Introduction

I have included some writing from a book I have finished entitled, “George Wallace, The Myth and The Man,” I hope you will find some of the writings interesting. It is an introspective look at what our family was experiencing during some of the most volatile times in our nation’s history. It is also an examination of my father’s life and the dramatic changes he experienced through pain and suffering. At the height of my father’s political popularity he was shot in an assassination attempt, leaving him paralyzed for the rest of his life. His forgiveness of the man who shot him was testimony to his Faith, and truly his greatest victory. He would tell me in his later years that there was a time in his life when he thought politics was the most important thing, but that he now understood that it is your relationship with our Lord that truly matters. His life was a Shakespearean drama possessing all the elements that eventually brought him to a place in time, a place in heart and mind that was his own road to Damascus.

I have examined how national political writers such as Dan Carter, George Will, David Broder and others have written that George Wallace was the Grandfather of the modern conservative movement. They indicate, and I believe, that he set the stage for the Reagan revolution. The message he took all across the nation that resonated so well, was the exact same message we are hearing today from people all across our land, who want their country back. He warned us about big government seeking to control every aspect of our lives, and his warnings were prophetic. He told us we do not defy for defiance sake, but in the face of tyranny a federal government seeking to become all omnipotent in our lives.  What has always made me proud is the fact that the sentiments he expressed all across the country, that were embraced by millions of Americans,  were the patriotic feelings of the people from whence he came, the people of Alabama.

I have attempted to provide the reader with an inside view of the personal and political journey our family made. In many respects there would always be, “George Wallace, The Myth and the Man.”

I have included some personal insights about my mother that will surprise and delight readers, and provide a glimpse of the real woman behind the public persona. Her grace, charm, goodness and quiet strength touched the people of Alabama, and their response to her was endearing and enduring. I believe our people saw the best within themselves reflected in her, and their relationship was special. I often use a quote from her inauguration in January 1967 when she said, “Be proud to be called an Alabamian, for your courage has nurtured the flame of freedom.”

My life experience growing up in the environment I did gave me a special feeling for the people of Alabama. That experience instilled in me a literal interpretation of public service and a devotion to a great people. They have stood with my family in so many ways and uplifted and nurtured us during some difficult days, and for that and so much more I will always be grateful.

I hope you enjoy some of the writings and photographs that speak to a historical time in our nation, state and for my family.