Bob Mount: Huckabee: Political leopard who changes spots?

“Dear Wayne: My desire is that you be released from prison. I feel that parole is the best way for your reintroduction to society to take place.”

This was a letter written to Wayne DuMond, a prison inmate who was convicted of raping a teenager in 1984 and had 25 years remaining on his sentence.

DuMond was released and shortly afterward murdered a woman.

One might assume the letter was written by the inmate’s mother, another relative, or president of Amnesty International. It was not.

It was written by a Baptist preacher, Mike Huckabee, who at the time was also serving as governor of Arkansas. When legislators were attempting to enact laws restricting immigration of illegals, Huckabee referred to the supporters as racists and bigots, seemed to welcome illegals into his state, and advocated granting them free or reduced tuition to attend the state’s colleges.

Huckabee delivered one of two keynote speeches at a convention of the Council of La Raza, a radical Hispanic organization advocating open borders and amnesty for illegal aliens. The other keynote speaker was John Tyson, head of Tyson Foods, one of the world’s largest meat processing companies, with headquarters in Arkansas.

Huckabee is a smooth talker but couldn’t talk his way into being the Republican nominee for the presidency. He was able, however, to secure a position as a commentator with Fox News Network.

I see and hear him frequently during evenings on weekends, and not once have I heard him mention the illegal immigration problems, which makes me wonder if he’s not just another political leopard who’s seen fit to change his spots.

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I wonder if any company manufactures a plain, old-fashioned manual typewriter any more. I learned to type in high school and bought a portable manual Royal typewriter, which I used frequently during the nine years I attended college. After finishing and getting a job, I graduated from typing to the pen and legal pad writing system, because I had access to secretaries. All of them eventually learned to translate my Hieroglyphics, but one had some difficulty. After a week or so on the job she told me, “Dr. Mount, you write just like those real doctors do.”

I occasionally needed to type a personal letter so I went to an outlet that sold typewriters. I purchased one I thought was the equivalent of my old Royal, which had decided to retire, except for its being powered by electricity. I brought it home and removed it from the box.

The apparatus didn’t remotely resemble my old Royal.

Contained in the box was a booklet of elaborate instructions on how to type on the machine. I guess I’ll just continue to rely on my legal pads and flair pens to write my personal letters.

Bob Mount is emeritus professor of zoology and entomology at Auburn University and writes a weekly column for the Opelika-Auburn News.