The View From The Cheap Seats
By Jerry Haferkamp
I want to start this column with an acknowledgement of the contributions to South Main that were made by Archie Scott. I was raised on South Main and enjoy looking at what it has become.
We moved off South Main in 1957. Before that my grandfather owned and rented out what is now the Mother-In-Law House. There were no ghosts there back then. Donna Hafer must have stirred one up when she remodeled. Grandpa also owned and lived in the two storied home next door. My uncle, a former state representative, owned the duplex style home beside Grandpa’s. We had the two storied home next to that, but it burned down years after we moved. My uncles relatives owned the tavern that is now the winery of the Little Hills. My roots are South Main.
Although I disagreed with some of Mr. Scott’s ambitions for South Main, I am well aware that this area defines St. Charles. Archie brought the area back from sure ruin. Due to his efforts, (some rather heavy-handed, I’ve been told) we have a prime tourist attraction here. He had a vision for the area and his efforts led the way to making that vision a reality.
Thanks, Archie Scott. The city owes you the honor of some sort of permanent remembrance for the contributions you have made.
Now the anti-profanity issue. Councilman Veit is too young to remember Lenny Bruce, the blue material using “comedian” of the ‘50’s. Due to the misguided judiciary of the time, he proved that profanity was protected as “free speech”. Those judges bastardized our Constitution’s Bill of Rights. The right of free speech was acknowledged to allow citizens to speak out against our government and not be imprisoned for it. No more, no less. It wasn’t to give any inbred, knuckle-dragging drunk the right to yell obscenities whenever he wasn’t man enough to handle his alcohol or handle himself in public. The bar owners who cry “free speech” are just proving their ignorance of the Bill of Rights. They would make good liberal judges.
Of course, that’s just the view from the cheap seats.
ttt
