Humorous shots delivered to both political parties may be the elixir our country needs. Hopefully someone will begin serving them up. Will Rogers, the subject of one of Oklahoma’s statues in the National Statuary Hall collection was a master at serving up those shots loaded with sarcasm.
Here’s a sample concocted by Will Rogers to wet your whistle…
“Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate; now what’s going to happen to us with both a Senate and a House.”
Will Rogers mixed up batches of one-liners and administered them to political figures who sat on the left, the right and anywhere in between. There was no hiding from his sharp wit, and that brought people together.
Will Rogers was born November 4, 1879 in Cherokee Territory, which in 1907 became the state of Oklahoma. Both his parents were part Cherokee. He grew up on the family ranch and learned to ride and rope among other skills that would later be utilized in the Wild West shows he joined up with. Audiences loved the folksy humor he threw into the act. He began to infuse his humor with current events, and that along with his rope act led him to success in the Ziegfeld Follies, which led to movie contracts, radio shows, and lecture tours.
Will Rogers also wrote books and thousands of newspaper and magazine columns. He became nationally famous.
Rogers was a strong advocate of the aviation industry and enthusiastically promoted this new form of travel. Sadly, he was killed in a plane accident when on a flight to Alaska with famed aviator Wiley Post in 1935.
It is said that when Oklahoman leaders asked Rogers if he would agree to represent the state in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol, he answered only on the condition that his statue be placed facing the House Chamber, so he could “keep an eye on Congress.”
Yes indeed. Congress does need watchful eyes on it.
*** Side Note: Representatives rub Will Rogers’s foot for good luck, despite the “Do Not Touch” signs. Seems right, don’t our elected representatives think the rules do not apply to them?
Diana Erbio is a freelance writer and author of “Coming to America: A Girl Struggles to Find her Way in a New World”. Read more in her series Statues: The People They Salute visit The Table of Contents and the Facebook Page. (I’ll be adding to the Substack Table of Contents as I transfer the Blog Posts. Please subscribe to this Substack 😊🇺🇸🤓)
Ralls is a small town where I group in the panhandle of Texas. Wiley Post’s widow had a small hamburger place there and made the best hamburgers ever. She was always happy and pleasant. I’ve often thought we need more Will Rogers’ today to keep an eye on Congress. His friend Amon Carter of Ft Worth had two statues made of him. One sits in Ft Worth and the other on The Texas Tech Campus in Lubbock with the rear end of his horse toward Texas A&M University. Students wrap the horse and Will Rogers with red crepe for good luck before football games…
One of my favorite figures in history. Glad to know he’s keeping an eye on Congress. They desperately need watching!