Friday

                     Musings and History

Quote of the day:

“Mister Speaker, I withdraw my statement that half the people here in Parliament are complete asses. Half of the people here are not complete asses.”

                                          Benjamin Disraeli

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 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 I remember it I don't know but it depresses the hell out of me.

        This Date in History October 14

1947 On this date United States Air Force ace Captain Charles “Chuck” Yeager broke the sound barrier for the first time in history. Chuck was USAF test pilot driving a Bell X-1 rocket plane that was taken to 40,000 feet attached to the belly of a B-29 and then released whereupon Chuck fired up the rocket engine and began climbing and accelerating at a hitherto unheard of rate. At about 60,000 the plane achieved 663 MPH which was the speed of sound at that altitude. This event was so secret that it was not announced until a year later. Previously aircraft “experts” believed that the speed of sound was not achievable because the drag on the airframe would tear it apart. That just goes to show you what so-called “experts” know. Anyway, Chuck made several other supersonic flights successfully. By the way, Chuck was a P-51 fighter pilot during WWII and was indeed an ace meaning he shot down five or more enemy aircraft. He was shot down himself over France but was concealed by the French underground and hustled back to his base in England to fly again. In the early days of supersonic flight it was pretty much a contest between Chuck and civilian test pilot Scott Crossfield as to who would fly the fastest. I do not remember who won this contest but all the flights originated at Edwards Air Force Base out on the California desert. No one with the knowledge will admit to this day where the high flying SR-71 Blackbird capable of Mach 3 (2,500 MPH) and altitudes above 60,000 feet or the F-117 stealth fighter was developed but it wasn’t at Edwards. The only other explanation would be at the infamous Area 51 (Groom’s Lake) in the southwestern Nevada desert which its very existence has been denied since 1964. I recently opened up Google Earth and zoomed in on that area and found Area 51 on a satellite view. The US government that denied its existence before now says that they have closed the base. When I zoomed in close I could see two aircraft on the ramp. They looked like C-130's. Maybe they were there picking up some leftover furniture...right?

1066 On this date William, The Duke of Normandy (France) landed on the south coast of England near Pevensey along with 7,000 troops and a company of cavalry to claim his right to the throne of England. Earlier about 1051 William claimed that the King of England, Edward the Confessor, had promised the throne to William upon his death because he had no heirs. However, on his deathbed Edward named Harold Godwine as his successor. Harold was a member of a very influential family in England. He was titled Harold II, King of England and assumed the throne. A few weeks before the arrival of William, England was invaded from the north by a combined force of William’s brother Tostic and an army of Vikings. Harold and his army met the Vikings at Stamford Bridge in northern England and administered a severe ass-whipping to the Vikings almost to the point of annihilation and they did it the hard way with swords, pikes, axes and clubs. Anyway, the Vikings gathered up what they could, ran to where their boats were beached on the Humber River and sailed their young asses back to Scandinavia. About the time the battle ended, a messenger arrived and told Harold about William and company landing on the south coast. Harold began a 29 day forced march toward Pevensey gathering recruits along the way. Harold arrived in the area of Pevensey and found William’s army within a rocks throw of the town of Hastings thus that is why it is called the Battle of Hastings. Harold dug in on the high ground to minimize the effect of the cavalry and awaited Williams attack. William did not disappoint and began a general assault. But Harold was right, the steep flanks of the hill diluted the cavalry’s effectiveness but William skillfully redeployed his archers and infantry and began again. During this attack, Harold received an arrow in the eye but was not killed. Then a French mounted knight broke through Harold’s defensive line and beheaded Harold with one sweep of his sword. After this the English army melted away. William continued to London and went in unopposed. He was crowned the King of England in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day thus ending the lineage of Anglo-Saxon rule in Britain. William did not forget Harold’s bravery and had an abbey erected where Harold died with the high altar on the very spot. As usual, a village grew up around that abbey and that village is named Battle.

Born today:

1888 New Zealand writer Katherine Mansfield. She said “How idiotic civilization is! What are you given a body and have to keep it in a case like a rare fiddle.” Obviously Katherine is talking of the days of tight corsets and chastity belts and not of present day thong Bikinis.

1890 US President Dwight Eisenhower. He said “An atheist is a person that can watch a football game between Notre Dame and Southern Methodist University and doesn’t care who wins.” I don’t care who wins as long as Notre Dame loses.

1906 German political activist Hannah Arendt. She said “Even the most fervent revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution.” Good vision there, Hannah.

             Thanks for listening I can hardly wait until tomorrow