THE BATTLE FOR JUSTICE IN ATHENS, TENNESSEE 1946

1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries Podcast

Jon Hagadorn

Society & Culture, History

4.4 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 12 April 2016

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This true story, often called "The War in Athens, Tennessee", describes the actions of the citizens of a small town, in this case mostly GI's recently returned from the battlefields of WWII, as they armed themselves to insure a fair election against a heavily armed and provenly corrupt town police force and political party which had gone as far as the murder of innocent civilians to insure their power. We at this podcast, by telling this story, want to make it clear that we do not condone violence in any way, shape, or form, as a means to achieve political change. You are left to decide who the heroes are in this story, and you have the obligation in this country to get involved in local, state, and government politics, and do your best to support candidates who are level-headed, moral, and seek a fair outcome for all the people. A letter from Eleanor Roosevelt to the town of Athens is included in our audio at the end of our story. Timeline: The Daily Post Athenian The Battle of Athens, Lone Seiber, American Heritage Magazine 1990 Interview with Bill White, Kurt Pheiler & Brandi Wilson, Veterans Oral History project, University of Tennessee (2000) Eleanor Roosevelt's letter to Athens (1946) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you by ITVX.
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0:27.7	freshest streaming service.
0:30.5	The story you are about to hear actually happened in a small Tennessee town in 1946.
0:37.0	I had chosen it months ago because it offers a first-hand look at a virtually unknown piece of American history, and it provides a pathway to learning more about the country and society in which we live. The story involves an armed insurrection in Athens, Tennessee, a rebellion against a crooked small town's
0:55.5	sheriff force and political machine that had been committing every type of crime
1:00.0	imaginable, including murder, against the citizens, for years, and despite their repeated
1:05.5	requests for the government to investigate, they were ignored, and the situation was left
1:10.0	in the hands of the people.
1:11.6	Today, we, as a a society have many more outlets to turn to in order to fight tyranny
1:16.5	including a fair ballot box, a justice department that cares about its citizens,
1:21.2	and a leadership that sees all issues from both sides and seeks
1:25.2	true justice for all. If you disagree with this, turn off the TV and get involved in politics
1:31.2	and work to put experienced, honest, level-headed, and moral men and women
1:36.4	in positions of local and national power.
1:39.7	In the light of today's supercharged political climate, There are some who would say we with this
1:44.0	episode are making heroes out of those who would choose violence over the ballot box.
1:48.0	You are left to decide who the heroes of Athens, Tennessee were. This was a case where one small town just
1:55.2	wasn't going to take it anymore and the people stood up against tyranny. In today's
	...

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