Just imagine a present-day Rip Van Winkle, but one who had had a longer nap than 20 years.  Let's say that he slept from 1950 through 2000.

If I Can Dream...

We could play records for Rip; he'd know what records are.  And say we played one record each from Roy Hamilton; Jackie Wilson; Elvis Presley; Brook Benton; Sammy Davis, Jr.; and Al Green.  If we were to instruct Rip that only one of the records came from a white singer and that we wanted him to pick which one that was, which one would Rip choose? 

Don't Cry Daddy...

Happy memories to you on this August 16, 2012, the 35^th anniversary of the passing of the King of Rock 'n' Roll.  It has been 35 years (!) since we lost that great singer of the Good News, patriot of our nation, and race reconciler, Elvis Presley.

Just imagine what it would be like to have Elvis come back to us, even for a day.  It might not be that happy day that we would like to imagine.  Rather, Elvis would be ashamed.  And we would all know it.

In the Ghetto...

Elvis Presley would be ashamed of our culture and particularly ashamed of our political leaders who engage in race-baiting instead of debating important issues.

Return to Sender...

Perhaps that is why so many of the folks who have descended upon Memphis this week are wearing "Elvis for President" buttons.  We'd rather have a singer long gone than the politicians in place now.

Change of Habit....

Nowadays, politicians, notably Democrats, are jamming hatred and the absence of forgiveness into the wounds of people suffering from racial prejudice.  And even the other camp of politicians is using the term "working class" to fan the flame of any lingering prejudice.  So-called leaders are turning differences into curses.

Kissing Cousins...

This is not what Elvis Presley could possibly have imagined as he listened to African-American gospel music in Tupelo and Memphis in the 1930s and 1940s.  Elvis took his own British-Isle/German/Jewish/Melungeon background and melded it with African-American influences.  Elvis turned differences into blessings!

Island of Love...

Elvis was a lover, not an instigator.  And his fellow singers, who might be thought to have envied him, can be seen in photos with him, both of them smiling with mutual admiration and respect.  (By the way, there are no canned smiles in these photos!)

There's Roy Hamilton, whose voice most sounded like that of Elvis, to whom Elvis sent a recording prospect that he thought Roy could better sing.

How's about Mr. Excitement, Jackie Wilson?  He noted that, although Elvis was accused of stealing black music, all the black singers had been inspired by Elvis's singing and moves, too.

Brook Benton, perhaps the most talented of all, did not avoid Elvis out of spite or in some regard to racial differences.  Rather, Brook offered his adaptations of oldies for Elvis to sing.  Brook also co-wrote Elvis's "Doncha' Think It's Time."

Sammy Davis, Jr. and Al Green both considered Elvis an inspiration and role model, both to them and to all other black singers of their day.

A Little Less Conversation...

If our political leaders have nothing nice to say, they'd best be saying nothing at all.

Amazing Grace...

If Elvis Presley were to come back just for one day, he would surely tell us that life is short, so take the seeming curses and make them blessings, bury the hatchet and grow the talent, and "Follow that Dream" again.

Marianna Trzeciak, Esq.'s writings have been published here in American Thinker, as well as in LifeNews, LifeSiteNews, and Catholic and secular print news sources.