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warrrreagl · 05-16-2003, 10:10 AM

I’ll probably get flamed to a pitiful cinder over this, but I have something to say about another celebrity I met, George Wallace. For those of you not from the US, or for those of you too damn young to know, George Wallace will always be remembered as the Alabama governor who stood in the schoolhouse door at the University of Alabama and physically blocked the integration of that school in 1962 (watch Forrest Gump). His catchphrase that day was “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever.”

But no matter how you feel about his politics, it would be foolish to refuse to admit that he was a hell of a master politician. He completely reversed his segregation policy when it became unfashionable and won a final term as Alabama’s governor in 1982 with the help of a landslide black vote. And Richard Nixon owed him a lot, because Wallace destroyed the Democratic Party in the ’68 Presidential Elections while running as an Independent.

I met Wallace in 1966 as my sister’s class toured the state capitol. My parents were chaperones for that field trip, so our entire family got to meet him. He was completely gracious and unbelievably patient in talking to everyone (adult and child), and I couldn’t believe he would actually take that much time with every single tour group.

Fast forward to the 1982 gubernatorial race in Alabama, and Wallace toured my hometown, where my parents still ran a Mom and Pop store. Wallace came into my folks’ store in order to campaign and spoke to my parents. My father said, “You probably don’t remember this, but we met you back in 1966….”

Wallace interrupted him by calling his name, calling my mother’s name, and asking how each of the kids were doing (calling each of us by name, also).

No matter how you feel about George Wallace, you’ve got to admire mental faculties like that.

05-16-2003, 10:10 AM	#35 (permalink)
warrrreagl pinche vato Location: backwater, Third World, land of cotton	I’ll probably get flamed to a pitiful cinder over this, but I have something to say about another celebrity I met, George Wallace. For those of you not from the US, or for those of you too damn young to know, George Wallace will always be remembered as the Alabama governor who stood in the schoolhouse door at the University of Alabama and physically blocked the integration of that school in 1962 (watch Forrest Gump). His catchphrase that day was “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever.” But no matter how you feel about his politics, it would be foolish to refuse to admit that he was a hell of a master politician. He completely reversed his segregation policy when it became unfashionable and won a final term as Alabama’s governor in 1982 with the help of a landslide black vote. And Richard Nixon owed him a lot, because Wallace destroyed the Democratic Party in the ’68 Presidential Elections while running as an Independent. I met Wallace in 1966 as my sister’s class toured the state capitol. My parents were chaperones for that field trip, so our entire family got to meet him. He was completely gracious and unbelievably patient in talking to everyone (adult and child), and I couldn’t believe he would actually take that much time with every single tour group. Fast forward to the 1982 gubernatorial race in Alabama, and Wallace toured my hometown, where my parents still ran a Mom and Pop store. Wallace came into my folks’ store in order to campaign and spoke to my parents. My father said, “You probably don’t remember this, but we met you back in 1966….” Wallace interrupted him by calling his name, calling my mother’s name, and asking how each of the kids were doing (calling each of us by name, also). No matter how you feel about George Wallace, you’ve got to admire mental faculties like that. __________________ Living is easy with eyes closed.