Defiance can be good

There was an article in the obituary section in Saturday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette about the passing of Dr. Jack Wagoner Jr. The title, “Doctor’s practice defied racial norms,” caught my attention. The late Doctors Wagoner and Raymond Miller joined with two other physicians nearly 50 years ago to open a racially integrated medical practice in Little Rock. Doctor Wagoner was white and Doctor Miller was black.

For years, Doctor Miller was my primary care physician. I recall his easy-going style and dry humor, which he displayed whenever I went to see him. It seems, according to the article, that Doctor Wagoner was also one with an easy-going persona. I never met him, but from my experiences with Doctor Miller, I can see how these two would have broken the ground they did.

I’m quite weary, to say the least, of the current environment in our country. It seems too many of us are willing to be led, without question, back down the path to “racial norms” that were commonplace 50 years ago, when Doctors Wagoner and Miller were willing to take a risk. Defiance can be a good thing … HOSEA LONG

Little Rock