Dec. 1, 1955

A man in Montgomery Alabama gets on a bus. He sees no seats are open. He does, however, notice a middle-aged black woman sitting near the front. The law is that blacks must abdicate their seats on a bus if a white person wants it. The man knows this, but he decides to let decency and chivalry rule the day, and he elects to stand, and let this diminutive looking woman keep her seat.

Ever wonder what would have happened had that been the story? Nobody would have ever heard of Rosa Parks, who died in her home yesterday in Detroit at the age of 92. The bus boycott may have never happened (I say may because Ms. Parks wasn't the first woman to refuse to get up, and certainly wouldn't have been the last), the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King may not have risen into prominence, and the Civil Rights Act as we know it might have taken quite a bit longer to pass.

To the jerk who insisted a women get up so that he could sit, I say "Thank you." You helped make this country what it is today. And to Mrs. Parks, I say thank you. You handled the stage better than I ever could have, and your continued work will be remembered forever.