I've often read comments on Daily Kos from people who were raised in families with very different politics than they themselves have adopted. That isn't my story. My parents were crazy, left-wing radicals. Although it wasn't officially confirmed, I'm pretty sure my father was a card-carrying communist. Most of the pro-union, pro-equality people of his time were. I know my parents were very well versed in all the details and people brought before the House Un-American Activities Committee and the McCarthy Hearings in the Senate. My mother was involved with the union movement, beginning when she was in college. She was one of not very many woman who was college educated at that time (she was born in 1915).
They supported Henry Wallace in the 1948 election. I had a picture of them at the Wallace convention, but I must have given it to my sister.
I come by my left-wing leanings quite naturally.
They started indoctrinating us early. When it was bedtime, we lined up, my brother, me, and my mother bringing up the rear, and we sang:
On the line, on the line,
On the picket, picket, picket line.
We will shout and yell
And fight like hell
On the picket, picket picket line.
(Tune: Polly Wolly Doodle chorus)
And we had records. Two albums stand out.
Herman Ermine in Rabbit Town. It's a wonderful story, and is narrated by John Garfield, who was an actor, and apparently a bit of a crazy radical himself. Anyway, the story goes like this:
There were two little rabbits who lived in Rabbit Town. Richard Rabbit and Robert Rabbit, and they were best friends. They did everything together. One was a black rabbit and one was a white rabbit. One day Fenimore Fox was viewing all the rabbits, and they looked like a wonderful feast. But there were too many of them for him to safely attack. So he came up with a plan. He called a meeting of the rabbits and explained to them that the black rabbits created a problem for the white rabbits.
During the winter, the white rabbits' fur blended with the snow, so the hunters couldn't see them. But if they were with black rabbits, the hunters would surely kill them all. All the rabbits became very upset. They said, "But our mayor is a black rabbit." So Fenimore Fox told them that in the spring he would bring them a new mayor. He told them the new mayor's name was Herman Ermine, and he had beautiful white fur.
Richard and Robert didn't know what to do. They didn't want to be separated. So they decided to go find Herman Ermine, and tell him their problem. Herman Ermine told them not to worry. When he showed up in the spring, he would fix everything. So Richard and Robert continued their lives together and waited for the spring.
On the first day of spring, all the rabbits waited anxiously for their new mayor to appear. And Fenimore Fox waited as well. Finally, through the clearing came this large, dark figure. And Fenimore Fox said to the figure, "Who are you? We're waiting for our new mayor, Herman Ermine." And the figure said, "I'm William Weasel, and I'm here to be the new mayor." And Fenimore Fox said, "I just told you our new mayor's name is Herman Ermine, and he has lovely white fur." And the figure said, "I am Herman Ermine." "How can you be Herman Ermine when you just said you were William Weasel, and you have dark hair?" And Herman Ermine explained that during the winter his coat was pure white, so he could blend with the snow. But in the spring, his coat turned dark, so he could blend with the forest.
Fenimore Fox became very angry. And all the rabbits were jumping up and down, and running around, very confused. And they finally welcomed their new mayor, and ran Fenimore Fox right out of town.
I think John Garfield told the story much better than I, but you get the point. As did my brother and I. Another step in our indoctrination. We both loved this album so much, as adults we tossed a coin to see who got it. My brother won. But my father made me a cassette. Yes, I still have some cassettes, and at least one player.
And one more album: Little Songs on Big Subjects. There are eleven songs on the album, all teaching some life lesson. I have no idea how to post songs, except those on YouTube. So I found one of them on YouTube sung by Pete Seeger. The originals from the album are online. It's worth listening to them because it's funny how different the singing style is from what we're used to now. Think: Lawrence Welk. This one is called It Could Be a Wonderful World.
I think I've given you enough to indoctrinate some unsuspecting child. Go forth and do good.
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