When I turned twenty-one, I was living in a third-story apartment on Belmont Avenue in the Fan district of Richmond, Virginia. It was the second apartment I had all to myself. It was my home for about a year.
For over half of the duration of my stay, I worked with the same painting crew. There were personality issues, but it was a steady paycheck. I took some classes at the community college, but it was difficult to do both.
I was really into politics. I allowed myself to flirt with the idea of running for City Council. The only money I put into it was for an answering machine. I went to City Hall and filled out the paperwork. A friend took some photos of me in a jacket and tie at the University of Richmond campus. I got less than a half-dozen signatures.
The first President Bush was running for reelection. This was before the internet, so I had to rely on what information I could glean from the television. It was entertaining to witness the rise and fall of Ross Perot. It was an interesting race. Bill Clinton eventually won the primary and the general election. I consider him the best President of my lifetime.
On one corner of Belmont, there was a Laundromat. On the other, there was some sort of ultra right-wing bookstore. One day, I stepped inside and started looking around at the merchandise. There were two older white men in a corner of the main room. They were whispering to each other. They seemed to disagree. The taller one asked if I wanted to go downstairs and watch a video.
The John Birch Society is fiercely anti-Communist. They accused President Eisenhower of being a Communist. They consider the fight against Communism a spiritual war against the devil.
I always thought that One World Government is a laudable goal. We’re all people. Of course, the John Birch Society is totally opposed to the United Nations and all international organizations and treaties.
Many prominent right-wing radicals swear allegiance to the Society: Ron Paul, Alex Jones, Steve Bannon, Lt. General Michael Flynn, and others. There are people in my life who hold opinions that are similar to the Society. I feel that I have to be careful about casting aspersions. Conservative values are valid.
When the video was over, I was more than a bit creeped out. Notwithstanding, I felt obliged to purchase something. It was a paperback of Gorge Orwell’s 1984. I lost it before I started to read it.
They were opposed to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s.
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