If a classic automobile could talk, what would it say?
After finishing putting up my campaign signs back in September, I stopped on the side of the road to take a photo of this abandoned beauty. I was driving east on State Highway 44 between Imlay and Interior when I looked to my right and saw this classic automobile from the 1930s or 1940s. As you can see, the vehicle had seen its better days.
When I first came across this classic automobile, I thought to myself, "Who all traveled in this vehicle? I wondered where they were going. Did they run out of gas? Why did they leave the car here of all places? I bet that car had been to some parts of the country that few have seen. Perhaps it brought home a married couple on their wedding day or a newly delivered baby." As the sun set over Badlands National Park, these questions and thoughts flooded my mind as I stood there looking at an icon of nostalgic times gone by and how this classic automobile shaped the lives of a former generation.
I thought to myself, those must have been some great days visiting friends, family, and neighbors with that vehicle. There was no texting or movies to watch while driving this classic auto. The car radio was the medium for listening to the news of the period: the bombing of Pearl Harbor, D-Day in Europe, V-J Day in the Pacific, and the End of World War II. I imagine the radio also played swing, jazz, and big band music from Glenn Miller, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, and the Andrews Sisters. Yes, the driver(s) of this vehicle were part of the Greatest Generation that worked in our nation's factories and farmlands to defeat the Nazi regime. These were the parents who used ration stamps to buy sugar, tires, and gasoline. Imagine having to wait until your stamp book was full before you could buy gasoline?
The people of this generation lived and persevered through not one, but two World Wars. They saw evil at its worst in Auschwitz, Dachau, Bergen, and Buchenwald, to name a few. Nostalgia came at a price. Many men who went off to war did not make it back and were buried in Manila, Normandy, or at sea.
The photos of the classic automobile serve as a great reminder of years gone by and what the future holds. One generation after another continues to push forward, yet a part of me wants to cling to the days of the past. One thing I have learned in life is that change is inevitable.
The question is: Have we learned from our past, or have we forgotten where we have come from? I pose these questions to you, the voter, because this election brings us to a crossroads in American history and politics. This election is about protecting the South Dakota Way of Life - our cultural heritage and Agricultural roots, our faith and our traditional values, memorializing those who shed their blood so that you and I may continue to have the basic freedoms guaranteed in our U.S. Constitution. My opponent - a Democratic Socialist - has not learned from the past and wants to burn it all down - a "Red Revolution," in her own words.
As a candidate for state senate, I stand on the side of freedom. I learned American history and what our ancestors did to protect and preserve the very freedoms that we so often take for granted. I lived during the Cold War and remember President Reagan saying, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
Just because the classic car in the photos above is now old and no longer operational doesn't mean it had no purpose in our history. Not at all.
Using artificial intelligence (AI), I learned that the automobile in the photos was a shiny 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe, four-door Sport Sedan. It was a contemporary vehicle in its time. Cars are no longer built like this, but they served a great purpose in connecting families, friends, and neighbors who had no phone, no television, no internet, running water, or electricity.
Photos courtesy of carandclassic.com and allcollectorcars.com
Much like the photos above of days gone by, it is not about forgetting the past; rather, it's about the journey and how this vehicle served a broader purpose of bringing people together to share conversations, news, heartaches, fellowship, and love. That is why we must never forget our past. As George Santayana wrote,
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
I encourage you to vote on November 3rd. When filling out your ballot, ask yourself, "Which of the three candidates for District 27 State Senate remembers where he came from, does not want to repeat history, and stands on the side of freedom. I know who I will be voting for.
Vote for Anthony Kathol for District 27 State Senate.
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