Musings From The Edge
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In the course of settling into a career, I have had a number of good things happen to me. In addition there were a lot of good people who did and said good things for and about me along the way and I am most grateful. However, as with everything in life where there are many sweet memories there are also those turn sour in your mouth over time. You all know the kind of which I speak, the kind that with age, knowledge, and some degree of wisdom you say, “Holy Shit, I should have known the son of bitch was no good from the start.” This is one of those.
While stumbling around looking for a career, a defining moment came when I was running a drive-in restaurant in Tuscaloosa, AL from 1965 until 1968. It was a typical late 60’s place with car hops, where everybody drove through to meet up, talk with friends, and hang out. Typically we hired off duty police officers on weekends because of the heavy traffic and kids getting drunk and fighting. I enjoyed chatting with the cops, listening to their “war stories”, and like many former Marines, relished the action. So, in March of 1968, I put on a badge and began the start of a long career in the field of Criminal Justice. I wasn’t particularly a law and order type but I really liked the work, especially the patrol work in the high crime areas because it was always busy. Hey, I was young and stupid, OK?
Anyway, I got to know the city prosecutor pretty well. He was a fairly young attorney working his way up and always had a quick smile and a handshake for everyone. At that time I paid very little attention to politics because I also started college in 1969 and had little time for anything other than work, school, and my family. I did notice though when the young prosecutor had left that position and was running for the Alabama State Senate as a Democrat around 1970. He would come around the police department with that same big smile and the handshake for everyone asking for votes and I thought, why not? I voted for him and didn’t think much about after that as I was still quite busy. The police department had joined forces with the University of Alabama for an innovative approach (at that time) to handling juveniles from a police perspective. The program placed university students with police officers at the street level with the kids. I had been asked to run the day to operations of the unit. The results of these efforts led to one of those sweet moments for me.
In December, 1972 the students of that unit had nominated me for the award of Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for the State of Alabama. I wasn’t aware of the nomination until mid January, 1973 when I was invited to the awards banquet. To say the least I was overwhelmed, and totally blown away when I actually won the award. To say that I was walking on cloud nine for several days would be a gross understatement. But, I digress from the point here. Among all the hoopla the city prosecutor turned state senator introduced a resolution before the Alabama State Senate commending me on my achievement. This was in 1973, and at the time I considered it an honor. However, as time has passed and age and education has assisted me with knowledge and a bit of wisdom, plus more time to examine what is really going on around me and around the country, I have noticed things that I wish I had noticed then.
The state senator ran for the congressional seat of his long time friend Walter Flowers and served there for a while before becoming a United States Senator. After becoming a United States Senator he turned his back on the party that got him there and became a Republican. I also noticed that a lot of things that I stood for he didn’t. It seemed like every time an issue was for banking or big business he voted for it. Everything that would help out the poor or the working man he was against it. Suddenly there were buildings on the Alabama campus being named after him. Most recently he has been holding up seventy nominations simply to get military projects placed in Alabama. While that may sound great to some people, to me it is same old bullshit that has been dragging this country down for decades.
That city prosecutor and state senator with the big smile and hand shake who got the resolution passed in the Alabama State Senate with accolades on it for me – Richard Shelby. Hey Richard would you please take that damn Resolution and shove it!!! (frame and all)
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Lazer, ok, so it’s all your fault!!! J/K 🙂
It is unfortunate that the Walter Flowers’ of the country end up steam-rolled by big money. Very unfortunate indeed.
GR8 autobiog, Ledge!
I have a couple of those type of stories Bill. I was close with a young prosecutor who threw away a brilliant career so as to join a law firm and make big $$$$. I told him that money wasn’t everything but he wouldn’t listen. He didn’t make it there and ended up in a tiny town in the Midwest where he lives today in relative obscurity. We talk from time to time and I never say “I told you so.”
Thanks Oso and Hill. Its strange how people we pass in life somehow seem to disappoint us later. In his younger days I thought Richard would have been a force for the people he knew, those who put him office. But, I guess years of power and wealth gets the best of many people and they have a lot of debts to pay and get caught up in their own self importance.
Great post, Lazer!
Thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
🙂
Lazer,
great story.I’d read that about Shelby, his converting to the even worse side.
Those were some good times. I wasn’t in the service, had a high lottery number so went from 1A to 1H. Someone joked it meant that in event of a declared war I would be held as a hostage.
@Laser,
-We knew it was you. Sorry to hear that. While we don’t expect our politicians to remember us all, we do expect them to remember what they stand for, namely the little people who vote in the first place.
-SJ
@SJ and Holte: I really did like Richard in the old days. I guess I was naive in thinking that anyone rises in politics and remembers the little people. I have written to him many times and the responses I get from him are standard Republican party-line bullshit. He is very unlike is congressional predecessor Walter Flowers who seemed to always be looking out for the working folks. Maybe that’s why Walter decided to get out of politics.
Sorry folks, I am at a different computer than normal.
Lazer
I sympathize with your feelings of disappointment and pissed offness. When I first moved to Georgia, I got to meet my state representative, charming fellow, Bob Lane (Dem) was his name, the day after I voted for him he became Bob Lane (Rep).
I have been reading about Shelby for some weeks now and he seems steadfast in his willingness to blackmail the White House into giving him what he wants. Probably the people in Alabama are cheering him on.
@Laser,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this epic resume.
I pictured everybody with long side burns and was magically transported to that change in America from the late sixties to the early seventies.
I have had similar experiences -just not with politicians but real people (am I implying politicians aren’t real people? I’m genuinely embarrassed at myself for that slip) and they were far more abrupt.
Here in New York after the 9/11 attacks, formerly independent-minded, thoughtful people, some of who never even committed to a party declaration before because of their cautious skepticism suddenly became Bush supporters, and now won’t back off it even though his presidency was clearly a disaster for everyone except the banking community who were insulated from the harm they caused under his administration’s intentional lack of supervision. Not only won’t they now admit what we all know about the failures of the last eight years but they have gone on to buy into all that deregulation nonsense: Nowadays nobody here in New York City defends small business, even though it’s the backbone of the city.
-SJ