Commentary: My father, George Wallace, and Barack Obama

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Editor's note: Peggy Wallace Kennedy is the daughter of George C. Wallace and Lurleen Wallace, who both were governors of Alabama. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband, Mark Kennedy, a retired state Supreme Court justice. They have two sons, Leigh, a decorated veteran of the Iraq war, and Burns, a college sophomore.


Peggy Wallace Kennedy says her father sought absolution for his segregationist views.

ONTGOMERY, Alabama (CNN) -- I heard a car door slam behind me and turned to see an elderly but spry woman heading my way.

The night before, a gang of vandals had swept through the cemetery desecrating graves, crushing headstones and stealing funereal objects.

My parents' graves, situated on a wind-swept hill overlooking the cemetery, had not been spared. A large marble urn that stood between two granite columns had been pried loose and spirited away, leaving faded silk flowers strewn on the ground.

I was holding a bouquet of them in my arms when the woman walked up and gave me a crushing hug. "Honey," she said, "you don't know me, but when I saw you standing up here on this hill, I knew that you must be one of the girls and I couldn't help myself but to drive up here and let you know how much me and my whole family loved both of your parents. They were real special people."

I thanked her for her kind words as we stood side by side gazing down at the graves of Govs. George Wallace and Lurleen Wallace.

After a few moments, the woman leaned into me and spoke almost in a conspiratorial whisper. "I never thought I would live to see the day when a black would be running for president. I know your daddy must be rolling over in his grave."

Not having the heart or the energy to respond, I gave her bony arm a slight squeeze, turned and walked away. As I put the remnants of the graveyard spray in the trunk of my car, I assumed that she had not bothered to notice the Barack Obama sticker on my bumper.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/03/wallace.kennedy.obama/

[efhmc]

1. These people and their view of life is passing. Thanks be to God.

[TomInTib]

2. The last sentence is a true treasure.

"And today, the day after the election, I am going to ride to the cemetery so that if asked, I can vouch for the fact that the world is still spinning but my father lies at peace."

Damn, I wish I could write like that.

[kayakjohnny]

3. How wonderfully and beautifully written. My goodness, where we have come from.

And to.

[Arugula Latte]

4. That is wonderful.

I have tended to think of George Wallace, frozen in time, hate-filled and racist. ... This gives me a hope that people can change, and societies can change...As if yesterday weren't proof enough of that.

On edit, I'd like to say that it is incredibly frustrating how lagging rights for GBLT people have been. I do think, though, that eventually we will see a day for gay people that now may seem as unlikely as yesterday seemed when George Wallace was governor of Alabama.