My Beloved and Molly: Southerners Questioning Everything

[bertha katzenengel]

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From the Washington Post's article about Molly:

"Both her parents were Republicans,* but she rebelled early. Her liberal bent sprang from the same root that nurtures most Southern liberals: race. "Once you figure out they are lying to you about race, you start to question everything," she wrote."

Once you figure out they are lying to you about race, you start to question everything.

Mrs. Venation's questioning actually began well before this incident: She and some friends were crying at church the morning of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963. Mrs. V. was eleven years old. A deacon walked by and saw them crying and said, "Don't know what y'all are so upset over, it was only four little nigger girls." You can imagine the impact this would have on a child who has already begun to question everything.

Mrs. V. is more liberal than I am; no doubt this has something to do with it. I had no such formative experience.

Mrs. V. introduced me to Molly Ivins' columns, and is very, very fond of her. I wish Mrs. V. were awake, so I could tell her now that Molly is gone. I want her to hear it from me and she'll probably see it on line before I get the chance.

RIP, Molly.

* Mrs. V.'s parents are not Republicans, but she grew up Southern Baptist, in Eastern Tennessee. -- edited to correct my error here.

[northofdenali]

1. Beautiful, bertha - and tell Mrs. V that I certainly appreciate her!

My mom's attitude was the same - only she developed it in about 1932.

Thank you for the post. We'll all miss Molly so much.

[Clark2008]

2. Tell your Mrs. V. that another gal with some Southern Baptist

upbringing from East Tennessee who also loves Molly says, "Howdy." :hi:

(I'm in Knoxville. My Dad was SB, Mom is Catholic. I was able to go to both churches growing up).

Where's your Mrs. V from?

[bertha katzenengel]

3. well, hello there

She's from Clinton. :hi: (And I'm from So. California, and we live in MD and work in DC. Only on the internets....)

[Clark2008]

5. My second reporting job was in Clinton.

Molly was my hero in J-School.

Clinton is still marked by the race riots they had after schools were desegregated - to this day. I'm sure Mrs. V remembers those.

[bertha katzenengel]

7. Yes, she does

She remembers troops marching down her street. I'm sure she'll tell you more if she sees this thread.

[Mrs. Venation]

9. At The Clinton Courier?

I was a small child when the riots occurred, but I do remember those times. My most vivid memory is of watching the military police patrol the street where we lived.

A more complete memory is of the bombing of Clinton High School. I was in first grade, at Clinton Elementary School, right across the street from the high school. I remember being very confused, and not understanding at all why someone would bomb a school.

The riots and school bombing left a permanent imprint on Clinton. I remember Ku Klux Klan rallies on the courthouse lawn. One of those, held in daylight (so very unlike the KKK) offended the sensibilities of this rebellious southern child; I threw rocks at the hooded cowards. When I told my mom what I'd done it scared her half to death. I remember saying, "ah, mom, they won't do anything to me. It was just Mr. So-and-so (a deacon in their church); I knew him from his voice."

Clinton Elementary School was integrated in 1964, my eighth-grade year. That event occurred without incident. I remember being very excited about it. I also recall some idiotic behavior from a few of my classmates; it seems that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, or, in this case, the cracker doesn't fall far from the box.

To this day I am a die-hard advocate for the dispossessed. I am a proud, dedicated, and determined liberal. The experiences of my youth forever cemented my politics.

Molly Ivins was one of my favorite people. I can't believe she's gone. :cry:

[Lars39]

10. As painful as those childhood memories are,

we need to hear them, Mrs. V. Thank you for sharing them with us. :hug:

[WatchWhatISay]

4. Oh my, that is so true.

About being a liberal Southerner and the race thing. I think that is exactly how it started for me.

I had not read that before. This is what we will miss from now on.

[lies and propaganda]

6. agreed.

growing up very Southern Baptist Shreveport,LA it didnt take long for me to figure i was being shammed on a plethora of things, religion and race being very high up there.

[Booster]

8. I took a busride from Houston to Mississippi in the 60's. When I

got on the bus there were only a few people already seated; it was early in the morning and I was tired so I went to the back of the bus where there was a bench and I layed down and went to sleep. When I awoke hours later there were a lot of people on the bus; all of the black people were in the back of the bus and the white people were up front. I remember the black people were so concerned that I was in the back and a couple of elderly ladies were beside themselves with concern. They kept whispering "get up to the front where you belong or you'll get all of us in trouble." That seemed so stupid to me and I refused to go. I especially remember the really ugly looks I got from the white people, and at that moment I understood just how ugly racism really was. Experiencing the discrimination myself, I vowed then and there that I would not grow up to be like those people and I didn't. I have to say that the busride was a Hell of a lot more fun in the back than it was in the front. I have always rebelled when people try to put me in "my place".