Island Democrats to host author Claire Connor
Author Claire Connor will discuss her family’s involvement with the John Birch Society and how she came to write the book Wrapped in the Flag, at the regular meeting of the Democratic Club of the Islands on Thursday evening, April 24 at 7 p.m. at the Sanibel Public Library. The meeting is free and open to the public.
Claire was in eighth grade when her parents dove into the world of paranoid politics, a world dominated by the John Birch Society (JBS).
“We’re taking back the country” was originated by founder Robert Welch in l958. This seductive mantra turned Claire’s parents into life-long anti Communist, anti-government radicals. When she recognized these radical ideas being spouted as solutions to our contemporary challenges, she knew she had to tell her story.
Her book, Wrapped in the Flag, named one of the best of 20l3 in Nonfiction by Kirkus Reviews, goes deep into the heart of the JBS and exposes the extreme ideas of that powerful political fringe group, and shows how they continue to impact America today. She reminds us that “the past is not dead. In fact, it is not even past.”
The Democratic Club is an authorized organization of the Lee County Executive Committee, which exists to stimulate interest in political and governmental affairs; to educate the electorate about issues and to further the ideals of the Democratic Party. For more information call 395-9078 or e-mail demclubislands@gmail.com.