As I watch soldiers sleeping on the floor of the U. S. Capitol, it reminds me of when I was doing the same thing in 1963 when Governor George Wallace barred the door to desegregation at the University of Alabama. My unit was deployed to a nearby army base in Alabama to be ready in case of riots. We spent most of the month there. The times were just as tense back then. The year before there was the Cuban Missile Crisis which, just like the Tulsa Race Riots, was almost swept into the dustbin of history. 

The previous year I had been sent to Old Miss because of riots and have seen the mindless beast that a mob quickly becomes. Later George Wallace ran for president and I wondered what would happen to our country if he had won. Now I know, and it is sad.

In 1970 Bear Bryant’s all-white Alabama football team hosted the USC Trojans in the opening game of the season.  Using black players, the Trojans ran roughshod over Alabama and Bryant realized he had to make some changes.  

My unit flew in a C130 directly from Fort Campbell to the Oxford airport and went directly to the campus. After the excitement, we camped on the practice field right next to Hemingway Stadium. An athletic trainer gave me an old football with "Ole Miss" stamped on it. We soldiers played football with it to occupy us after the riots. My son and I later wore it out playing catch. 

My role is described at the end of Chapter 1. 

ESPN - OTL: Ghosts of Mississippi - E-ticket

A few years ago, Betty and I made a trip to Mississippi. There we visited the battlefield at Vicksburg (again) and Oxford on our way to Shiloh Battlefield (again). At Oxford, we went to the Lyceum where the riots occurred. We saw the statue of James Meredith there. Across the street from the Lyceum, ironically, there is Deupree Hall which is named for a cousin of my 2nd great-grandfather. 

There was a bit of schadenfreude for me when the University of Tulsa beat Ole Miss by 14 to 7 in the 1964 Bluebonnet Bowl.

As you may have gathered, I have a hatred of mobs ever since Ole Miss. I avoid crowds such as demonstrations or rallies in general. It does not matter if it is Black Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street, political rallies or whatever. They are populist in nature and typically do more harm than good by inflaming passions while the real problem is not addressed.

One consequence of populism is that it drives wealth elsewhere and only makes things worse. An 1896 editorial by William Allen White called “What’s the Matter with Kansas” pointed out that populism there led to economic stagnation while the rest of the country was prospering. It is still with us here in Oklahoma.

I have sympathy for many of the rioters who stormed the capitol. One was Ashli Babbitt who died believing in her cause. She was an Air Force veteran who served our country honorably and showed courage in coming to the capital when her circumstances became desperate. Coming from Dawson, I still remember what it is like.  

We have relatives in the same boat, and we help them financially, but no amount of money will solve the problem. There is an axiom says that “You can’t solve money problems with money” This is because money problems are usually caused by behavioral problems. It is the “moral dilemma” that you feel when you see panhandlers on a street corner. You salve your conscience by giving them money, but you also contribute to perpetuating that way of life.

If I can point to one thing of late that contributed to our unrest, it is the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision which tilted elections toward the wealthy and gave corporations unlimited power to influence elections. In effect, it further disenfranchised poorer Americans.

Income inequality may cause civil unrest for generations to come. And as we are learning:  He who sows the wind inherits the whirlwind. 

FYI:  I went to the TU/Ole Miss Bluebonnet Bowl.

Bob!  Thank you!

And thank you for bearing with me while I am on my soapbox. To paraphrase a saying "Opinions are like bellybuttons. Everybody has one."

Bob, you have every right to your opinions as all of us do and always will. One thing for certain though, you are one who expresses your opinions well and explains why you choose them. Thank you... dlg