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8 • JULY 2022 FROM THE EDITOR: American dream BETWEEN THE LINES LINDA GARNER-BUNCH editor@thetruckermedia.com It may be a day or so early (or late, depending on when you picked up this copy of The Trucker), but happy Fourth of July, y’all! Hopefully all of you have a chance to celebrate the 246th birthday of the USA, maybe with a backyard barbecue or a community fireworks display. And for all the drivers who spend the holiday rolling down the highway with another load — thank you for everything you do. You are appreciated! Speaking of highways, this month’s trucker poll asked drivers to share their favorite stretch of highway. Check out Trucker Talk on this page, and keep your eyes peeled (I’ve always wondered where that saying originated; it’s really kind of bizarre) for new favorite routes to share. Last month I traveled the scenic route along U.S. 65 from central Arkansas to Branson, Missouri, on the way to the 2022 Shell Rotella SuperRigs event, held June 9-11. Of course, the drive was gorgeous — but the real treat was arriving at Branson Landing and watching all the hard-working truckers polishing their rigs before (and during) the truck show. Check out Page 4 to see who took home top SuperRigs honors. While the mornings during the show started out cool and foggy — there was even a bit of rain one day — the spirit of the drivers was as bright and cheerful as the sun that eventually broke through the clouds each day. I can’t say that I met every single driver who was at SuperRigs, but I can say that I tried! With every handshake and every conversation, I was treated to a unique glimpse into the lives of truckers and their families. As I visited with driver after driver, I was struck by the pride they took in the industry and in their rigs. Listening to the stories about why drivers chose the colors and details for their trucks made me realize just how deep the bond between driver and truck can be. This pride in workmanship, along with the love I saw between families at the show, is a perfect example of what I love about America: You don’t have to be born rich, or become rich, to realize the American dream. You don’t even have to be born in America! Every American dream is different, and each person’s path to that dream is unique. As Americans, we may not all agree on politics, religion or other issues, but that’s OK. What’s important is that we take time to listen to other points of view and allow others to pursue their dreams. Until next time, keep those rigs between mustard and mayonnaise! 8 ASK THE A<strong>TT</strong>ORNEY BRAD KLEPPER Brad Klepper is busy helping drivers this month. We hope you enjoy this column, which originally ran in July 2021. Those of you that read my columns may remember that I recently wrote on free speech and social media. As I mentioned then, I am a BIG free speech guy and feel strongly that no idea should be free from scrutiny, criticism or mockery. As I also said then, an unexamined thought or belief is not worth having. Since I wrote that column, I have received a few comments and questions about “hate” speech. I think we can all agree that you don’t have to look too far to find examples that would qualify as hate speech. Recent demonstrations by white supremacists are a good place to start. So, the question becomes, “Is hate speech protected by the First Amendment?” Well, I am glad you asked. Back in 2017, Ted Wheeler, the mayor of Portland, Oregon, said, “Hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment.” This comment was made after two men were killed after they confronted another individual who was using anti-Muslim slurs. Also in 2017, former Democratic National Chair Howard Dean, when referring to comments made by Ann Coulter said, “Hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment.” PERSPECTIVE Regarding civil liberties: Is ‘hate speech’ protected by the First Amendment? Trucker TALK Well, they were both wrong. The U.S. Supreme Court has clearly stated that governments may not restrict speech expressing ideas that offend. A recent case addressing this matter is Matal v. Tam. In this case, Simon Tam, the founder and bass player for the Asian- American rock band The Slants sought to trademark the band name in an attempt to reclaim and take ownership of the derogatory term. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) refused to register the mark and found it disparaging to people of Asian descent. In support of this position, the USP- TO found that the mark violated the Lanham Act’s provision against registration of disparaging trademarks. Of course, Tam decided to appeal to the Federal Circuit. On appeal, the Federal Circuit found the disparaging provision of the Lanham Act to be unconstitutional. This did not sit well with the USPTO, which appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. The issue is whether the disparaging provision of the Lanham Act violated the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court held that the disparagement clause violates the First Amendments Free Speech Clause. In the opinion, Justice Alito wrote: “Speech that demeans on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, disability or any other similar grounds is hateful; but the proudest boast of our free speech jurisprudence is that we protect the freedom to express the ‘thought we hate.’” This, my friends, is the basis of free speech. In a world where we can watch television shows, read newspapers and magazines, and listen to radio programs that only serve to support our already existing beliefs, it is easy to be in favor of free speech — when that speech echoes our own beliefs. But what becomes a challenge is remaining in favor of free speech when that speech goes against everything we stand for. Now, I am not a movie critic, but maybe 20 years ago I watched the movie “The American President” starring Michael Douglas. The move had a bit of a Hollywood liberal take (and I like my movies politically neutral). However, in the movie, Michael Douglas is giving a speech, and he says: “America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You’ve gotta want it bad, ’cause it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say, ‘You want free speech? “Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.’ “You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. “Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.” Say what you will about the movie but that quote pretty much sums up the good and the bad about free speech. While I may not agree with anything you say — or your decision to burn the flag or do other things I may find reprehensible — I will defend to the death your right to do so. Brad Klepper is president of Interstate Trucker Ltd. and is also president of Driver’s Legal Plan, which allows member drivers access to services at discounted rates. For more information, contact him at 800-333-DRIVE (3748) or interstatetrucker.com and driverslegalplan.com. 8 Every month, The Trucker news staff conducts an informal driver poll on or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TheTruckerNewspaper). The latest poll asked the question, “Drivers, what is your favorite stretch of highway, and why?” Some of the responses are listed below (edited for clarity and length). If you have a question you’d like to see in the poll, email editor@thetruckermedia.com. “191 through West Yellowstone for the wildlife and scenery.” — Anna Brown “I-75 Kentucky to Knoxville. In summer, I-94 north Dakota.” — Kenneth Holiday “Montana Highway 200 from Missoula to Great Falls. The scenery and wildlife is beyond amazing. It’s the only road I’ve ever traveled where I’ve seen bald eagles, moose, elk, mule deer, grizzlies and so many other critters. The winter scenery is stunning if you dare to drive it in the winter.” — Keith Becker “I-95 just before and after the George Washington Bridge.” — Robert Westra “The highway that leads to my house.” — Bryan Madaris THETRUCKER.COM
THETRUCKER.COM PERSPECTIVE JULY 2022 • 9 Mickey Gilley leads two country music cultural shifts RHYTHM OF THE ROAD KRIS RUTHERFORD krisr@thetruckermedia.com By the late 1970s, Mickey Gilley was a bona fide country music headliner. But he couldn’t have imagined what lay in store for him as the decade ended, even as a hint of the success he was about to enjoy came from a 1977 song by his famous cousin Jerry Lee Lewis. The next to the last of Lewis’ string of Top 5 singles came by way of his No. 4 hit “Middle-Age Crazy.” The plot of the lyrics revolves around a successful businessman’s mid-life crisis. Despite his success, something is missing from his life. To deal with growing older, he remakes himself. As Lewis sang, he traded his business suit for “jeans and high boots with an embroidered star.” Neither Lewis nor Gilley realized that the minor hit set the stage for a cultural shift in the U.S. “Middle-Age Crazy” was released as a movie starring Bruce Dern in early 1980, but it largely failed at the box office. However, the motion picture’s theme was about to become ingrained in American culture. The “cowboy look” soon became the American style of the early 1980s — only it wasn’t Lewis who helped bring cowboy dress to the forefront. Instead, it was Gilley, with a healthy dose of John Travolta, who led the revolution. When producers of the movie “Urban Cowboy” looked for a location to shoot their film, they knew they needed a country nightclub, and a big one. The so-called largest honky-tonk in the U.S., Gilley’s Club in Pasadena, Texas, offered the perfect backdrop. John Travolta, who was fresh off starring in the anything-but-country motion pictures “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever,” found himself cast in the role of country boy Bud Davis, a young man who relocates to the Houston area and starts frequenting Gilley’s club. Looking back over four decades, the plot of “Urban Cowboy” is easily forgotten. But for those who lived through the era it ushered in, the movie’s impact is hard to forget. Gilley and several nightclub employees had parts in the movie, and Gilley’s band provided much of the soundtrack. Gilley himself was featured on the soundtrack album. “Here Comes the Hurt Again” brought Gilley a lot of air play — but it was his countryfied rendition of the soul song “Stand by Me” that elevated him from being an occasional hit maker to one of the 1980s most prolific artists. Likewise, it was Gilley’s style — cowboy boots, western hats with feathered grommets, and just a general western style of dress — that became all the rage. Areas of the country like New England, where few followed country music and only a handful of true cowboys lived, were suddenly overrun by Yankees donning the “Urban Cowboy” style. The period did much to increase the popularity of country music nationwide, and western retailers popped up from coast to coast. In short order, the image of the “Urban Cowboy” shifted from John Travolta’s character to the real-life Gilley. Gilley’s nightclub became a sensation and spawned the opening of similar country clubs across the nation. It also created an environment in which one of country music’s most popular female singers, Barbara Mandrell, could record her signature song, “I was Country (When Country wasn’t Cool).” By the time Gilley’s career slowed down, he had charted 39 Top 10 singles, 17 of which reached No. 1. The likes of “You Don’t Know Me,” “That’s All that Matters to Me” and “True Love Ways” became classics of the 1980s country era. As the decade passed, Gilley shifted his music to a more orchestrated style, featuring strings and his iconic piano in his recordings rather than the hard-driving piano of his earlier sons like “The Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time.” This fresh Gilley style was largely inspired by the crossover success many country artists experienced during the decade. The change in his music also reflected a change in Gilley’s persona. The man who had ridden a nightclub to fame made himself over for a new audience. He sold his nightclub and relocated to a new spot in the U.S. where country music was taking off — Branson, Missouri. Branson was a growing community that centered around country music-related entertainment. For a performer like Gilley, the area was a godsend. The city became packed with theaters and boasted as many current and former stars per square mile than anywhere other than Nashville. And the town became a saving grace for more than one artist’s career. “Branson works because it provides the best conditions for the fans and the entertainers,” Gilley said. “The fans get to see us under the best setting possible … theaters have good seats, and we have the best stage setups.” What’s more, performers in Branson often owned their theaters. They didn’t have to deal with the daily grind of putting together and tearing down a stage show. The grueling pace of touring didn’t wear down the performers, most of whom owned homes not far from their theaters. Throughout the 1990s, Branson grew, and Gilley found himself at the center of another seismic shift on the country music scene. He became one of Branson’s most popular stars, raking in profits from hundreds of fans who’d visit for both afternoon and evening shows held year-round. While the new hits stopped coming when Gilley shifted to Branson, the audiences his show attracted didn’t seem to care. Promoters marketed Branson toward an older crowd — people who remembered the likes of Andy Williams, Floyd Kramer, Mel Tillis and numerous comedy and variety shows. These people didn’t expect or want to hear new material from the performers whose shows they frequented; they wanted to hear the hit songs of days gone by. Gilley’s former popularity provided enough hit songs to fill a show, and recording wasn’t as important as it had been earlier in his career. Branson became a prime retirement area for people looking for a nice place to live, and it served semi-retired performers as well. For the most part, Gilley played out his life in Branson. His shows were among the most popular in the city. Gilley’s name became as much a part of Branson as the ever-popular theme park Silver Dollar City. And it provided an iconic setting for a popular artist to complete a career that headlined two of the most noted contributions to late 20th century country music. Until next time, don’t wear a cowboy hat in a Ford Focus. It just ain’t right. 8 Aim your camera Find the best truck-driving jobs as well news, videos and job resources ... all in one place! at the code to find jobs.
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