PERSPECTIVE: MOONSHINER'S ART IN EYE OF BEHOLDER

Editor's note: Beginning today, the Herald Courier will feature
"Perspective," commentary by Bob Lewis of WJHL-Newschannel 11, on
Saturday's Opinion page. If you've been following the news, then you know
about a local effort to legalize the manufacture of corn-mash moonshine in
Northeast Tennessee......

Now, the thinking behind this, according to the fellow who's circulating a
petition to get this venture off the ground, is to save an "art-form,"
which is partly indigenous to the mountains of Tennessee.

Well, now, he's probably right that it's an art. From what i know of the
process, which is probably as much as you know, or less, you've got to know
how to make it -- and make it right, if you're going to have any customers.

If you sit back and think a minute, probably an image of those "revenooers"
comes to mind.....as they sneak through the woods with their baseball bats
and axe-handles in hand, ready to bash the livin' daylights out of any
"still" they come across. And, if the moonshiners happen to "still," no pun
intended, be on the property, then they are summarily arrested. After a
little time in jail or a fine, or both, many corn-mashers get right back
into business as soon as they can....choosing another site of course to
brew that intoxicating potion. and, our mountains here in Northeast
Tennessee are notorious for having a still, or two, or ten in years
past.....the dense woodlands of Unicoi and Carter counties come to mind as
brewing grounds for the "lightnin'." Now, in Tennessee, we've got the
nation's oldest brewery of natural whiskey in Lynchburg. "Jack Daniel's"
distillery has been in operation since 1866....but the county in which it's
located is "dry." They can make it there -- but they can't sell it, or
consume it there. If you've ever taken a tour of the distillery, as i have,
you'd be amazed at the process that goes into bottling "Old Number-7" OR
"Gentleman Jack" whiskey. And when you consider how this stuff is made, i
guess it can be called "art."

Now, this "art," in it's rawest form, is called "moonshine." Where did
"moonshine" get its name? It was named such because the "still operators,"
shall we say, watched every little drip of this 150-proof liquid by the
light of the silvery moon.....doing most of their handiword at night,
rather than by daylight....to lessen detection by those "revenooers."

Ever see the movie "Thunder road"? Robert Mitchum plays a "shine" runner in
the film, but it's the theme song that stands out in my mind. To paraphrase
the song.... "Thunder was his engine, and white lightnin' was his load ...
it was moonshine, moonshine to quench the devil's thirst, but the law they
swore they'd get him, but the devil got him first." Sort of an ode, to the
illegality of making and transporting the "devil's brew."

Now, fast forward to 2002, and we're looking to legalize this "mountain art
form." And i do believe, in a sense, it can be called "art." But what,
exactly, is art? In Mr. Webster's dictionary, art is defined as "the power
of doing something easily and skillfully ... an occupation that requires a
natural skill in addition to training and practice ... the rules or ideas
that a person must know in order to follow a profession or craft ... a
product of creative imagination." Certainly, all attend to the skill and
knowledge it takes to make a good jar of "white lightnin."

But just as a painting of nudes, or a sculpture of obscenity is looked down
upon and called trash, rather than art, by some, it's that same mindset
that can decide whether the process of manufacturing moonshine is, indeed,
"art."

A poll we've been running on our website found more than half the
respondents approving of legalized moonshine ... while, at the same time,
those offering comments about the practice are vehemently against it ...
citing more deaths on the highways, broken homes, and all the slings and
arrows of misfortune that alcohol can cause.

But consider this: I've seen non-working "stills" set up in museums, at
local festivals and other venues as a promotion for this mountain
"art-form" that so many of us try to dismiss. but, we look at it anyway,
marvel at it, and accept it as part of our mountain culture. Yes, it is a
part of our past, and, probably still, our present.

As to accepting its legalization: We've heard it'll boost tourism and
interest in our region. And we've heard it's just another "evil" that can
possess us.....

Or we could just "tip a canoe and Tyler, too."

Bob Lewis is a news anchor for WJHL-Newschannel 11. His "Perspective" airs
at 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.