I’m sure everyone is aware by now that one Herb Butler, the guy who was pissed about people buying Volkswagens before most of us (even the “seasoned” among us) were even born, lost a long and spirited battle with cancer, Zell Miller, Wal-Mart, China, and God only knows how many OTHER assclowns of all possible descriptions last Thursday.
For those of you who never heard Herb in one of his native elements, there are a couple of YouTube videos of him speaking to the Cobb Democrats last year. We weren’t his union brothers, but you can hear that he got plenty of applause, possibly because people really appreciated hearing things how they were rather than the political-speak we usually get. Check here and here.
I’m not sure how many of you got out to the visitation and/or services this weekend, but the service was a chance to really see how critical Herb was. How many of us are going to be laid to rest with David Scott, John Barrow, Nan Orrock, Vincent Fort, Alicia Thomas Morgan, and Richard Ray in attendance? Tasso would have been there, too, but word was he was deathly ill and couldn’t make it. I’m sure there were at least 200 packing the Herb Butler union hall (yes, it was named after him) for one last union meeting. I gather most of you haven’t met Herb’s son, but he has every indication of following right in his father’s footsteps up in South Carolina. Those of you in the 5th district, be advised that Herb’s granddaughter is running to be a delegate to the DNC convention in Denver – she went with Herb to Boston, and she read a touching (and wonderfully partisan) piece she wrote to Herb that was inspired by being with him in 2004. It was sad, but Angry Herb got a fine sendoff, certain nonattendees notwithstanding.
That said, the whole reason I got motivated to stay up way past my bedtime was reading this obit from the DPG:
The Democratic Party of Georgia joins with our Democratic family in Cobb County in mourning the passing of Herb Butler. Herb was a long time member of the party’s State Committee and was honored in 2007 with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Democratic Party of Georgia.
A native of Silver Grove, Kentucky, Herb Butler learned about the importance of politics during the hard days of the Great Depression. Before he was old enough to vote, Herb knew that politics should be a force to help working people.
As a member of the United Auto Workers, and later as the director of the Atlanta area UAW, Herb worked tirelessly in the civil rights and labor movements. He organized workers across the South, and fought to integrate UAW locals. After retiring, Herb served as Chair of the 15,000 UAW retirees in Georgia, and Vice-President of the Alliance of Retired Americans.
Who wrote that, Mike Jablonsky for crying out loud? Guess they’re not too interested in mentioning that Herb did his damn best to excommunicate our dear ex-friend Zell from our party. Herb’s singular tenaciousness in fighting for what was RIGHT, for MORE THAN 60 YEARS, sure deserved more than three insipid little paragraphs from some DPG staffer, if you ask me. Herb was a legend, but he sure wasn’t real fond of sucking up to the people in charge if he thought they were wrong – it endeared him to ME, bigtime, but I guess it didn’t do much for the folks in charge.
Anyway, in closing, remember that if you shop at Wal-Mart, the Spirit of Herb is going to make that spray can of deodorant explode and permanently maim you as punishment. Don’t do it. Rest in peace, Herb, and make sure Saint Peter knows which list Zell is supposed to be on.
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