David Mills of "The Wire," Leaves Words Tea Partiers Should Hear

I'm not sure how much you know of David Mills and his work.  An immensely talented writer, Mills died unexpectedly this week at the age of 48.  He left behind a legacy of writing for acclaimed television drams, like "E.R," "NYPD Blue," and "The Wire, the series about life on the streets in Baltimore that we're told is President Obama's favorite tv drama.

 

Mills was apparently a rare talent and he started early.  His sister tells stories about Mills at the age of 10 being involved with other little kids in game with GI Joe toys, for which Mills would write the dialogue on 3X5 cards.  He was working most recently on a television series scheduled to debut this month called "Treme,"  about events following Hurricane Katrina's devastation, based on stories of people trying to rebuild their lives after that disaster.

His co-executive producer on Treme is David Simon, who wrote a marvelous piece about Mills for HBO.  He said, "[Mills] was an enormous talent."  He tells of first meeting Mills in college, when they both worked on the University of Maryland's newspaper called the Diamondback. “He loved words and he loved an argument – but not in any angry or mean-spirited way. He loved to argue ideas. He delighted in it, and he was confident that something smarter and deeper always came from a good argument.”

Amen.  What a wonderful thing to have said about yourself, that you are a "lover of words" and "love good arguments."

Recent behavior of those who prefer hate-filled speech to good argument has gotten me down.  Makes me fear for the future of good, honest verbal exchange in this country.  Mills, a light-skinned African American who lived a life that spanned several cultures--at ease, we're told, in both white and black worlds-- is a great example of how conversation can transform.  I, too, believe that something "smarter and deeper always comes from a good argument."

Rest in peace, David Mills.