In the autumn of 1962, the Ole Miss “Rebels” [former politically incorrect nickname] football team was on its way to an undefeated season and capturing the national championship without the benefit of their own campus stadium. It was being occupied by federal troops who were there to make sure that James Meredith, the first African American student, could attend classes. All kinds of chaos surrounded his admission, beginning earlier in the state Capitol. As a member of the Fourth Estate for my college newspaper, I had a press pass that got me admitted to the notable incident that took place […]
When One Cheer Is Enough
The University of Mississippi in Oxford has many claims to fame, but it’s graduates will tell you that the best one is the famous cheer that is exclaimed with pride, joy and a twist of irony: Hotty toddy/ Gosh almighty/ who in the hell are we? Hey!/ Flim Flam, Bim Bam,/ Ole Miss, by damn! While no one can tell you the deeper meanings of this yell, the cheer was a caustic affront to athletic foes and to the Southern Baptist Convention where curse words like “hell” and “damn” were considered an abomination unto the Lord. No one can explain […]
Sabbath as a Sanctuary in Time
Coming on the last day or the first day of the week [depending on your religious upbringing], the Sabbath is a hinge that binds our days into a profane and holy history of many chapters. When I used to work for a living as a minister, I often referred to the “tyranny of the Sabbath” and meant by that the relentless march of time that demanded I be ready to lead worship and preach a sermon worthy of my hearers [often referred to as the preacher’s one hour a week job]. In these more laidback wonder years of retirement, I’ve […]
Cold Wars and Warm Welcomes
While we never had to worry about insurrections instigated by the president who clearly lost the election to take over Washington and stop the democratic election process on which the nation was founded, we had other important fish to fry to protect our country in the days of my youth. Growing up southern was not a piece of cake, and civic duty was always calling us to save our town from enemies — both foreign and domestic. In the 1950’s, for example, in the prime of my teenage years, I would serve as a capricious cadet on the local Civil […]