Say It Ain't So Joe

(My father in law, George Hartford, was the most rabid sports fan I have ever known. I have written about him before, but have forgotten what I wrote. You, no doubt, have forgotten too. Old age ain't all bad.  -Ed)


I've often suspected that the little kid who was standing outside the courthouse when Shoeless Joe Jackson (of the Blacksox World Series Fame) emerged from the trial that convicted him (probably wrongly) of being involved in the worst scandal in Baseball history, and confronted him...with the words that would live forever in Baseball

history....was my father in law. 

Those famous words were, "Say it ain't so, Joe."

George Hartford was the most fanatic sports enthusiast I have ever known. His natural charm and salesman's personality brought him from his home town of Chicago to the highest rungs of the TV executive ladder in Washington, DC.  Here, he pursued his first love, sports, in a big way; negotioning TV contracts with the major league Washington Senators, Redskins, and Bullets (now known as the Wizzards).

I first met him during that time in 1961, so wasn't aware of his young years growing up in Chicago,

Eddie LeBaron (Left) George Marshal (Midddle) George (Right)

until a few years later when Linda and I had George and one of his oldest friends over to the house for dinner.

The friend confirmed that George's tenacious personality was evident at a very young age. He mentioned that he still has a mental picture of the 11 year old George hanging around Comisky Park with baseball glove and bat in hand.

Now, about that bat. George said that the reason he carried that bat around, was so he could get autographs.  His goal, for 2 seasons, was to get every one of the Chicago players to autograph it. 

$179,000 Photo

They did.

You may have read about the price that one old picture of Shoeless Joe Jackson recently went for: 
$179,000.

You can guess what George's bat would sell for.

It might even be worth more than George's Honus Wagner card, which last time I checked sold for  2.8 million dollars.

Honus Wagner Card

Then, there was the day young George graduated and returned home from college and was greeted warmly by his long widowed Mom and his newly painted and neat old room.

And his massive collection of Baseball memorabilia?

You guessed it, his Mom had thrown it away.

"Say it ain't so, Mom."

• 
  

As Dr. King Once Told Me...

Of all the famous people that I met during my long career in broadcasting, I suppose the most famous was Dr. Martin Luther King.

As you've no doubt noticed by now, I like to brag about all the celebrities I've met over the years, even though I'm fully aware that you and I both know that had nothing to do with my importance, but only a perk of the particular business (TV) I was in. Heck, if Lee Harvey Oswald had gotten the job that I had in Washington instead of me, he would be the one bragging.

Nevertheless, that's not going to stop me.


The most famous one was Dr. Martin Luther King.  That was in May of 1964.  I was the announcer
for the CBS program FACE THE NATION with Paul Niven and Dr. King was the guest for that show. As usual, after the broadcast the staff and the guest gathered for a short social, usually coffee or a couple of shooters, and doughnuts.

That's when I had the opportunity to meet the man.

And this is where the story gets real interesting.......

Or should.

However, I just shook his hand, and said, "honored to meet you"....and he kinda mumbled something back....like "you too."

It was a simple gentlemanly reaction.

I wish this story had a more dramatic ending...something I could tell my grandchildren about...or write a story about, like "I remember the time that the great Dr. Martin Luther King told me ".....wear your golosshes if it looks like rain..."  or something like that.

But, "you too" just doesn't cut it.

I did notice one thing though.  He was a lot shorter than his pictures showed.
5'6"......5' 7" at most.

-Ed

So long old friends

Someone on the internet went to the trouble of listing a bunch of things that will disappear in our lifetime (some are already about gone).

The least I can do is say good bye.

Here goes:

The Post Office Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.   The Check Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with the check by 2018.  It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process checks.  Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the check.  This plays right into the death of the post office.  If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.   The Newspaper The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper.  They certainly don't subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. That may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man.  As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it  The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper publishers to form an alliance.  They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.   The Book You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages.  I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes.  I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy.  And the price is less than half that of a real book.  And think of the convenience!  Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a book.  The Telephone Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don't need it anymore.  Most people keep it simply because they've always had it.  But you are paying double charges for that extra service.  All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes.   Music This is one of the saddest parts of the change story.  The music industry is dying a slow death.  Not just because of illegal downloading.  It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing.  Over 40% of the music purchased today is "catalogue items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit.  To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies."   Television  Revenues to the networks are down dramatically.  Not just because of the economy.  People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers.  And they're playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV.  Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator.  Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds.  I say good riddance to most of it.  It's time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery.  Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix (Are the theaters next?)   Joined Handwriting  (Cursive Writing) Already gone in some schools who no longer teach "joined handwriting" because nearly everything is done now on computers or keyboards of some type (pun not intended).  Privacy If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy.  That's gone.  It's been gone for a long time anyway..  There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, on most policemen (and maybe soon everyday civilians will be wearing them) and even built into your computer and cell phone.  But you can be sure that 24/7, "They" know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View.  If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits..  "They" will try to get you to buy something else.  Again and again and again.  All we will have left is that which can't be changed... our "Memories". (and that is slipping away from some of us) Hats off to the Internet!   -Ed

Request for Prayers

By Jerry Gaudet

This from Jackie Hart Lookabil's daughter, LaGena Lookabill Greene... 

"Could you ask for prayers for my Mom? She had a big fall in December 

that required a full replacement surgery of her right shoulder. 

This injury led to her need to be in a rehab facility until 

mid- February and then another move coming up to The Summit,

 an Assisted Living facility on Runnymede. 

Dad will be with her and I will relieve him as much as I can. 

She has had one of us with her 24 hours a day since the accident 

on December 17th. She's understandably disappointed that she can't go

 back home anytime soon. 

Thank you for your prayers for her to push thru Physical Therapy

 and strength for Dad to deal with Mom's short-term memory loss 

as an unfortunate result of a left shoulder replacement 

surgery 2 years ago. 

 I have no doubt that many of you are having difficult challenges

 as well, but I would be so grateful for your prayers 

for my beloved parents. 

With Gratitude,
LaGena Lookabill Greene 

 (Encouraging notes can be sent to  JackieGeneCHS@aol.com )" 

For those of you who may not remember the story of Gene and Jackie's

brave and couragous daughter LaGena, here's a story she wrote for

the National Magazine, ENDURANCE 

INSPIRATION – Faith, Love & Endurance

Posted by: Endurance Magazine in Ramblin' Rose January 17, 2011

By LaGena Lookabill Greene

I grew up in a close-knit family in Charlotte, North Carolina. I was a cheerleader, competed in gymnastics, and attended UNC–Chapel Hill on an academic scholarship. I was on a successful career path when I was devastated to learn that I had been infected with HIV at age 25. 

I’ve been on the edge of death countless times from deadly pneumonias, cancer, encephalitis. Daily infusions of toxic medicine through IVs and PICC-Lines, swallowing handfuls of pills and vomiting were how I spent my days for years. For a four-year stretch I lived with virtually no immune system (CD4 count of 0) and no new AIDS treatments available. At one point I was hospitalized and given only a few months to live because my body had wasted to 89 pounds. Now at 49, I have survived the ravages of AIDS for 24 years. My body battles side effects of many medications, one which injured my pancreas, causing me to become an insulin-dependent diabetic. I wear an insulin pump 24 hours a day. I could have never endured the challenges of this journey without the sacrificial love of my parents and brother, the amazing devotion of my precious husband, and a faithful circle of friends. It is only by God’s infinite mercy that I am still alive. He is the One who sustains me.

In September 2009, our 5-year-old goddaughter, Jordan, was diagnosed with AML Leukemia. I spent much of my time helping her family during her long hospitalization. As the months passed, I skipped meals, snacked on junk food, had trouble sleeping and felt too exhausted to work out. Additionally, my own mother’s health took a turn for the worse and I feared losing her. By March 2010, I had not exercised in 7 months and felt anxious and depressed. My endocrinologist told me that if I didn’t take better care of myself, diabetes was going to kill me. 

My friend Julie, a triathlete, showed me Endurance Magazine and an ad for the Ramblin’ Rose Series caught my eye. Pink is my favorite color, and I liked the fact that it was for women and a distance that might be attainable for me. On impulse I signed up for 3 Ramblin’ Roses. At that time I had no concept of what it would take to become a triathlete. The only swimming I’d done was as a 12-year-old on the neighborhood swim team. My 20-year-old pink mountain bike had rotten tires, and I had never been a runner. I bought a size 14 turquoise blue Speedo that hid none of my flaws and went to swim a few laps at the Y. The first time I tried to lift myself out of the pool at the end of the lane, I pushed up with my arms like I remembered doing as a child, and flopped forward and kind of rolled onto the deck like a walrus. As I awkwardly stood up, no one noticed the tears streaming down my face, or heard the negative voice in my head that snarled, “You can’t do this.” I was tempted to quit, but found a tri group at the Siskey YMCA led by Melonie Lewis, who is tough as nails. Melonie had to teach me the correct way to swim, but only after weeks of drilling with swim toys that were completely foreign to me. Doing drills for those first couple of weeks I felt like I was going to drown. My new swim buddies, both girls and guys, were so encouraging. The first time we had to race a partner in the pool, I rediscovered the competitiveness deep within me that had been buried for a long time under piles of discouragement, despair, and fear. It was friendly competition, but it reignited that fire. The energy of my tri group propelled me. 

In June, I caught bacterial pneumonia and developed severe sepsis. I clung to life in the ICU. This was a serious setback physically. Emotionally I lost a lot of momentum, but spiritually I gained strength from spending more time in God’s Word. 

The atmosphere of a Ramblin’ Rose Triathlon is like nothing I have ever experienced. Women of all shapes and sizes dressed in bright colors are everywhere. Upbeat music blasts into the early morning air. The excitement is palpable. There is an overwhelming feeling of unity among the athletes that I suspect is unique to the Ramblin’ Rose. There are talented, accomplished athletes mixed in with beginners like me. All along the bike and run course, friendly volunteers rang cowbells and shouted words of encouragement that energized me. The most powerful moment for me as a newbie, was hearing the MC announce as I crossed the finish line “Congratulations, LaGena, YOU ARE A TRIATHLETE!” These words are so powerful, and they still echo in my mind. They will forever remind me of what obstacles I’d overcome in learning three new sports, the discipline it took to train, and more importantly the hope it instilled in me to never give up. 

In Winston-Salem, when I crossed the finish line, I ran into my husband’s arms and he smothered me with kisses. Danny has been my rock through this process, a constant source of encouragement and love. During the awards ceremony, the MC took a momentary break from announcing winners and said, “Let’s cheer for this athlete who’s coming in.” Everyone turned their heads to see an overweight woman with tears of joy rolling down her cheeks as she crossed the finish line along with her family of supporters. Thunderous applause exploded from the crowd. Everyone who crosses the finish line at a Ramblin’ Rose is cheered as a champion.

The Charlotte Ramblin’ Rose was the most important race to me because it would be the first time my mom, dad and brother would see me in a triathlon. Coming out of transitions and along the run course, I searched for my family’s faces and locked eyes with them. My heart soared feeling their love and for the first time I was able to run the entire 2 miles to the finish line. When I was given my finisher’s necklace I placed it around my mother’s neck. I had dedicated the Rock Hill race to God, Winston-Salem to my husband, but this one was for my mom, the woman I love and admire most in this world. Then I was reminded of the scripture written on one of my running shoes. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Sheer joy and thankfulness radiated from my soul.

What an inspiration!  What a daughter!

-Ed

Linda Garmon Huggins Passes

By Frank Clontz

Linda Garmon Huggins 1954

Linda Garmon Huggins passed away today about 4:30 PM.  I hated to hear this as she has been, as many have, a long time friend of mine.  Although she has lived in Florence, SC these past many years, she lived on Laburnum during my high school years and I lived on Bay Street.  I used to go to her house and play the piano for her and her mother and little sister Dale.  Dale passed away some years ago; however, the memory of her will live on just as my memory of so many years of friendship with Linda and her husband Ross.

Frank Clontz


Here  is Linda's obituary:


Linda Garmon Huggins
March 26, 1937 - February 7, 2015)

FLORENCE – Dr. Linda Garmon Huggins, 77, wife of Samuel Ross Huggins for 57 years,
passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 7, 2015. Born in Charlotte, NC, she was
the daughter of the late Louis Walker Garmon and Rachel Garmon McConnell. In addition
to her parents, Linda was preceded in death by her sister, Dale Garmon and her beautiful
granddaughter, Christina Huggins.

Linda shared a lifelong passion for her faith, her family, and children of all ages, races, and
abilities. She recognized the good in every person she met, and she had a unique gift of making
all who knew her feel special and loved.

After moving to Florence, SC, Linda attended Francis Marion University and the University of
South Carolina, earning a Doctorate of Education. She served the children of Florence School
District One as a special needs teacher, district coordinator for programs for special needs
students, and principal of Henry Timrod Elementary School. One of her proudest moments as
an educator came in 1995, when Henry Timrod School received the Palmetto’s Finest Award, a
recognition of excellence given to only two elementary schools in the state.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children, Michael Ross Huggins (Paula)
and Valerie Huggins Alexander (Bill); her grandchildren, Steven F. Murray, Jr. (Melissa) and
Matthew Ross Murray (Amani); and also her great-grandchildren, Abigail, McKenna, Delilah,
and Carter Ross.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., Monday, February 9, 2015, at Waters-
Powell Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at St. Paul United Methodist Church on
Tuesday, February 10, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. with burial at Sharon Memorial Park in Charlotte,
NC, at 3:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul UMC Children’s Building Fund, P. O.
Box 5446, Florence, SC 29502; or McLeod Hospice House, c/o McLeod Foundation, P. O. Box
100551, Florence, SC 29502 or mcleodfoundation.org.

For Your Eyes Only

(I've never mentioned this before, but Brian Williams and I have weekend jobs as undercover agents for the CIA.  This is a letter from Warren Sparrow originally addressed to a certain Betsy Villas White that we intercepted.  It is what we in the spy business call "The Smoking Gun"....which proves beyond a doubt that Obie Oakley and Warren Sparrow met and conspired at a here to fore unknown location on 29 January, 2015.)

LOVE'S Truck Stop

Love’s Truck Stop in Salisbury, NC, is not your dad’s gas station, the one at Morehead and South Tryon.  Your dad’s station was a Texaco, was it not?  He never expected his customers to pump their own gas, did he?  However, there is a similarity between today’s Love’s and your dad’s station:  An adjacent restaurant.  Yesterday, Obie and I met at the restaurant adjacent to Love’s.  It was no Honey’s.  It was McDonald’s.   We gave ourselves a break.

    We found a table and talked for a few minutes.  It seemed

McDonalds

like the natural thing to do.  After getting over the excitement of seeing each other for the first time in more than five years, we ordered Big Mac meals.  They were presented to us in timely fashion, complete with empty cups.  Like good soldiers, we shuffled from the counter to the drink dispenser. 

 While we were filling our cups, a remarkable thing happened.  Another customer noticed that Obie was wearing a ball cap adorned with the 101st Airborne logo.  He spoke to Obie, saying he was in the 82d Airborne Division.  At that moment I knew our lunch was already a big success.

    After filling our cups we returned to our

Obie

table and we began a two-hour conversation.  To make things easier I brought some props from home.  One was an 8 by 10 sheet filled with some short clippings from the 1954 Observer plus one from the News.    All of them were about our Hi-Y basketball team.  One article was about the city championship game which our team won when Obie made a long shot with five seconds to go and the score tied.  For years I have called it “the shot heard round the world.”

    I brought two “family” photo albums.  Most of the pictures were of our home and family members.  There were some special ones, the ones I took at the CHS 40th reunion.  You were in several of them, flashing your incomparable smile.

USS Wasp

    Another prop was a cruise book I thought Obie would like, given the fact that he was serving in Germany during the period covered by the book.  All the photos in the book were taken by Navy photographers who were assigned to the USS Wasp photo lab.  I was the ship’s photo officer in charge of the lab.  The Wasp left Boston in early February 1962 and returned in late June, having stopped in Scotland, England (Portsmouth and Plymouth), Holland, Norway and Germany. 

 It was the Germany part I wanted to show Obie.  The Berlin Wall was up.  The ship docked in Kiel, the first aircraft carrier ever to sail in the Baltic Sea.  I think Obie got a big kick out of that section and the book as a whole.  We had a wonderful time.  We even talked a stranger into taking our picture.  It did not turn out very well.  The sun was too much for the lens.  

Warren

  Oh, one final thing:  Not long before we were leaving a man came up to us and said he had overheard our conversation.  He was much younger than we and was eager to tell us how much he liked hearing us talk about our time in the service.  He said he appreciated what we did and that he had never been in the service and that he sometimes wished he had been.

 I Swear and Cross My Heart

    Thanks for listening.  Take care.  Good luck.   /s/ Warren Sparrow, 29 January 2015

Hillary at airport firing back

(PS...As weekend spooks, Brian Williams (shown at right) and I also discovered that the dirty rat who  fired at Brian's helicopter was the same "low life" sniper who fired at Hillary when she landed in Bosnia!
-Ed )

Good Food...

 ...is only part of the reason for you to be at Jimmies of Mint Hill this Tuesday.
The other reason to be there is to meet and greet your old CHS buddies!

                       This month's "LDL" (Let's do lunch) will be held on

Tuesday, February 10, 2015, 11:30 AM

at "Jimmie's" Restaurant in Mint Hill.

This is your invitation to join us. Spread the word! Invite other classmates to come! Even better, bring someone with you! Be sure YOU, come!

Sad News

I got a note from Frank Clontz, CHS Class of 55, and friend and neighbor of Linda Garmon Huggins...and the news is not good:

"I just talked with her husband and Linda is currently at a Hospice House in Florence, SC and has been in, basically, an induced sleep the past three days.  She, in just the past month went from doing pretty good to very bad and the doctor told her husband today that it is a matter of a week or less.  I’m sorry to report this information and not kept your class members up to date on her but although she suffered a great deal over the past five years and only after getting away from all treatments did she feel like visiting and traveling some.  As I said, it was only in the past four weeks that she went from feeling good to her current condition. 

Just wanted to let you guys know and I’m attaching my Newsletters for your entertainment or whatever.  I have been writing one a month for about three years now as we noticed some time ago that very few people viewed our website.  Since the death of Len Phillips, owner of WAGL Radio and the fact that his employees uploaded data to the website and I’ve been unable to get the password, (trying since last August) the website went dead yesterday…….."

Frank's newsletters are very good!  Lots of news of the Class of 55.  I'll be talking with him in the next day or so...and see if I might be able to help with the website and also upload Frank's current newsletters.

Stay tuned.

Ed

Mystery Solved

Thanks to an article in  a magazine I read, strangely enough in a Doctor's waiting room, the age old mystery of "Why are there no good and current magazines in doctor's waiting rooms?"

Of course there are exceptions to every rule, and the magazine that peeled back the covers of this heretofore unknown phenomenon was one.

It was called the Business Insider.

And, according to columnist Kevin Loria,

"If there are current magazines around, people steal them!"

Their research showed that gossipy magazines (those having at least 5 celebrities on the cover) are also stolen as often as current ones.

The National Geographic is stolen most often.

TIME and THE ECONOMIST magazine are almost NEVER stolen.

In the comments section of the article, a reader suggests that the solution is to bring a really  good
book that you can't wait to read, with you.  That, according to the reader, will assure that you will be called by the nurse within seconds of your arrival, even ahead of all the others who have been waiting forever.

-Ed

Hail to the Chief

Mitt Romney

Last week Mitt Romney announced that he's not going to run for President.

I'm not either.

Many people believe that you have to be a little bit crazy to want to be President of the United States.

However, there are a number of people who have run who were actually insane!

I came upon an article by a writer named Adam Todd Brown who listed some of them:

John Hagelin

JOHN HAGELIN,   1992 Natural Law Party nominee


Hagelin was actually a doctor. He claimed to have the problem of terrorism figured out.
He said the solution was... Transcendental meditation.
If elected, he would have a group of people get together in one room and Think real hard....
Voila, problem solved!

Brown's article went on to name JACK SHEPARD, a candidate for the Republican Nomination
in 2008.

Jack Shepard

Not many people knew he was running, since all of his political activities were conducted from Rome, Italy because he was also running from the law. 25 years ago he was accused of arson for burning down his house.

Brown writes that Shepard hoped to become President so that he could pardon himself.



LEE MERCER JR. was a 2008 Democratic Candidate.

Lee Mercer

According to  Brown, what surprised him most about Mercer's campaign was that 

 "...someone actually got Lee Mercer Jr. to take a long enough break from being absolutely out-of-his-gourd insane to stop and pose for a picture.   

This is what Mercer's official  biography said:
 

"Since my high school graduation in 1969, I developed myself to my own academic interest to be a Collegiate Professional."

"On August 22, 1992, The State of Texas installed an intelligence hotwire in me at the United States Army Military Intelligence Academy Camp Bullis San Antonio, Texas."

"As a part of my continuing eduaction, I am making my presidential campaign part of my ROTC Intelligence Academics to record the learnings, doings, and examples of the United States Government as a government consultant, community developer, and financial planner appointed by the United States Federal Congress to record my biography in the United States Government Presidential Election for 2008 from Electronic Surveillance to develop records on the United States Government Presidential Campaign because I am on an academic intelligence hotwire that can not be unhooked by anyone."

And, I think we all remember CYNTHIA McKINNEY who was the 2008 Green Party Nominee.

Cynthia McKinney

She was  actually a member of Congress until 2006 and is remembered for her efforts to pass a bill to release the government's secret records on Tupac Shakur. And who can forget her physical assaults on the Capitol Police for not recognizing her and making her show a  pass to enter the Capitol.

Lyndon LaRouche

And then there's  LYNDON LAROUCHE who ran at least 8 times.  It was hard to follow what he believed...whether the The Holocaust didn't happen...or if it did, it wasn't so bad and besides, the Jewish-British cabal is at the heart of the world's problems,etc., etc....
He was Bat Guano crazy, but a surprising number of otherwise sane people fell under his spell.

I'll never forget the story I read about the woman, whose husband was a fanatic as far as "scrimping and saving" was concerned. In spite of having plenty of money, he was obsessed with spending as little as possible, using only enough electricity in the home to keep from freezing in the winter, never going out to eat, insisting on the family buying second hand clothes, etc.

When he finally passed away, she gave all the money he had accumulated..from his lifetime of penury to Lyndon LaRouche!

The fact that these loony tunes received any votes at all, and they all did, plus the realization that our current Congress already contains a number of members just as corrupt and wacko doodle as the wanna be's in this article, confirms my belief that the problem is not those unhinged space cadets, but the people who elected them.

By the way, when was the last time you heard the once common expression, "The Wisdom of the American People?"

-Ed