|
 The
New
Legacy
Tieman H. Dippel, Jr.
Texas Peacemaker Publications, L.L.C.
Summary
"The fact that this book was first published in 1987, republished in 1988,
and published again in 2002 attests to the worth of its contents. The philosophy
of the author is just as fresh and applicable today as it was when the first
copy entered the bookstores in the late 1980s.
Although Dippel has been described as one of the most powerful men in Texas,
as well as, a philosophical leader of Texas' emerging conservative generation,
these labels should not intimidate the reader. There's no doubt the author is
brilliant, yet his humble beginnings and background forged him into a modest man
who writes from the heart. He loves family, God, America, and Texas, and the
purpose of this book is to inspire Texans as they meet new challenges in the
future.
Since the author is so grounded in his native heritage, the book
appropriately begins with a chapter about his childhood. It is rich with
anecdotes; most of which concern his father who firmly believed every man had a
personal responsibility to better the world in all areas. This lesson made an
impact on Dippel, and Chapter I is titled, Passing the Torch. The writer did
indeed take up his father's teachings, and personal responsibility is the
cornerstone upon which this entire book is based.
Chapter II discusses Family Values; Chapter III is concerned with Texas in
Transition from the Old West to the New West. Chapter IV addresses the
Relationship and Politics within Our Society, and Chapter V concludes with
Levels of Awareness in Politics. No matter what the topic, the author continues
to stress the concept of enlightened conservatism - a code of behavior based on
a compelling belief in personal responsibility in any venture.
This is an interesting book written for the layman who can not help but enjoy
every subject, from the memories of the early Texan settlers to the more
complicated machinations of government."
Author's Bio
The author of this book, my friend of decades, Skipper Dippel (Tieman to those
who don’t know him) is that most rare of creatures: one who combines the best of
the Hedgehog and the Fox. Skipper knows one big thing: conscience must be
paramount for a civil society. But he also knows many other things and pursues
many ends, often unrelated, but somehow never contradictory.
Skipper is a scholar, a businessman, a lawyer, an activist for many worthy
causes, a philanthropist, a politician, a family man, and above all and in the
highest sense of the word a "citizen."
One big thing Skipper knows is that everyone has a philosophy whether they know
it or not. They may be a Christian or a Moslem, a Republican or a Democrat, a
Crip or a Blood, but they have and act on a philosophy. The fundamental question
is whether their philosophy is grounded in conscience or "convenience." Does a
man or woman seek to discern right and stand by it or do they do what is most
convenient no matter the cost to others and their own diminished conscience.
Brenham, Texas, Skipper’s lifelong residence, is a small idyllic town on the
lush coastal plains of Texas midway between Austin and Houston. When Texans
lived mostly in small towns, places like Brenham and Decatur (my home) could
produce political powerhouses. Now that most Texans live in four metropolitan
areas, with their vaults of political money and media reach, movers and shakers
are rarely found in the small towns of Texas. Skipper is an exception.
It is true he has the resources to write big checks and occasionally does. He
can also raise a few bucks. But Skipper Dippel has not been a mover in Texas
political and civic affairs for a quarter century because of fund raising
prowess. He attained and maintained that status because it is widely known and
accepted that Skipper acts only on conscience.
He is a true moral force, and I have always been amazed at the power of moral
force in a state where might is mightily respected. The late Texas Lt. Gov. Bob
Bullock, a man who understood political might better than most, once told me
that he found himself perplexed over a piece of legislation that was of no real
interest to him, but was critical to many of his friends who were evenly divided
for and against. When he heard Skipper opposed the bill he decided to oppose it
too (although the two never discussed it personally). Why? Because he assumed it
was the "right" thing to do.
To the astonishment of those who knew him in college, Skipper has never run for
public office. Nor has he ever really proclaimed a party allegiance. Instead he
has worked through a plethora of networks, some formal some not. These have
included religious, political, academic, civic, professional, arts, and business
organizations. Some he founded, some he lead, some he helped lead, some he
simply helped shape as a member or even as just an outside friend.
Why? Why not run for office? Why not leave Brenham, strikeout for Austin or
Houston? Why run a small bank when none doubt he could have run a major bank?
Why spend a lifetime enmeshed in organizations and networks that must literally
number over 100? First, because he believes this is how and where a free people
can be truly effective. He believes it is where the conscience can at least have
its day in court.
Second, he believes in the power of history and culture. His history and his
culture are the history and culture of Texas. The Texas into which he and I were
born is largely vanished. Oil and cattle don’t matter much more than Brenham or
Decatur. And if nations are fading in importance states like Texas surely are
too. But there is still a culture and a history that lives on, there is still a
Texas way, and Skipper, the quintessential Texan is determined to see that the
best of what that was survives him.
This book, The Language of Conscience, is intended a sort of handbook for those
who would lead on the "big thing" of conscience, and on the "many things" that
include history, culture, responsibility, accountability, and activism within
all the venues a free society provides. And it is about seeing the beast of
Texas survives.
Order Online
Purchase your copy securely online or
by calling us toll free at
1-800-247-6553
The New
Legacy
Tieman H. Dippel, Jr.
Texas Peacemaker Publications, L.L.C. |
Case Bound - 159 pages, Case
Bound,
ISBN: 0-9721608-1-7
 Secure Transaction
Price: $18.00 *TX and OH
residents add sales tax*
|
E-Book
- 1.1mb,
159 PAGES,
ISBN: 0-9721608-3-3
eBooks are
non-transferable
& non-refundable |
|
Secure Transaction
Price: $9.00 *TX and OH
residents add sales tax*
|
|
