Velociworld

It's All in the Detours

My capacity for ignorance knows no bounds, however I do retain certain pieces of information far past their shelf life. For instance, as I was traveling through Winder on Sunday I thought Wasn't the great Georgia Senator Richard Russell from Winder? Why, sho now. For a few miles later I saw this roadside sign:

So his father built this house, and he lived in it after his mama died until his death in 1971. And, uncanny as it seems, the house was right there!

Nothing fancy, but nice. Looks even better up close:

The story doesn't end there, of course, because in back was the family boneyard:

The obelisk is his father's. Richard's is the slanted edifice to the right. A closer view:

I would submit Richard Russell was the most accomplished Georgian, ever. Look at that curriculum vitae:

Governor of Georgia 1931-1933

United States Senator 1933-1971

President Pro Tempore of the Senate 1969-1971

They don't make 'em like that anymore. Imagine being a Senator for 38 years. Through the Great Depression, World War II, Korea, Vietnam. Damn!

Of course, for all his personal gentility Russell was a bit of a supremacist. LBJ never could get him on board with the Civil Rights Acts of 1958 and 1964. Given Russell's constituency, that wasn't going to happen. And Russell probably felt like if everyone practiced his personal philosophy of kindness, courtliness, and noblesse oblige, why, the darkies would be just fine. We scoff at that mindset now, but I'm not going to stamp my current viewpoint on him. He was by all accounts a gentleman, a brilliant legislator, a true Son of Georgia. Of course, as he never married, he could have been a rump ranger, too, for all I know. But who cares?

Here he is going nose to nose with LBJ three weeks after the Kennedy assassination:

A couple of stubborn old boys, there. Personally, I liked the old coot, and it was thrilling to see his crib.

I'd also like to thank my photographer, who humors me, and tolerates my childish scamperings around esoteric bullshit like this.