Pickets: Stomp Out The Beatles!
By Robert Alt
The Grand Rapids Press
August 9, 1966
The Beatles are dead. A remark by Beatle John Lennon that the group is more popular than Jesus has shocked many of their fans into a state of temporary sanity. It has been explained that the statement was quoted out of context. Repercussions following the statement are still being felt.
Radio stations are canceling the mop-top group songs. Fans beyond the shock point are mourning, and Prime Minister Harold Wilson is worried that Britain's balance of payment problems are going to worsen without the export trade generated by the Beatles.
The Beatle ban all began down in the south, and now the Ku Klux Klan is saying they were right all along. Robert Shelton, Klan's imperial wizard, applauded the boycott and hooted that the Klan previously had accused the Beatles of leaning toward atheism.
In South Africa, a high school principal asked his students to rededicate their lives to Christ by burning all their Beatles records and pictures.
Brian Epstein, the Beatles' harried manager, has been scurrying around the countryside trying to calm the waters. He said the Beatles' four-week, 14-city American tour, scheduled to begin Thursday in Chicago, was still on.
Five young ex-Beatle fans turned to picket a local radio station, WLAV, in hopes of getting the group removed from the air. They are Kay Weeda, 11; Mary Davis, 14; Bonnie Weeda, 12; Mary Pontius, 15, and Linda Weeda, 14.
"Their fame has gone to their heads", said Miss Davis.
"This is a good punishment," Miss Pontius said. "Hit 'em in their pocketbooks. That'll make 'em sorry. "
"They won't be very popular in Grand Rapids any more," Linda said.
Vince Ford, program director at WLAV, explained why the station continues to play the Beatles' records, even though other stations in town have discontinued play. "We will not ban the Beatles until they are proven guilty," he said. "As I understand it, the statement was taken out of context. We're judging them by their talent, not by their religious beliefs. And as for all this public outcry, we've received only one letter and maybe half a dozen phone calls."
Some people who passed the pickets voiced agreement. "Good for you," said a middle-aged woman. A carload of teenagers passed and gave hip hip hooray for the British group. One elderly gentleman said, "Who are the Beatles?"
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