I was shocked and saddened to hear last week that Molly Ivins had died of breast cancer at 62. Even though I didn’t read her columns all that frequently, I just appreciated the fact that she was there, skewering all the madness in our gubment with intelligence and serious wit. And she is the ONLY person who could have made me smile on that dark, dark day in early November 2004, the day after America saw fit to reward the Worst. President. Ever. with a second term. A friend of mine emailed me the piece below from Molly Ivins, and it cheered me up where nothing else could. Her imagery is priceless, and of course, she was right.
Mourning in America
Molly Ivins – Creators Syndicate11.04.04 – AUSTIN, Texas — Do you know how to cure a chicken-killin’ dog? Now, you know you cannot keep a dog that kills chickens, no matter how fine a dog it is otherwise.
Some people think you cannot break a dog that has got in the habit of killin’ chickens, but my friend John Henry always claimed you could. He said the way to do it is to take one of the chickens the dog has killed and wire the thing around the dog’s neck, good and strong. And leave it there until that dead chicken stinks so bad that no other dog or person will even go near that poor beast. Thing’ll smell so bad the dog won’t be able to stand himself. You leave it on there until the last little bit of flesh rots and falls off, and that dog won’t kill chickens again.
The Bush administration is going to be wired around the neck of the American people for four more years, long enough for the stench to sicken everybody. It should cure the country of electing Republicans.
And at least Democrats won’t have to clean up after him until it is real clear to everyone who made the mess.
Thank goodness she lived long enough to see America start to wake up to the stench. We will miss you Molly!
