Growing Up In Small Town America Part 12

 

SHOPPING

As I said above, little towns like Vernon where business hubs. There was little need to go elsewhere to shop. We did all our shopping in the downtown area at places like M.E.Moses and Woolworth’s. These were call Five & Dime Stores (5&10 cents). You could buy practically anything in these stores. They had lunch counters and were filled with neat stuff. If any of the merchandise had “made in Japan” on it, I felt that it was junk. I suppose that is because we lived so close in time to WWII.  At Easter, Moses would sell little baby chicks that had been dyed in the colors of Easter. They had them in the store in open wire cages under heat lamps and we would buy these poor chicks and take them home, only to have them die shortly. I view that now as a very cruel thing to do.

The huge stores of today had not come into existence, but they were on the rise in the late 60s.  Downtown Vernon had men’s stores and separate ladies’s stores and Hill’s Children store that were independently owned and operated. There was a Perkins, a J.C.Penny’s and a small Montgomery’s Store where they basically did catalogue orders. The Montgomery’s catalogue was called a “wish book.” We had auto stores, jewelry stores, Norsworthy’s Record store, a bakery, a card shop, etc.  All of these were built around the courthouse city square. In my teenage years, a large Gibson’s Discount Center was built out on the new loop highway. It was much like today’s Walmart. I believe this was the start of the decay of the downtown areas. A T.G.&Y. was also built which took away revenue from Moses and Woolworths. Woolworths closed their doors, followed not long after by Moses. Eventually we began to shop in Wichita Falls for a wider variety and other specialty items. They built Sikes Shopping Center, and I was blown away as we walked through it. I believe that shopping center is still open today.

 

We had small Super Markets for groceries. My daddy’s best friend, Jack Snell opened the first United Supermarket,  not far off the courthouse square. Business took off and he and his family eventually became very wealthy, developing the United chain of food stores. We had a Piggly Wiggly, which was where Mimi would shop every week. Mother, too, often shopped there to receive the reward of green stamps.  These were stamps that could be redeemed at a connecting Green Stamp Store for home goods.  I loved going in there with Mother. She brought home many useful household items from there, and occasionally let me select an item.

Are We Missing The Boat

 

For a long time, I have known that we, as a nation, are deteriorating. I have said that the problem is found in 3 areas: decay in the family, decay in our belief in God, and no understanding of patriotism. This came on the TV and confirmed my fears. 

Family: For some time, it has been convenient to divorce when things just go wrong. It seems that for a long time, couples would persevere and work through their problems. This left the family structure intact, with a mother figure and a father figure. Each brings something to the family that ALL children need.

Then we began hearing how the Black culture was missing Father figures. The women would have children and sometimes they would not even know their fathers, leaving the women to raise the children alone....and sometime leaving them to be raised by grandparents. 

Now we have gay marriages that have children??? How could that be (BIOLOGY TELLS YOU THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE)...well, it's not possible without invitro fertilization. There was an article last week in the paper about how 3 different girls were searching for answers about medical issues using their DNA.....well, turns out they learned that they have over 300 siblings. Sperm donor banks often do not monitor the amount that is sold. I can only imagine what the children of the future are going to face. 

Religion: we are being bashed from every angle for our belief system. This nation was founded on Christian principles. We must be aware of wolves in sheep clothing. If you don't believe it, look up the TRUE history of why there was immigration in the 1600-1700s. They were searching for religious freedoms and they found this nation on their Christian beliefs, not free from God, but free to worship as they pleased. Now we are demonized for our beliefs, for being good decent human beings, excepting others just as Christ did. The word Jesus is a frightening reality for many. There is a lawlessness and a desire to just do what feels good, to rewrite history, to do as we please in the here and now. AND... Never think that the middle Eastern culture is the same. 

Patriotism: we are losing the last generation that had to fight in an ALL OUT WAR where it took the WHOLE nation to come together to defeat our enemies. The young people are losing sight of what the cost of that was in the form of giving your life for our freedoms. There are too many keyboard warriors that have no idea what courage it took to lay it all on the line for our beliefs. Self-gratification and lack of responsibility and owning your own problems/situation is creating a huge problem for the strong will of our people. Some can't even tell you who we fought in the Revolution.

My America, My Homeland Part 12

 AMERICAN PRESIDENTS DURING MY LIFETIME

Barack Obama 2009 -2017

He came into office with the least amount of political experience, being only the organizer of events in Chicago and serving for 3 years as Senator from Illinois. He was our first African American president and was in a prime position to bridge the gap of racial tension by holding himself up as an example of what can be achieved as a Black man; that anything is possible. Many times, though, his rhetoric turned to his memories of being treated the same way. As a white citizen, I know this happened; I understand their hurt; I am appalled at the actions of many from the past. But we are not able to erase the past, nor should we forget it. I can’t help what happened in the past, but I can’t be blamed for the past either. I am willing to move forward, wanting equality and justice for everyone in the here and now. I prefer not to constantly re-live all the negative racial injustices. As a teacher, I learned to be color blind. I viewed my students as they were, no matter their background or culture. The media became whores to what was sensational and fueled the flames, and most white America became silenced not wanting to be labeled as a racist, bigot, misogynist, homophobic…you name it, if we spoke out about anything, we were labeled. This created LOTS of tension and stress and unfortunately, for me, the best candidate in the election against Obama was not selected and America selected Trump.

 

Donald Trump 2017

This may be the most divisive President I’ve ever lived under. He is a wealthy businessman known across the globe. He is not a politician and the press HATES him, and he hates them. He takes to Twitter to talk with the people directly. He has no filter in expressing his ideas, but he is determined to do what he believes he was elected to do. For that, he has achieved the respect of his base, but many Republican politicians find it hard to follow him. Only time will tell.  He is the President as I speak, and I find it disgusting how our nation has fallen into such negative rhetoric and how disrespectful we have become of the office of the President. Honestly, I’m fearful for the future of democracy. I grieve about the downfall of our media with so much bias in news stories. One has to search hard to find the real news.

Joe Biden....Really? In my view, this is the most destructive President we have ever had. Economy went down the drain after Covid, handouts to everyone, spending in the trillions of dollars, crime is rampant as we have defunded police, and the border crisis with millions of undocumented aliens being released into our country is unthinkable. A country with no borders is not a country. One World Order.... ?

My America, My Homeland Part 11

AMERICAN PRESIDENTS DURING MY LIFETIME

 George Herbert Walker Bush 1989-1993

He was Reagan’s Vice-President and was elected when Reagan’s term was completed. America still could not stomach another Democrat after Jimmy Carter. Foreign policy would drive his presidency with military involvement in Panama and the Persian Gulf. Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, had invaded oil rich Kuwait. After negotiations failed to get Iraq out of Kuwait, Congress authorized the use of military force. I remember that day well. Jan 17, 1991, was the beginning of the Persian Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm and possibly our involvement over there for years to come. As I walked in the door after school, the television news was full of the air attacks. It was the first time since Vietnam that I was seeing war on TV. This time it was much different with the missiles being fired in rapid succession lighting up the night sky like huge green flares. This went on for 4 weeks, until ground troops went in and pushed Hussein back to Bagdad, restoring control of Kuwait to their government. Bush’s approval rating skyrocketed. However, he reneged on his campaign promise of “no new taxes” which cost him his re-election.

William Jefferson Clinton 1993-2001

I will begin with the positives about this President because after that I have very little respect for him. Bill Clinton was a master negotiator. He had the ability to reach across the aisle and come to terms, to give and to take. Democracy is built on this example of negotiating under the law of the Constitution. BUT, this President was despicable much like Nixon, lying under oath. Bill had an affair with an intern in the Oval Office. He was a womanizer and he used his power to have his way with Monica Lewinski. She was naïve and believed that he cared about her. When the infamous blue dress turned up with his semen on it, he had to come clean of his indecent behavior INSIDE the White House. He was impeached from office for lying to the American public. This began the moral decay of our society, as young people now felt that oral sex wasn’t sex, and sex out of wedlock became the norm. The Clintons did not go away, however, because his wife Hillary was elected as a senator from New York and later took the stage as Obama’s Secretary of State. Their Clinton Foundation, raising millions in the name of charity, would later be viewed as suspicious. Their books and speaking engagements made them wealthy. She later ran for President against Trump, but America had had enough of the Clintons.

 

 

George Walker Bush 2001-2008

He was the governor of Texas and was born into a family of privilege. He was a good governor and had a great sense of humor. He held vastly to what he believed was the “right” thing to do in any situation. His goal was to bring integrity back to the White House, to cut taxes, aid minorities and improve education. But only 8 months into his presidency on a day when he was visiting school children, the 9/11 attack on The World Trade Center changed all that. The War on Terror became front and center, as he dealt mostly with our nation’s security. He condemned Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda and the world changed forever as we began to deal with the evil forces of the East. Illegal immigrants began to pour into America. The Great Recession began. We invaded Afghanistan and Iraq known as the Iraq War and implemented the ‘shock and awe’ campaign. I’m not sure the dust has ever settled, nor can it when dealing with that corner of the world. Bush had some of the highest ratings in the polls…and some of the lowest. I believe that he was a compassionate man trying to do the right thing for the American 

My America, My Homeland Part 10

 AMERICAN PRESIDENTS DURING MY LIFETIME

Gerald Rudolph Ford 1974 -1976

Ford was Nixon’s Vice President and stepped into the Presidency when Nixon resigned. He seemed to be a kind, upstanding man with integrity and honesty. He once came to Baylor and spoke to Chapel where I was able to hear him speak in person. It was a day that I will remember and I was a complete follower of his from that day on.

James Earl Carter, Jr. 1977-1981

I never had much faith in Carter. He was always making gaffes in political protocol. His intentions were good, but he was a weak leader. I feel that he has benefited society more as a former president than at the job that he performed as the President.  I remember the failed attempted rescue of 52 American hostages in the Iran Hostage Crisis. It was the downfall of Carter’s presidency. Afterwards, negotiations continued and the hostages were finally released with the signing of the Algiers Accord, only minutes after President Reagan was sworn into office.

Ronald Wilson Reagan 1981-1989

Voting for Reagan was my first time to vote in a large election. I was highly in favor of Reagan, though skeptical that an actor from Hollywood could be President; however, he was the governor of California.  The lines to vote were long and before I even voted, Reagan had been declared President since the polls had been closed for several hours in the eastern part of the U.S. I voted anyway. He turned out to be what America needed with his gentle way of governing and great leadership; he brought America back together again.  He implemented tax deductions to spur economic growth which was called “Reaganomics”. He survived an assassination attempt, began the War on Drugs, and reduced inflation. He ended the Cold War, challenging Gorbechev to ‘tear down this wall.’ Three years after he left office the Soviet Union collapsed.

My America, My Homeland Part 9

PRESIDENTS DURING MY LIFETIME

President Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953-1961

I don’t remember him directly, but he was a well-respected 5-star general from WWII with good intentions for our society.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy 1961 -1963

I do remember JFK. He was the youngest president ever elected. He was from a wealthy, political family and was very much loved by Americans, despite being a womanizer. I remember his assassination in Dallas, Texas, and the debate that raged on for years about his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. Oswald was shot down by Jack Ruby who owned strip clubs and dance halls and had minor mafia ties.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Nov 1963, elected 1964 – 1968

He was a senator from Texas which made me proud and he was JFK’s vice president sworn in on Air Force One after Kennedy was assassinated. He was elected again in 1964. He implemented the “Great Society” and a war on poverty. He struggled with the Vietnam War, desperately wanting to succeed at all costs and get us out of there, so that he could be re-elected. Anti-war sentiment was too great and he ended his bid for nomination.

Richard Milhous Nixon 1969 – Aug 1974

I always respected the office of the President and was taught to do so. Nixon seemed full of hope and ambition. He ended our involvement in Vietnam, but he desperately wanted to be re-elected, which he was. But it later came to light that he was involved with the Watergate break-ins in order to gain information from the Democratic headquarters. He was caught lying and being a part of the cover-up of this break-in. He was a disgrace to the American public and became the only president to resign from the office. I remember clearly the day that he made his resignation speech on national TV, August 8, 1974. I was preparing to leave home for college. I sat on the couch and watched his speech in disbelief that this could be happening in our nation. It was one of those defining moments where you can remember specifically where you were and what you were doing. On our family road trip in the summer of 1973 to see Paula in Michigan, we toured the eastern states on the way home. Washington D.C. was one of our stops and I was able to see the Watergate Hotel. I remember feeling a little afraid just to look at the building.

My America, My Homeland Part 8

American History and Politics During My Lifetime

 Desegregation Continued

Other than what was mentioned in the previous post, I had very little exposure to black people until high school when integration was forced upon us. It was my sophomore year and I don’t remember much about it. I do, however, have vivid memories of a riot that occurred midway through the year. Some of the black students gathered in the rest room during lunch time, tore off toilet sets, set a fire and wrote on the walls. We were evacuated from the building until authorities could secure that area and gather the black students in the library. They called in black community leaders, preachers and our beloved black Coach, Mr. Jake Brazile. He was a gentle giant and loved by many. His wife had been one of my favorite science teachers in the 6^th grade. We resumed our school day, and I remember glancing through the library windows during passing period and seeing them all gathered there. This calmed the situation, but now I wondered if integration would work…but we did not have a choice. I felt disgusted that our new building had been vandalized, and now I was fearful which was precipitated from my viewpoint as a small white female with long blonde hair. I didn’t expect that they would be interested in me, but they would often try to reach out and touch/stroke my blond hair. Therefore, I avoided them, which many white kids did, and this may be why the black kids never felt included. There were many ramifications and difficulties of meshing two cultures. I experienced it firsthand.

My America, My Homeland Part 7

 American History and Politics During My Lifetime

The Beginning of Desegregation

Also during the year that I was born, the U.S. Supreme court ruled on the Browder v. Gayle case stating that racial segregation on buses was unconstitutional. It was a year-long case following the Montgomery Bus Boycott led by Martin Luther King, Jr. The case re-affirmed that segregation laws violated the 14^th amendment and that “separate but equal” was no longer accepted. This had a huge impact on society and set us on a better path to integrating everything. Though we had Black people living in Vernon, I had very little exposure to them.  It was not a focus of my attention as they had their own schools in a part of town that was label Colored Town. I can say though, there was no malice in those words. It was just how society was during the era that I grew up. I suppose, looking back now, there was prejudice, but I didn’t live in a world of hate. It was just the way things were. I did have exposure to a Black man who Daddy purchased BBQ from. He cooked out of his kitchen, and I would go with Daddy to pick up his order. This Black man was the nicest man you would ever know. His home was impeccably clean and I felt honored to know him. Another Black man sold tamales on the corner of Wilbarger and Main out of a small cart. He, too, was a very nice gentleman. I once attended a Black funeral, possibly for the man who cooked our BBQ. It was held in a Black Baptist Church and it was truly an experience for me, as it followed the protocol of what I had in my mind as “holy rollers”. There were loud Amens, waving of hands and lots of singing.

My America, My Homeland Part 6

 American History and Politics During My Lifetime

Important Legislation from the Year 1956

The year that I was born, President Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act into law since he had seen the German Autobahn system during WWII.  He reasoned that an interstate system would benefit national security, allowing faster evacuation routes in a nuclear attack. 41,000 miles of highways were built across America. This changed our landscape forever.

Previous history

1895 – Bureau of Highways became the foundation of what exists today from the dirt wagon trails

1918 – Roadways were connected with Bonds, paving began

1933 – U.S. Highway system was formed and roadways doubled.

1956 – by 1960,  our interstate system became the largest civil engineering project in the world costing more than 100 billion.

My memories of travelling in the car were on two lane highways through miles and miles of open land. I remember looking out the window at the passing landscape or soaking in the sights of any new town or city. There was a quiet comfort knowing that I was in the safe protection of Mother and Daddy out in that vast world. Traveling made me feel FAR from home. There were many dirt roads around Vernon and we knew them well, just like highways. I learned to drive on FM roads (Farm to Market). These were paved roads, smaller and narrower than U.S. Highways.  When the vast Interstates opened, it seemed that you didn’t have to slow for anything. Daddy taught me to drive long distance on the big highways during our 1972 road trip to Michigan to see Paula. He drove it straight through in two days, but on the return trip, we toured the Eastern states. Once we got onto the Interstates, Daddy would let me drive to experience the high speeds and passing.

My America, My Homeland Part 5

 American History & Politics During My Lifetime

pittsburgh-homes.com

THE VIETNAM WAR

Wars seem to define generations and nations. The prolonged Vietnam War and America’s involvement dragged on forever, lasting about 20 years. In the 50s, America sent advisors, but during the 60s, Kennedy sent troops to aid South Vietnam. It was the first time that warfare was played out daily on the nightly news. I grew weary of seeing this every night. It was brutal. By the mid-1960s, there were anti-war protests, and it only escalated with the implementation of the Draft on Dec. 1, 1969. The Selective Service drew numbers much like our current lottery system. The lower the number, the higher the chances of being immediately deployed. It was a very dark day in our home, as Bryan’s birthday drew a very low number. Daddy used his ties to get Bryan into the National Guard and Bryan avoided being shipped to Vietnam. Bill Ford, Paula’s fiancé, was a Baylor graduate freshly enrolled in Law School. He enlisted in order to go to officer training in the Air Force, starting as a Second Lieutenant and pilot of the B-52. As a young bride, Paula followed him to Georgia, California, Michigan and Guam as he received his wings. This changed the lives of my brother and my sister forever, and the Vietnam War defined our generation.  Bryan began training in the National Guard and was committed for years of monthly stints. Bill became a career Air Force officer, flying missions over Vietnam in the last days of the war. When the war was over, Bill was stationed at Dyess AFB in Abilene, and we were blessed to have them back in Texas. He retired many years later as a Major and then used his experience to fly the Airbus for UPS, an aircraft comparable to the B-52.

My America, My Homeland Part 4

 

Yellow Dog Democrats and Carolina Dogs – The Science of the South

It was very important in my family for Mother and Daddy to go to the polls and vote.  They were highly informed about the news of the day and the candidates on the ballot.  Election Day was a huge affair, always with a large turnout.  Mother would dress in her finest Sunday clothes and Daddy would have on his usual business suit.  They would go to the polls together and then anxiously await election returns.  My grandfather, J.C. Jones, was a “yellow dog” Democrat, a term applied to southern voters who would vote for a “yellow dog before voting for any Republican.”  Once upon a time, the Democratic Party embraced what was best for the working class over the elite business class, and really still does. But their philosophy became so liberal, accepting things outside the boundaries of conservative values and placed much of the burden on the backs of middle class taxes. The Democrats created a government of hand outs, i.e. the Great Society, the War on Poverty, etc., which enabled people to take from the government without any responsibility to work for what they had.  In the 1960s, this turned some Democrats more towards the philosophy of free enterprise, that if you work hard, you deserve to own what you have and competition keeps prices lower.  Along about this time, the Democrats also developed very liberal moral values, accepting whatever someone wanted to do as their civil right. We were no longer held accountable to any standards, as that would step on someone’s rights. This is when Mother changed from Democrat to Republican, and she often said, “I didn’t leave my party; they left me.” 

My America, My Homeland Part 3

John F. Kennedy | Biography, Siblings, Party, Assassination, & Facts | Britannica

John Kennedy (1961-1963) was elected President and approved the initial invasion. It was to be a mission led by CIA paramilitary leaders with U.S. trained Cuban exiles.  It was assumed that the President would authorize anything once the troops were on the ground to guarantee success, but without air support, this became a failed mission; Kennedy had a black eye and had to eat crow; Castro was suspicious of another attack.  Because American missiles had been deployed to Italy and Turkey by Eisenhower years earlier, the Soviet Union now openly deployed nuclear missiles to Cuba which began the Cuban Missile Crisis. After intense negotiations between Kennedy and Khrushchev, missiles were dismantled and agreements were made to avoid further invasions.

                                                     

With this, I entered grade school and school children were now subjected to emergency drills where we were taught to take cover under our desk. Civil defense drills across the city were implemented with loud sirens being tested every Saturday at noon.  Vernon built fallout shelters, one of which I remember being in the Wilbarger Auditorium just across the street from the school.  Though I don’t remember much discussion about communism, there was great concern in the air. Afterwards there was a great distrust that the Soviet Union would instigate a nuclear war, and I felt that the term “Soviet Union” was a dirty word.

My America, My Homeland Part 2

 Pictures and Historical Information from Harry S. Truman | U.S. President & History | Britannica

trumanlibrary.gov

I was born in 1956 in the shadow of WWII as part of the baby boomer generation. My parents were part of the Greatest Generation which had sacrificed much for our nation to remain free. But where my memories begin is after the War. President Truman (1945-1953) had ordered background checks of all government employees in the fear that communism would invade our daily lives. McCarthyism was pervasive and paranoia spread with the fear of a nuclear holocaust. Meanwhile, the Cuban Revolution of 1959 placed Fidel Castro at the head of the Communist Party and he formed economic links to the Soviet Union. The next president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, (1953-1960) was concerned about Castro’s leadership of the Cuban government and funded an invasion of the Bay of Pigs.

Dwight D. Eisenhower - Wikipedia

My America, My Homeland Part 1

 American History and Politics During My Lifetime

Growing up in rural small-town America, I knew nothing else except to be proud of my country and allegiant to her.  We had great pride in the flag and treated it with upmost dignity. I learned about the flag; what it symbolized and how lucky I was to be born in a free nation. I learned proper protocol about the flag; we pledged it often, at most events that I attended. It was an honor to be born as a citizen of the U.S.A. with the many rights and privileges that were given to me by the ultimate sacrifice of many on the battle field throughout the ages. I was taught to respect every aspect of their sacrifice. In school, I was taught all the American patriotic songs which further taught me how to love and appreciate my country. 

I thank God everyday that I married a man of faith who was raised by a strong independent woman. His mother was a military wife who moved all over the world, caring for her 3 sons. His dad as a pilot of the B-24 and flew 3 missions over Normandy on D-Day and survived. Just seeing the flag wave proudly and singing the National Anthem brought tears to her eyes. She was the most patriotic person I ever knew.