Wow. What a beautiful story about the lady who had a significant impact on my life back in the 70s.
As a product of the 60s, I lived through perhaps the greatest cultural change in American history. I had seen it all, participated in much of it and survived that era intact…for the most part. Returning to reality after college in the early 70s, I stopped challenging the system with the idea of following my parents advise. They were pretty clear that the tie-dye and sandals were not going to help me to reach the American dream.
And then there was Mae. I discovered her on KLRB one night and I was prompted to re-think the ideas that were so important to me just a few years earlier. It got to a point where I never missed one of her shows. And there is something about radio that brings about a much higher degree of reflection than media today. I remember being concerned about her safety. She was relentless in exposing government cover ups, and very few media types had the guts to take on the system.
I encountered the power of the state and federal government in the middle to late 1960’s as a student. I knew it was real. She remains an icon to me in regards to intelligence commitment and courage. Excellent piece of writing, Joe.
Karl Pallastrini
Carmel
