Thursday

Musings and History

Quote of the day:

“We are all captains of our own ships; if your ship sinks you go down with it”

Winston Churchill

A while back someone said to me that they knew racial prejudice existed because they see it every day. Listen to this story, I have never told it before:

I was raised in the deep south when there was no Civil Rights Act, no "Hate Crime" penalties,etc. it was racism at its rawest. This will anger you.

In the fall of 1947 a white cab driver was robbed and stabbed to death here in the Greenville, SC area. The cops arrested Willie Earl, a black man. A group of about 30 white men got all likkered up and went to the jail looking for him. The cops had gotten wind of this mob and sent Willie Earl over to the next county's jail. The jailer in Greenville feared for his life and told the mob where Willie was. The mob went to that jail, took Willie back to the Greenville area, beat on him for a while then shot him in the head three times with a shotgun at point blank range. I remember my father and grandfather talking about it...I was 10 years old.

It was day after Christmas and a bunch of us kids were showing off our presents. I do not remember the circumstances but it wasn't family. One kid about 8 years old pulled out a pocket knife and opened it and said "This could cut a niggers head off"...his father was beaming. I was about 12 years old.

I was riding home from downtown Greenville on a city bus. There was about 5 people on the bus including one middle aged black lady. I don't know what the problem was but the bus driver and her exchanged some sharp words. The bus stopped about where Henry's Smokehouse is now. The lady got off the rear exit and the bus driver (a white man) got off the front of the bus and they stood face to face arguing when suddenly he slapped her hard enough that she fell down. I was about 14 yrs old.

All of this took place over 60 years ago...why do I remember it I don't know but it depresses the hell out of me.

This Date in History September 22

1989 Irving Berlin died at the age of 101. What can be said that hasn’t been said already? He was a Russian immigrant and came to New York in 1893. His father died early and little Israel Balin (Irving Berlin) began trying to help his mother and his 7 siblings by doing a sidewalk entertainment show. He sang, danced, told jokes, etc. for whatever coins that were tossed his way. But later he changed his name to Irving Berlin and began writing song and plays and was soon recognized for the genius that he was. Just a few of the songs he gave us: God Bless America, Dancing Cheek to Cheek, Puttin’ on the Ritz, White Christmas, Blue Skies and many others. He was drafted during WWI and went uncomplainingly into the infantry. While in the army he wrote Oh How I hate to get up in the morning. He was a truly gifted individual.

1964 Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona is running for president against LBJ and says that if the US is not willing to go in and conquer North Vietnam it would be better if the US withdrew completely. He also recommended using low yield nuclear devices at all country borders so they would be impassable for years to come. He called LBJ a liar and said that LBJ is indeed committing the US to what is essentially a private war. LBJ and the Democrats rose up in unison and called Goldwater a bloodthirsty warmonger. Within weeks after Johnson won the election he ordered the 1^st and 5^th Marines among others into Nam and very soon there 80,000 American troops on Nam and the numbers were still climbing. Maybe LBJ was indeed lying. But I ain’t sure low yield nuclear devices are the answer either.

1862 A. Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation whereby all slaves in the states in rebellion would be freed. This essentially was a course reversal for the policy of the Lincoln Administration. The policy of the Administration at the outset of the war was that the states must remain united no matter what. After several military setbacks the Lincoln administration saw that they were losing the support of the people because of it, decided to use a moralistic basis for prosecuting the war and that be the freeing of the slaves rather than unity. The irony of all of this is that there were slave holding states not in rebellion such as Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware and Missouri. What about them? Anyway, Lincoln had to have a basis for prosecuting the war other than unity. Unity as a basis wasn’t flying. The legislation banning slavery everywhere was enacted in December of 1865.

1995 Ted Turner has agreed to the buyout of Turner Broadcast System by Time Warner for a mere $7.5 Billion. 7.5 BILLION Y'ALL!!!! Oh my God, lawyers started coming out of the woodwork wanting a piece of this action including those from the Federal Trade Commission. The lawyers knew better than to screw directly with Ted because he was a notorious hard ass and would cuss you out in a heartbeat. After several years of haggling the number was cut to $6.5 Billion. I guess the bloodsucking lawyers split up the $1 Billion. Ted went to one of his ranches in Montana and hung out for a while. It is reported that Ted collectively owns enough land to equal the state of Rhode Island. You don’t screw with Ted.

1961 JFK brings the Peace Corps into existence. Originally thought to be used a weapon against Communism, it evolved into an agency to improve the education and well being of the less fortunate no matter who or where and that is what it is today.

1598 The famous poet and playwright Ben Jonson killed another man in a duel and this ain’t the first time. He killed one in 1594 during an “affair of honor”. But a few months later his play Every Man in His Humor debuts and is an immediate success with William Shakespeare in the lead role. During this time, William Shakespeare and Ben Jonson were equally famous.

1554 The Spanish conquistador Coronado died never having achieved his dream of finding the Seven Cities of Gold full of precious gems as told in mythology. He was lead on an expedition to what was said to be the city but it turned out to be a small Zuni village of adobe huts. Another Indian came and said that his tribe has a city like he was looking for and off they went on yet another trek. They went through what is now Texas, Oklahoma and on into what is now Missouri. No golden cities were found. So Coronado returned to Mexico, Vera Cruz in particular. Even though he found no gold, Coronado had the sense to map the areas he went through and these maps proved to be very valuable to those that followed.

Born today:

1791 English scientist Michael Faraday. When trying to explain the usefulness of electricity to Prime Minister Gladstone he said. “Why sir, it is likely that soon you will be able to tax it.” Hey Mike, you have no idea how accurate you were.

1927 Baseball manager Tommy Lasorda. When talking about his catcher Mike Scioscia and his speed he said “If he got into a foot race with his pregnant wife he would come in third.” That’s cold, Tommy.

1958 US rocker Joan Jett. She said “I use to stand in front of a mirror and pretend I was Janis Joplin”. Janis sang not with her voice but with her heart and soul.

        Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow