There Appears To Be Some Trouble With Happy Jack

The Kentucky Derby horse race was run Saturday, and the most unlikely horse won the race. That was inspiring, but what was most interesting to me was the horse who rebelled. Just before the race began there was a delay, and the TV announcer said "There appears to be some trouble with Happy Jack." He was stirring in his cage, fighting against being confined. He was taken out of the cage for a few seconds, and then put back in, and the race began. He finished in 14^th place, far from the winner's circle, but not last. He at least beat one of the favorites, Messier, and five others.

I can easily picture myself in that situation, resisting conformity, not going along with the program, still willing to have a good run. "Screw you and your Kentucky Derby, honoring the presence of Donald Trump, honoring obscene wealth, starting with a song that honors the "legacy" and "tradition" of slavery.

Also, honoring the selective breeding that makes horses fragile, prone to injury and early death, and to an inbreeding that makes them an unnatural subspecies. All for money, money, money. And the glory of winning the Kentucky Derby. Time and again owners and "trainers" are caught administering performance-enhancing drugs and pain killers, and are given the proverbial slap on the wrist. The show must go on. Everyone plays along.

Except Happy Jack. He reminds me of a time in 1956 when Richard Nixon came to my town on a "whistlestop" train tour when he was running for reelection as Vice-president. The train station was pretty close to my school, so a group of us sauntered over to see what was going on. In order to get a better view a couple of us climbed up on a taxicab call box (this was so long ago they didn’t have radios in their cabs). I thought "One more can't hurt," and climbed up to join them. The call box caved in, interrupting Nixon’s speech.

The look on his face was priceless, as if he wanted to kill us. Or, more specifically, me. But, he recovered, and went on with his speech. It was a "Republican" town, so he had a good reception – except for our little group - or, more specifically, me. It wasn’t until many years later that Nixon got to kill someone. Many, as it turned out, in Vietnam. The "Killing Fields" of Cambodia can be laid at his doorstep as well. Kent State. Jackson State.

So have a mint julep for Happy Jack. Wear a fancy hat. He was the true hero of the Kentucky Derby. And a kindred spirit. He kept alive a long tradition of Happy Jacks who refuse to conform.
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Here’s a song. Here’s another. And another. The RollingStones. The Grateful Dead. Another from the Grateful Dead. John Mellencamp. It's a very strange world. Ray Charles. The Steve Miller Band. Bob Marley. Peter Tosh. The Band with the Staple Singers.