By Tom Morrow

Last week in my “Historically Speaking” column, I wrote about the history of “Jim Crow” laws. I heard from a few readers wanting to know if I knew what I was writing about.
As a young Naval Airman in the 50s and 60s, I witnessed first-hand the evil results of the so-called Jim Crow laws as they existed in Georgia and Florida. I saw the inhumane conditions those laws placed upon Southern black society. As a rural Iowan, I was shocked at what I witnessed in 1958, upon my arrival at Naval Air Station Glynnco, GA., near Brunswick.
As a school teacher, working in the Florida penal system in the late 60s, I saw the gradual changes away from Jim Crow, despite being surrounded by some faculty members of the old Klan and the more subtle “White Citizens Council.” The changes were gradual; more liberal-thinking laws forced most of those changes, but some attitudes never will and continue to this day.
I witnessed Jim Crow Laws at work first-hand, which was more realistic than watching police clashes and civil rights marches playout on television.
CECIL SEZ: “If you’re not old enough to remember, you may be surprised to learn there was a time when there was no deduction from a man’s paycheck until he got home.” – Cecil Scaglione, Mature Life Features
TO PONDER — People are funny; they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and back of the church.
FIND ‘UM – You can order any of my novels online at Amazon.com. For a list, just look for my name.
Humorous or human-interest stories or notes for my osidenews.com column can be forwarded via e-mail to me at: quotetaker@msn.com