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Nov 22, 2003 I took a stroll through the City Park a few years ago. Sitting on a bench was an Elderly Black Gentleman staring into space. He didn’t seem to be aware of much except his own thoughts. I sat down on the bench beside him, How are you I ask? Oh I don’t know, I’m sitting here trying to figure this thing out he said. What thing is that I ask? You know, life. My Grandfather four times removed, Old Walter was born a slave in Georgia around 1800. Mr. Lincoln’s war ended slavery around 1865. One day the Masser comes to Old Walter to tell him he be free. What means this free Old Walter ask? You know that 40 acres you been working for my family all your life, well I’m going to sell it to you. You’ll be your own man, hell I’ll even throw in a Mule. What the Masser didn’t tell Old Walter was the 40 acres and the mule had been awarded him in reparations for his years of slavery. The New Republican President Mr. Lincoln had seen to that. Mr. Lincoln was shot and the Democrat take over. The 40 acres and the mule are taken away from Old Walter and given back to the Masser. Now Old Walter is a sharecropper. When the cotton comes in Old Walter goes to the Masser, it’s settle up time. Walter you owe me twenty- five dollars an seventy cents ($ 25.70). It was all those things you charged at the company store that put you in the hole. Old Walter still owed for that damn Mule. Over the next hundred or so years things didn’t change much. Old Walter’s family still sharecropped, come settle-up time they where always in the hole or close to it. They still owed for that damn Mule. Walter had a paper in his hand, it looked like something official. I ask him what it was ? He handed it to me to read, it was a summons for Walter to appear in court to determine why he hadn’t paid for that damn Mule. Mister I never even saw that damn Mule, why should I pay for it? I guess it has something to do with Layers and Judges. It says your family was awarded that damn Mule in probate court and it has been handed down through each generation since. Ok Walter ask, how much do they want? It says they want $ 1,500,000. for the Mule including interest and $3,254,173.08 for attorney fees plus $ 45.00 court cost. I don’t have that kind of money Walter said, what can I do? I suggest you donate it to the Democratic National Committee. You can get a tax deduction and they will take care of the legalities. That’s how the Donkey became the symbol for the Democratic Party and Walter got rid of that damn Mule. The last I heard Walter was still a Democrat even after all that deception. ------------ About the Author: Ken Hughes is a retired businessman. A political junkie who's passion is the re-education of Liberals and Term Limits for Congress. He has had very little sucess at either. Email Ken Hughes: uncleken@wwnet.net Comment on this column in the forum. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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