Posted on 03/18/2006 1:10:29 AM PST by gg188
Hank Jr. knocks down race rumors
No special requests made on care for daughters, says Med
By Pamela Perkins
Contact
March 18, 2006
Country music legend Hank Williams Jr. and officials at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis held a press conference Friday to dispel rumors -- rampant in local broadcast media -- accusing him of requesting racially motivated changes in the staff members caring for his two daughters.
"My blood pressure went up 50 points" upon learning of the rumor, Williams said. "I challenge you to interview anyone in this hospital about what they think about Randall Hank Williams Jr. and what he thinks about folks."
Holly Williams, 25, and Hilary Williams, 27, are recovering at The Med from injuries received after their car flipped over several times late Wednesday on U.S. 61 just north of Dundee, Miss., in Tunica County. They were en route to their grandfather's funeral in Louisiana.
Dr. Tim Fabian, chief of surgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, said Holly suffered a fractured wrist and multiple contusions and should soon be released.
Hilary is in critical condition having suffered right-hip, left-femur and right-ankle fractures and torn intestines. She has had two surgeries so far with more planned.
"We received no instructions from the Williams family as to who should care for (his daughters)," said Med president and CEO Dr. Bruce Steinhauer.
Theresa D. Alexander, a black trauma unit nurse assigned to care for his daughters, said the rumor could have begun internally after a change from a black staff member to a white one.
Alexander, a 20-year veteran of the unit, and hospital officials said staff changes are common and usually based on experience.
Williams said Holly "is recovering quite well" and could soon be released, but Hilary had life-threatening injuries.
"I've been upstairs with her this morning and she is doing well."
With a quaking voice, he said two black women found his daughters lying on the side of the road and one of them began praying over Hilary.
"The most important thing to me is my crushed and broken daughter upstairs," he said.
"It's been a long two days."
-- Pamela Perkins: 529-6514
Copyright 2006, commercialappeal.com - Memphis, TN. All Rights Reserved.
Of course some idiot has to play the f'ing race card.
Hank Jr. said in his interview, and I paraphrase: My daddy was taught to play guitar by a black man, Rufus Payne. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't even be standing here.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Williams also said the care at the hospital had been excellent, and how grateful he was to everyone there. Real class act in the face of the tragedy combined with charges of racism.
Supposedly the host on the black radio station said, with great dry wit, that the charges were unfounded and unfair, that most blacks weren't going to believe it, and that it wouldn't hurt Hank Jr.'s record sales in the black community.
Not surprizing that a great pro American is savaged by leftist groups. He is an honorable person and should not have to put up with this crap especially at this time of intense emotional grieving.
Bocephus is a Good Ol' Boy, certainly. And he's a Good American and certainly no racist.
Chin Up, Randall Hank Williams Jr: country folk can survive.
Long time fan from DownUnder(NZ)
"DieHard the Hunter"
Oh yeah. It goes without saying, Bocephus. Prayers are most certainly going up for your daughters, for you and your family, from DownUnder.
And thankyou for the music, mate!
Prayers up for your daughters, Hank......your entire family. God bless you.
Hank JR has done a lot of questionable things in his life but I would say being a racist is likely not among them. Another possibility is another patients family making the call out of spite thinking they were getting prefered treatment in the way of testing etc. I doubt anyone believed the rumor to start with. Politics may have had something to do with it to. There's just no telling.
This is pure speculation, but might the replaced staff member have jumped to the wrong conclusion as to why he/she was replaced, and then told someone else, who called the radio station?
BTTT for a great musician.
I'll be praying for his daughter's recovery.
Prayers for Holly and Hilary Williams.
I may be wrong, but my guess is that the accident was made worse by lack of proper seat belt use, since they were found "lying by the side of the road". If that was the case, I wish Hank would, after the daughters get out of the hospital, take the opportunity to say a few words to his fans encouraging them to buckle up. Unfortunately here in the rural south, we read every day about people being thrown out of vehicles, often with fatal results. On the other hand, a friend of ours went to sleep, rolled her car, and was walking around normally the next day because she was wearing her belt.
What an absolute disgrace for anyone to spread such lies, that is just disgusting.
Excellent point, and I suspect you're right. In our local newspaper, accident reports with fatalities or serious injury almost always include, "None of the passengers was wearing a seatbelt."
No one should have to put up with such crap!!!!!!!!
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