Elvis i Nixon

Zapowiedziane wpisy czekają cierpliwie w kolejce, a ja sobie robię mały skok w bok i napiszę coś o Elvisie, bo dawno nic nie było :) Historia jest IMHO ciekawa i mało znana, więc postanowiłem się z Wami nią podzielić, tym bardziej, że trafiłem na kapitalne źródło archiwaliów jej dotyczących.

Rankiem 21. grudnia 1970 Elvis Presley zjawił się w Białym Domu i poprosił o spotkanie z ówczesnym prezydentem, czyli Richardem Nixonem. Wręczył ochronie odręcznie napisany list (a pismo miał fatalne!), w którym napisał co następuje:

Dear Mr. President.

First, I would like to introduce myself. I am Elvis Presley and admire you and have great respect for your office. I talked to Vice President Agnew in Palm Springs three weeks ago and expressed my concern for our country. The drug culture, the hippie elements, the SDS, Black Panthers, etc. do not consider me as their enemy or as they call it the establishment. I call it America and I love it. Sir, I can and will be of any service that I can to help the country out. I have no concern or motives other than helping the country out.

So I wish not to be given a title or an appointed position. I can and will do more good if I were made a Federal Agent at Large and I will help out by doing it my way through my communications with people of all ages. First and foremost, I am an entertainer, but all I need is the Federal credentials. I am on this plane with Senator George Murphy and we have been discussing the problems that our country is faced with.

Sir, I am staying at the Washington Hotel, Room 505-506-507. I have two men who work with me by the name of Jerry Schilling and Sonny West. I am registered under the name of Jon Burrows. I will be here for as long as long as it takes to get the credentials of a Federal Agent. I have done an in-depth study of drug abuse and Communist brainwashing techniques and I am right in the middle of the whole thing where I can and will do the most good.

I am Glad to help just so long as it is kept very private. You can have your staff or whomever call me anytime today, tonight, or tomorrow. I was nominated this coming year one of America’s Ten Most Outstanding Young Men. That will be in January 18 in my home town of Memphis, Tennessee. I am sending you the short autobiography about myself so you can better understand this approach. I would love to meet you just to say hello if you’re not too busy.
Respectfully,

Elvis Presley

P. S. I believe that you, Sir, were one of the Top Ten Outstanding Men of America also.
I have a personal gift for you which I would like to present to you and you can accept it or I will keep it for you until you can take it.

Elvis jako agent federalny zwalczający narkomanię wśród hippisów?!

Ludzie z Białego Domu odesłali Presleya do hotelu i kazali czekać na telefon. Spotkanie udało się załatwić i jeszcze tego samego dnia, o 12.30, Król spotkał się z Prezydentem. Elvis wręczył Nixonowi prezenty (zdjęcia i Colta z WWII w eleganckiej skrzynce), pogadali sobie trochę i porobili wspólne zdjęcia.

Jak dokładnie przebiegło spotkanie? To notatka sporządzona przez pracownika Białego Domu, Buda Krougha (zwróćcie uwagę na kawałek o Beatlesach):

The meeting opened with pictures taken of the President and Elvis Presley.

Presley immediately began showing the President his law enforcement paraphernalia including badges from police departments in California, Colorado and Tennessee. Presley indicated that he had been playing Las Vegas and the President indicated that he was aware of how difficult it is to perform in Las Vegas.

The President mentioned that he thought Presley could reach young people, and that it was important for Presley to retain his credibility. Presley responded that be did his thing by „just singing.” He said that he could not get to the kids if he made a speech on the stage, that he had to reach them in his own way. The President nodded in agreement.

Presley indicated that he thought the Beatles had been a real force for anti-American spirit. He said that the Beatles came to this country, made their money, and then returned to England where they promoted an anti-American theme. The President nodded in agreement and expressed some surprise. The President then indicated that those who use drugs are also those in the vanguard of anti-American protest. Violence, drug usage, dissent, protest all seem to merge in generally the same group of young people.

Presley indicated to the President in a very emotional manner that he was „on your side.” Presley kept repeating that he wanted to be helpful, that he wanted to restore some respect for the flag which was being lost. He mentioned that he was just a poor boy from Tennessee who had gotten a lot from his country, which in some way he wanted to repay. He also mentioned that he is studying Communist brainwashing and the drug culture for over ten years. He mentioned that he knew a lot about this and was accepted by the hippies. He said he could go right into a group of young people or hippies and be accepted which he felt could be helpful to him in his drug drive. The President indicated again his concern that Presley retain his credibility.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Presley again told the President how much he supported him, and then, in a surprising, spontaneous gesture, put his left arm around the President and hugged him.

In going out, Presley asked the President if he would see his two associates. The President agreed and they came over and shook hands with the President briefly. At this meeting, the President thanked them for their efforts and again mentioned his concern for Presley’s credibility.

Oczywiście nie skorzystano z oferty Elvisa, ale Presleyowi została po spotkaniu pamiątka – odznaka Federalnego Biura Narkotyków i Niebezpiecznych Substancji. No i list z podziękowaniami za spotkanie, który kilka dni później wysłał mu prezydent, razem z życzeniami noworocznymi.

Na zakończenie parę słów o źródle, o którym wspomniałem. To „The National Archives and Records Administration”, które udostępniają w sieci świetnie opracowane materiały, po których warto poklikać. Zaczynając oczywiście od spotkania Presleya z Nixonem. To dla mnie wzór tego jak się powinno udostępniać państwowe archiwa! Dwie wersje „wystawy” (HTML i flash), komplet skanów dokumentów (plus ich wersje tekstowe) i oczywiście zdjęcia. Wszystko przygotowane w dwóch eleganckich paczkach zip. A jako bonus tapetki na biurko :)

Poza takimi prezentacjami są też inne ciekawe materiały do przejrzenia – można obejrzeć chociażby czek za który kupiono Alaskę, patent na żarówkę Thomasa Edisona czy plan lotu Apollo 11. Rozglądałem się krótko za czymś podobnym w polskiej sieci, ale niestety nie znalazłem. A może jest coś takiego, tylko źle szukałem? Z chęcią obejrzał bym porządnie przygotowane materiały dotyczące naszej historii.