Election Day; or, Papa, What’s a poll tax?

Election Day was always a traumatic event around our house. Even though I was so little at the time, I knew that something important was going on. Never mind the fact that everyone we knew in our conservative, straight-laced little town voted a straight Republican ticket every year, there always seemed to be drama involved.
Usually it started at dinner (known as “lunch” in some parts of the country). Grandfather would announce that today was The Day. Then the same comments that would become a tradition would begin. Continue reading