Jerry Summers On Best Of Grizzard - The Last Book

  • Friday, June 24, 2022
  • Jerry Summers

One of the most memorable quotes of World War II by the prime minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill recently describes Lewis Grizzard’s (LG) life during his 47 years:

You have made enemies?  Good.  That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.

The last of his 25 preserved publications was copyrighted 1994 (the year of his death) and is titled “It Wasn’t Always Easy, But I Sure Had Fun!”

It is a combination of prior articles in his 450 syndicated national newspapers and other original material that was published by Villard Books/Random House in hardback and distributed by Bad Boot Productions in Atlanta, Georgia.  Video Cassettes, Comedy Tapes and Compact Discs were also available.

For 311 pages LG entertains, insults, and challenges the American public prior to his death in 1994 in “politically incorrect” style in 2022.

One only has to read the inside and backside cover contents to convey his message that he would not be “shied away from tackling in (1994) – sex, politics, culture, men, women, mothers, fathers, donors, honor, racism, the past, the present, and the future.”

The following excerpts from one of the chapters discussed one of the most controversial issues debated in the hallowed halls of Congress by the gridlocked leaders of our country: (Taxes)

1.“Tax Em Out on Their Assets” is the simple principle advocated for raising taxes on the rich (Democrats) that is equally opposed by the other group against the (Republicans).

LG as expected, came up with his plan to try a group of rich individuals:

 2.“Send in the IRS with guns and just take what we need to help get us out of this financial mess we’re in.”

(How many American billion-dollar jets/yachts would equalize those altogether seized from the Russian Oligarchs?)

3.“The Rich People I’d Tax Out of Their Assets” by Lewis Grizzard, Jr.

(a)THE LUCKY-SPERM CLUB RICH (These are the third-fourth generation of the trust fund beneficiaries that great granddad created in the no or low tax area started or advanced during the Gilded Age and Pre-Depression Era.)

(b)THE ROCK-STAR RICH (LG criticizes the quality of their music (Beatles) and extravagant lifestyles of multiple fancy cars, million-dollar residences and their decorations with tacky furniture that is also covered with the pelts exotic animals that once ran free in jungles)

(c)THE SLIME-BALL RICH (The condemned group includes drug dealers and smut peddlers)

(d)THE COULDN’T WE HAVE DONE WITHOUT THEM (LG mentions only rich chiropractors.  Further research will have to be made on this section)

(e)THE JOCK ITCH (LG mentions boxers and promoters, baseball players and owners who hold out for 117 days and then sign for 20 million a year (sounds like 2022 contract negotiations?).  The poor also includes fans who buy tickets and hot dogs)

(f)THE ADVERTISING RICH (LG would tax the rich in the group that advertised a “new and improved” product, car dealers who do their own commercials, and old celebrities that try to push all types of insurance to the elderly) (Ed McMahon)

(g)THE ELECTED RICH (LG had a two-step simple solution of dealing with aspiring or incumbent political officer holders who got rich after being elected to the public office.  First tax them.  Then hang them.)

His final recommendation to anyone that agreed with his plan to raise tax revenues was to “vote against an incumbent every chance they get!”

The 2022 elections will certainly raise tons of money for the advertising and media outlets.  The only unanswered question is whether the results will benefit the public?

* * *

You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com)

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