Periodically, this office gets inquiries about former editor and publisher Alan C. McIntosh’s famous editorial titled A "Tired American" Gets Angry.
This week, I talked to a Chicago man who asked if he could print McIntosh’s piece, and wondered if I knew the original publication date.
We always like attention for our former publisher’s glory, and we had a nice little chat.
Fred Gilman is the editor and publisher of Our Village, a twice monthly newspaper in Chicago. (It doesn’t have a Web site yet, but it’s under construction.)
He said his circulation is 16,000 and growing as he and his wife have operated the paper for about two years.
Fred says he likes his paper to be a little unique — there’s no crime reporting or the standard hard news coverage. He’d rather stick to generally interesting pieces of information.
He decided to call our newspaper this week after he and his staff met to discuss how they should cover the current war and its affects on the city of Chicago. They found their own angle, and in some of his researching, Fred came across McIntosh’s editorial and thought it would make a nice addition.
Fred said he was printing most of the editorial, leaving out the obviously dated lines. He wanted the last line of the page to say that the Tired American piece was printed May 13, 1965. He thought it was a wonderful way to illustrate how times don’t change much in some regards.
Here’s a bit of McIntosh’s editorial in case you haven’t read it:
"I am a tired American — weary of having American embassies and information centers stoned, burned and sacked by mobs operating under orders from dictators who preach "peace" and breed conflict.
I am a tired American … real tired of those who are trying to sell me the belief that America is not the greatest nation in all the world … a generous hearted nation … a nation dedicated to the policy of trying to help the ‘have nots’ achieve some of the good things that our system of free enterprise brought about.
I am an American who gets a lump in his throat when he hears the "Star Spangled Banner" and who holds back the tears when Old Glory reaches the top of the flag pole.
I am a tired American … who wants to start snapping at those phony ‘high priests’ who want us to bow down and worship their false idols and who seek to destroy the belief that America is the land of the free and the home of the brave.
I am a tired American who thanks a merciful Lord that he was so lucky to be born an American citizen … a nation … under God … with truly mercy and justice … for all."
Some of the statements are a little past their time, like when McIntosh says he is "fed up with the mobs of scabby faced, long-haired youths and short-haired girls who claim they represent the ‘new wave’ of American …"
Fred says that, overall, the message of McIntosh stands strong for America today.
Fred, by the way, is sending this newspaper a copy of his own publication, which gives the Star Herald a little mention and credit for McIntosh’s famous editorial.
Published March 27, 2003
