was a lot of terrible things. I saw my state's governor, George Wallace, standing in the door at the University of Alabama vowing to keep his "segregation forever" pledge. I saw coverage of 4 little girls who were killed in a Birmingham church. I saw people who wanted the same things everyone else wanted - to vote, to work, andt to be treated with the respect due all human beings, and them being attacked with fire hoses and police dogs by Bull Conner. I heard of Lester Maddox, who later began Governor of Georgia, and his "Picknick" (or something close) restaurant where the white patrons were issued ax handles to beat any blacks who dared to enter. They were called "Picknick Drumsticks." I also saw the corruption, both petty and gross, that those politicians inflicted on the people. They enriched themselves while playing the races against each other to maintain their power. In the process, they made the South more than a joke, they made it a place destined to be little more than a 3rd world country.

I didn't know any black kids until I was 9 years old. We were classmates starting in the 4th grade. Some were good, some were bad, and some were indifferent, just like all the other kids. Over the years, some became my friends. When a black classmate of mine was elected head of the student council, he was interviewed by Bryant Gumbell on national TV. I guess it was considered news.

Later in the military, I had black drill sergeants who were the very model of military professionals. I lived with blacks, whites, and Latinos for months at a time. Some were good, some were bad, and some were indifferent. In simple terms, I saw that no one racial or ethnic group cornered the market on assholes. In the end, there are assholes and everyone else. I freely admit to being biased against assholes, regardless of any other racial, ethnic, or sexual characteristic. Most nonassholes and I get along fine.

I stand by what I wrote earlier - without exception, EVERY SINGLE ONE of those people who did so much to keep the South a backwater - Wallace, Conner, Maddox, and the rest - were Democrats. You can bet your last dollar that the bastards who bombed that Birmingham church were Democrats, too. For that reason and a host of others, I swear that I'll never vote for a Democrat for as long as I live - and I vote in every election.