I live around the corner from a conservative Christian private school, and many of the families who live on my street send their kids there.

Like most high school students, these kids love a good prank, which, in itself, is a-okay with me. I love a friendly prank as much as the next mom (suffering from arrested development). So, when the neighbor’s house repeatedly gets toilet papered, for example, I see it as the compliment that it is to the students who live there.

I love a friendly prank as much as the next mom. When the neighbor’s house repeatedly gets toilet papered, I see it as the compliment that it is to the students who live there.

But back in September, we awoke to find that someone had taken our Jeep out of our driveway and put smack dab in the middle of our neighbor’s front yard. In my view, there’s a big difference between wrapping a house with toilet paper and auto theft. (And that’s the police department’s terminology for what happened, by the way, not mine.)

Auto theft doesn’t feel very friendly. And because we are not part of their school community, our property being the butt of their joke didn’t feel very friendly, either.

The police offered to send an officer to take a report and dust for prints, but I was more interested in making this a teachable moment than a criminal case. I wasn’t 100 percent sure that the Jeep relocation was the handiwork of the high school kids, but it seemed the most plausible theory considering whose yard it ended up in.

I contacted folks who worked at the school, but reactions ranged from lack of concern masked with a pleasantry (“I have no idea who moved your Jeep … Have a great weekend …”) to an unwillingness to take action unless we could identify exactly who the culprits were. As far as I was concerned, the important thing wasn’t for the kids to be caught and punished, but rather for the adults tasked with guiding these kids to do their jobs.

At the very least, talking to the high school kids about the line between harmless pranks and criminal acts couldn’t hurt. After all, this is Texas and guns are a dime a dozen.

The governor himself took out a living creature for daring to cross his path while he was out for a jog in his tony neighborhood one afternoon. It isn’t a stretch to think that real harm could come to a teenager caught in the act of taking a car out of someone else’s driveway in the middle of the night.

One morning I awoke to find my Obama sign had been stolen along with other Obama signs on our street. (Romney signs were unaffected by the spree.)

I suggested a few times that they not worry so much about who did it but instead gather the kids together and talk to them about the topic of pranks and the dangers of going too far. They never got back to me on that.

That brings us to week before last. Before going to dinner, I put up an Obama 2012 sign in my front yard, right next to my daughter’s “Nutcracker Cast Member” sign. The next morning, the Obama sign had been stolen along with other Obama signs on our street. (The Romney signs were unaffected by the spree.) Not wanting to overreact, I simply pulled out the extra signs I had in the garage and stuck another one in my yard.

Later that evening, my daughter and a friend had been playing in the front yard. We hopped in the car to run a short errand and were back within 30 minutes. When we got home both the Obama sign and my daughter’s ballet sign were gone, along with all of the newly replaced Obama signs on our street.

As far as criminal acts go, I realize this isn’t front-page news — in fact, it doesn’t even rise to the level of auto theft. Yet these events were nonetheless unsettling to me, and here’s why: When it comes to the sketchy neighbors of my childhood, or my ex-husband during our divorce, or the thugs that dumped a body in the park, I knew exactly what I was dealing with because no one was pretending to be something he wasn’t.

This made it easy to steer clear of trouble. I knew I was never to go play inside our sketchy neighbor’s house when I was a child. I understood that trust was no longer something my ex and I shared once we were in divorce mode. And I got that the lowlifes who dumped the body in the park were bad guys.

Pseudo patriots and hypocritical Christians are more frightening to me than known criminals any day.

But the incident with the Jeep and the Obama sign-jackings are another matter entirely. The folks that moved the Jeep are presumably students of a conservative Christian school. And it’s a safe bet that the folks who keep stealing the Obama signs are Republicans, which means they most likely profess to be Christians too.

Republicans often tell us how much they love the U.S. Constitution, and Christians are supposed to follow the Ten Commandments. I’m left wondering whether it’s dark demons, a sense of entitlement or just garden-variety hypocrisy that leads them to the conclusion that the very laws they profess to love so much do not apply to them.

Whatever the reason, pseudo patriots and hypocritical Christians are more frightening to me than known criminals any day. I’d rather deal with someone who makes it clear that they have no regard for the law than someone who professes their profound respect for it — but then disregards it when no one is looking.

That’s why I am seriously considering getting a home security system. At least my son will appreciate it. The next time I get one of those robo-calls, I might just go ahead and make his day.

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RIP Tom

Prominent Dallas businessman and sports mogul Tom Hicks dies at 79

By American Battle Monuments Commission

Tom Hicks, RIP

Thomas O. Hicks, legendary Texas businessman, philanthropist, mentor, and devoted husband and father, died in Dallas on December 6, surrounded by his family; he was 79.

Hicks was widely regarded as a pioneer in American business, reshaping private equity and introducing strategies that influenced an entire generation of investors. He co-founded Hicks & Haas in 1984, where he executed landmark deals including the transformative Dr Pepper/7UP merger. He later co-founded Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst in 1989, which grew into one of the largest private equity platforms of its era, completing major transactions across consumer products, broadcasting, and food and beverage.

More importantly, Hicks was known for his integrity, generosity, and loyalty in business—qualities that shaped every partnership he formed and every life he touched.

Longtime friend and peer in Dallas business community Richard Fisher reflected on this spirit, saying, “Tom Hicks was a legend in finance who perfected the leveraged buyout and pioneered the ‘buy and build’ strategy by creating one of the world’s largest beverage companies. Best of all, he was a devoted, constant friend who supported me with gusto when I ran for the U.S. Senate, even though we were from different parties. A man is measured by his affection for and unflinching support of family and friends. At this, Tom was a true champion.”

Hicks’s influence extended well beyond business. A passionate sports fan, he owned and chaired the Dallas Stars from 1995–2011, guiding the club to multiple division titles, two Presidents’ Trophies, and the 1999 Stanley Cup Championship. He also owned the Texas Rangers from 1998–2010, leading the team to three American West Division titles and a World Series appearance.

In 2007, he acquired a 50% stake in Liverpool F.C., making him one of the few individuals to hold simultaneous ownership across NHL, MLB, and Premier League organizations.

“Tom was a close friend and a great partner. He dreamed big and watching him bring the Stanley Cup here to Dallas was something that I will always cherish,” said Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager Jerry Jones. “Tom was a champion for sports, and we had the same vision for Arlington—to make it a destination where fans could feel the heartbeat of our teams and our community together. Being shoulder to shoulder with him was always about more than ballparks and stadiums, though. It was about personal respect, trust and friendship. We shared a lot of miles together, and I’ll miss him greatly. My heart goes out to his family.”

He also made extraordinary contributions to the city of Dallas, helping shape the region’s cultural, educational, and civic landscape across decades. Hicks played an instrumental role in the development and planning of the American Airlines Center, which opened in 2001, and contributed significantly to the Santiago Calatrava–designed Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge spanning the Trinity River.

He also supported education initiatives across North Texas, including the land donation that became Tom Hicks Elementary in the Lewisville Independent School District.

Reflecting on Hicks’s profound impact on the city he loved, Ross Perot Jr. said, “Tom Hicks was an innovative businessman and a pioneer in private equity. He combined his commitment to business and sports through his ownership of the Stars and the Rangers. Tom was dedicated to Dallas and, as a partner in the American Airlines Center, helped revitalize an important part of downtown. He was a great partner and a longtime friend, a man of vision and courage who loved his country and Texas. He played a meaningful role in building our great city, and he will be remembered with gratitude.”

In addition to his business and civic achievements, Hicks remained deeply involved with the University of Texas, where he served on the Board of Regents from 1994 to 1999 and helped establish UTIMCO, now the largest public university endowment in the country—an accomplishment he regarded as one of the most meaningful contributions of his professional life.

Hicks also served his country. He was a paratrooper in the Army Reserves and later served as a presidentially appointed Commissioner of the American Battle Monuments Commission, which oversees U.S. military cemeteries and memorials around the world.

Yet above all his accomplishments, Hicks will be remembered most for his profound love of family. Known by those close to him for his humor, intellect, and steadfast leadership, Hicks treasured time with his children and grandchildren above all else. He is survived by his beloved wife of 35 years, Cinda Cree Hicks; his six children—Thomas Ollis Hicks Jr., Mack Hardin Hicks, John Alexander Hicks, Robert Bradley Hicks, William Cree Hicks, and Catherine Forgrave Hicks. He was a much-loved father-in-law to Alexandra, Stacy, Portia, Rachel, Paige, and Rick. Finally, his greatest joy was his grandchildren, all fourteen and counting: John, Jet, Isabella, Eloise, Annabelle, Gigi, Mack Hardin Jr., Scarlett, James, Lincoln, Jake, Hawk, Campbell, and Nancy.

His six children collectively shared, “Of everything he accomplished in his remarkable life, Tom Hicks’s most cherished title was, ‘Dad’. No matter the trials and tribulations he faced in life, he was constant in his generosity and love for his family. He remains a guiding force for our family, and we are deeply honored to continue expanding his legacy. Although we are devastated by this loss, we are profoundly grateful to have been his children.”

Services are pending, and additional information will be provided as arrangements are finalized.