Rose Ann Vuich
I wanted to title this: What’s worse, Apathy or ignorance, but I felt that people would either not know, or not care, what I was talking about.
That’s a joke which I learned wasn’t really a joke when I helped my cousin Rose Ann Vuich campaign for Senate. She walked right up to a door, knocked on it, and when the woman with curlers looked through the screen door, (I love Americana), Rosie told the woman she was doing a survey and asked which was worse in this country, Apathy or ignorance? The woman said she didn’t know, and she didn’t care.
Rosie used to call me Luke Ma Gluke. A pretty weak joke for a State Senator. But, I’m the writer, so who cares, you know? This was some time ago, and Rosie is dead so there’s really no point in my name dropping. No one remembers Rosie, no one cares that she was the first Woman State Senator, no one thinks about her. Rose Ann Vuich has returned to whence she came. She’s an Average American once again.
Then I realized that this piece was inspired by reading an interview with
Mort Sahl. < <---Interview|-|Clip -->> Mort Sahl
If you don’t know who Mort Sahl is, find out. Find out.
Find out who Mort Sahl is, because he is the voice of freedom in America, as our Comedians are supposed to be. Mort was just asked about Barack Obama. Obama is a black guy made in the lab by white guys, Mort said.
Mort Sahl is unknown by a great many younger Americans, probably because Americans have become ignorant, and their short attention spans have been farmed out to the highest bidder with pop-up adds. Satire has been superseded by instant text messaging.
There seems to me no point in saying this person is the Bill Hicks of today, or that Person is slaughtering the sacred cows of today when Mort is still alive. And he is unknown.
Comedians. What? Benny Hill, right?
Oh, no you say. Lenny Bruce. He said Nigger, cocksucker and the like. Lenny was telling Mother-in-law jokes ’till he listened to Mort. And Mort is still alive.
Mort Sahl defined himself this way:
“Will Rogers…used to come out with a newspaper and pretend he was a yokel criticizing the intellectuals who ran the government. I come out with a newspaper and pretend I’m an intellectual making fun of the yokels running the government.”
Just as pertinent today, just as fresh, just as vital. Just as forgotten as Rose Ann Vuich. There was a sting operation to catch Senators in the thick of it. Rose was among those who came out unscathed. A simple person from the heartland of America, making a difference for those who trusted her. I see Mort the same way.
I only hope to be remembered so anonymously, if I am remembered at all. Life is for the living. Mort is alive. Get to know him.
- -
Okay,
Father Luke
