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The United States of America will never be the same, it will be a much worse place to live and work. Amid a three-month pandemic there has been a three-week cultural revolution, ignited by the brutal death of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis, that has changed our country forever.
Our country is a great experiment, a diverse nation of 50 states united by a founding document that enshrines God given rights that people in other countries can only dream of realizing. The United States has become not only the world’s only superpower, but also a country that has been a beacon of hope and freedom to the world.
Unfortunately, evil forces are succeeding in permanently changing our great country. It was difficult enough for the nation to withstand its first national economic shutdown, but the troubles were multiplied when the nation witnessed the gruesome killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
Floyd’s death was captured on video and it sparked nationwide protests. The peaceful marchers were soon overwhelmed by looters and rioters who wanted to burn and steal. Mayhem was encouraged across the nation as liberal media outlets celebrated the demonstrations as a justifiable outpouring of anger after Floyd’s death.
The results were catastrophic as thousands of businesses were burned, looted, and destroyed. In Minneapolis, the carnage was breathtaking as 360 businesses were damaged or destroyed by an uncontrollable throng of criminals.
Sadly, in many cities, the police were resistant to engage outlaws, stung by accusations of brutality and racism. The National Guard had to be deployed in 23 states to quell the violence.
According to the U.S. Attorney General, the demonstrators were supported by the radical extremist group, Antifa, along with other leftist organizations. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating how the demonstrations could multiply so quickly across the country. There is plenty to investigate, such as mysterious busloads of demonstrators being driven to protest sites. Also, there are conflicting reports about pallets of bricks oddly appearing in downtown areas.
Tragically, the victims of the madness were often African Americans. Dozens of people were seriously injured or killed by the rioters. For example, an African American St. Louis security guard and retired police captain, David Dorn, was killed outside of the pawn shop he was trying to protect.
While Floyd was remembered with multiple funerals and worldwide expressions of grief, Dorn and other victims of the rioters have been practically ignored.
The political left is following the maxim “never let a good crisis go to waste.” The attacks on businesses and innocent people have also developed into regular attacks on police officers. The battle cry of many of these protesters is to “defund the police.”
Such a policy would be total lunacy. While some police officers are racist or unstable and need to be removed from their departments, the vast majority do a tremendous job of protecting and serving the public. We need to properly pay and honor our police officers instead of attacking them.
A country without “law and order” is a country that will soon disintegrate. This is exactly the goal of some of the radical left protesters. In Seattle, a seven-block area of the city has been seized by anti-government demonstrators. The area has been renamed the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, nicknamed CHAZ.
Before relinquishing their hold on the area, the protesters have stated that their list of 30 demands must be met. The list includes “the abolishment of imprisonment,” and the “abolition” of the Seattle Police Department. Instead of removing these anarchists from her city, the Mayor of Seattle views the protesters as patriots who are having a “block party,” and a “summer of love.”
The radical left not only wants the police to be disbanded and defunded, but they also want all monuments to “white supremacy” destroyed. Thus, mobs across the country have spent the past three weeks pulling down monuments to Christopher Columbus, confederate generals and any individuals deemed to be offensive in any way. No police were stopping these hooligans, who should all be arrested for the destruction of property.
This cultural jihad is extending to the universities where professors who do not parrot the correct talking points on these protests and the demands of the Black Lives Matter movement are being targeted, suspended, and fired.
Almost 300 companies, including Amazon, have expressed their support for Black Lives Matter. Any Americans objecting or even saying “All Lives Matter” face the wrath of the mob. The victims include a Sacramento Kings broadcaster who was fired for such a tweet and a New Orleans Mardi Gras captain who is facing the total desertion of her krewe membership for daring to show support for “All Lives Matter.”
The mob has also succeeded in forcing the cancellation of two popular television shows, Cops and Live PD. Supposedly, the programs glorified police officers too much. Even more ominously, the Academy Award winning classic, Gone With the Wind, voted the most favorite American movie of all-time, has been removed from the film catalog at HBO Max. The censors at the network are busy crafting suitable language condemning the racism of the movie. Once that is finished, the movie will be returned to the airwaves, but this time with a disclaimer that will air before the movie begins so that audiences can be properly educated.
What is next America? It could be book burning or other draconian attempts to squelch free speech or free expression. In America today, only groupthink is allowed and anyone daring to have an opposing point of view will be ostracized, fired and it is not unimaginable to think, one day, imprisoned.
This is not America, the country we have today is becoming hell.

Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and his award winning program, “Ringside Politics,” airs locally at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and at 10:00 p.m. Sundays on PBS affiliate WLAE-TV, Channel 32, and from 7-11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990-AM & www.Wgso.com. He is a political columnist, the author of America's Last Chance and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and on www.JeffCrouere.com. For more information, email him at jeff@jeffcrouere.com

ERATH – Funeral Service for Connie Cheramie Meadows, 73, were held at 2:00PM on Monday, June 15, 2020 at David Funeral Home Chapel of Erath.  Interment will follow at a later date.
Visitation was held at David Funeral Home of Erath on Monday, June 15, 2020 beginning at 10:00AM until the time of the services.
A native of Golden Meadow, LA and a resident of Erath, LA, Connie died at 8:34PM on Thursday, June 11, 2020 at Heart Hospital of Lafayette.  She enjoyed fishing, playing cards, going to the casino, and spending time with her family and friends, especially her grandchildren.   Connie never met a stranger and was a very giving person, even after her death she continued giving as an organ donor.
She is survived by two daughters, Tiffani Kelley and her husband Shawn of Lafayette and Dionne Meadows and her fiancé Keye Hernandez of Kaplan; a sister Tammie Cheramie and her partner Kim Broussard of Lafayette; three grandchildren, Jakob Faulk, Riley Richard, and Landon Richard; and a god child, Melody Theriot.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Vic and Rena Cheramie;  a brother, Michael Cheramie; and a nephew, Brandon Cheramie.
Serving as pallbearers were Shawn Kelley, Jakob Faulk, Tammie Cheramie, Taylor Stanford, Landon Richard, and Keye Hernandez.
David Funeral Home of Erath at 209 E. Putnam  St. (337)937-0405 were handling the arrangements.

August 24, 1934 ~ June 13, 2020

ABBEVILLE — Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of Jimmy Don (Pappy) Graham 85, went to his heavenly home on Saturday, June 13, 2020, after a brief illness. He was surrounded by his family at his home, as he left this world to be with his Lord and Savior. He will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Pastor Steve Delino officiating the services. Pallbearers are his grandsons, Tyler Graham, Jeremy Graham, Jason Otterstatter, Steven Delino, Jimmy Delino, and Joshua Pool. Honorary pallbearers are his sons, Ricky and John Graham and son in law, Therran Pool.
Jimmy was born on August 24, 1934, in Humble, Texas, to John and Ruby Graham. Jimmy was a very hard worker, a jack of all trades. His hobbies were building things, cutting grass, working on his vehicles, having long conversations. He didn’t believe in idle time, he would fix it then, never wait till tomorrow. Jimmy worked for over 30 years in the oilfield with Diamond M Offshore Company, which he traveled the country and overseas, which he really enjoyed.
He loved and cared for his beloved mother in law, whom he loved as his own mother, who suffered for many years with Alzheimer’s, and also cared for his loving wife, Mary for 14 years who has Dementia. What a heart of gold our father/grandfather had. He had great love for his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Mary Ranels Graham of Abbeville; children, Ricky Graham (Mary) of Lafayette, John Graham (Yvonne) of Abbeville, Donna Graham of Abbeville, Sheila G Delino (Steve) of Abbeville, and Belinda G Pool (Therran) of Abbeville.
He was beyond blessed with 14 grandchildren, Nicole G Duhon, Skye G Hildenbrand, Tyler Graham, Mandy G Kurisko, Jeremy Graham, Jason Otterstatter, Dawn Otterstatter (deceased), Marissa 0 Landry, Angel D Lormand, Steven Delino, Jimmy Delino, Summer P Bird, Candi P Lange, and Joshua Pool. 32 great grandchildren, Randi and Kaden Duhon, Annabelle and Cameron Hildenbrand, Ellie, Ethan, Emily and Justin Kurisko, Chase Bergeron, Jaylen Graham, Elias Otterstatter, Ganyn and
Jaxton Landry, Kylie and Kaden Lormand, Evelyn and Norah Delino, Evan, Jaiden and Brady Delino, Maki, Ariana and Elijah Bird, Hunter Pool, Anna Marie, Emma, Madison and Kinley Lange, Isabelle, Liam, Ethan and Dawson Pool.
Jimmy was preceded in death by his parents, John James Graham and Ruby Roark Graham, Annie H. Shanks (mother in law), and his beloved granddaughter, Dawn Otterstatter; and great granddaughter, Ashley Kurisko.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 from 9:00 AM until time of services.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

Given our new and presumably long-term emphasis on social distancing, the thought occurs that this might be a good time for the revival of drive-in movies. They offered “movie going in a casual manner,” according to one industry promotion, and were quite the rage before regular theaters lured everyone inside with air conditioning.
“Just come as you are, don’t dress up,” an ad for one of them suggested. That was a big selling point for the outdoor screens. Some of you may remember that we once put on our Sunday best to go downtown to the movies, but that wasn’t necessary at the drive-ins.
They featured “all the latest film releases,” ranging from top-rated movies to silly science fiction. Cowboy shoot-’em-ups were standard fare, but advertisements for south Louisiana screens from the 1950s promote everything from “Magnificent Obsession” (Pelican Drive-In, Jennings, Phone 2010), to “The Song of Bernadette” (St. Mary Drive-In, Berwick, Children Under 12 Free at All Times), to “She Gods of Shark Reef” and “Night of the Blood Beast” (Trail Drive-in, just east of Crowley on the Old Spanish Trail).
I’m sorry I missed that double feature at the Trail, “She Gods of Shark Reef” offered “the colorful story of two devil-may-care American boys who are rescued from a hurricane caused shipwreck by a bevy of Polynesian beauties,” and the second film told “the harrowing story of a space pilot whose body is taken over by a monster from galaxy 27.” Don’t bother to look for them on Netflix.
“The Steel Trap” starring Joseph Cotton was the featured attraction when The Claude opened just west of Eunice on Christmas Day 1952. The drive-in was named for Claude Keller, founder of the Liberty theater chain, which also included the Queen and the K&M.
The Claude was typical of drive-ins across south Louisiana, with a 300-car capacity and a “spacious” concession stand that offered popcorn, peanuts, candy bars, hot dogs, soft drinks, and cigarettes. The stand also offered “several rows of cushioned seats where movie-goers may sit to view the picture.”
When Robert and Frank deGraaw, owners of the Bob theater in downtown Abbeville, opened the 450-car Lafitte Drive-In just east of town, they had to deal, like everyone else, with one of the biggest summertime problems. The deGraaws promised that their “family fun headquarters” would be fogged nightly. Most people still opted to burn an evil-smelling mosquito coil to keep the critters away.
The Yam, just west of Opelousas, and the Midway, between Opelousas and Washington, competed for business for several years until Yam owner E. R. Sellers bought out his rival and closed it in 1957.
The two opened within months of each other in 1950. The Midway was built “in the rear of Dudley Briley’s tourist courts” and some of the cabins had a view of the screen. Briley and L. D. (TuTu) Guidry were its owners. It was “associated with the Rose and Lou-Ana theatres [in Opelousas], and the Pat in Lafayette.”
The Yam accommodated 450 cars on nine “tiered and graveled” ramps.” Each car had “an individual speaker in a lighted plastic dome.”
Those speakers could also be a problem. When not in use they were hung on a metal pipe at car window height and connected by something like a telephone line to the projection tower; The movie-goer would unhitch it from the post and hang the little metal box on the inside of the window.
It wasn’t the greatest sound system in the world, but it worked — until you forgot to put the speaker back on its perch at the end of the movie and tried to drive off with it.
It could really scratch up your car door when the box was jerked from the window, and it didn’t do the speaker much good either.
A collection of Jim Bradshaw’s columns, Cajuns and Other Characters, is now available from Pelican Publishing. You can contact him at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.