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What I Believe: Weird Wally Smith

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By COLLEEN KENNEY / Lincoln Journal Star

Saturday, Sep 08, 2007 - 03:01:14 pm CDT

Weird Wally Smith, the used-car dealer and ruler of Weird Country, would like to take teenage girls for a drive.

He’d take them out in his 2005 beige metallic Cadillac, which has a license plate that says “Ol Bastard,” through neighborhoods where the homes are solid and the grass is soft and kids are playing in the driveway, and he’d ask them: Do you know there are two parents behind that front door?

Then the man who puts up billboards that say “This Is Weird Country” would drive them through neighborhoods where many single mothers live and he’d point them out, sitting on the front steps of old houses that were made into triplexes by a slumlords – neighborhoods like the one near his car lot, 2323 P St., the same one where he grew up as the son of parents who didn’t go to high school.

Story Photo
Wally Smith sits in his backyard with wife, Patti. (Heidi Hoffman)

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And he’d tell those teenage girls: This is where you’re going to live the rest of your life if you’re going to have two or three kids out of wedlock. So now what would you rather have?

He’d hope they wouldn’t think he was a weird old man, just someone who cares about them.

“Not enough of us people are telling our kids these kinds of things,” he says.

It doesn’t take a village, he says. It takes two dedicated parents and accountability and a sense of shame.

That’s the way he and his wife brought up their daughter, now a physician in Indianapolis with a physician husband and two boys.

Weird Wally has owned Wally’s Used Cars since 1975. He’s sold more than 22,000 cars so far and talked to many more people than that, so many he feels he’s almost has earned a diploma in psychology.

Say he sees a guy walking up to the door. He can tell if the guy wants to buy a car or just use the bathroom. Say a customer sits down in his office and starts spilling his life story. Sometimes the best thing he can do is just to listen.

Over the years, he’s seen more and more young men come to his lot and open a hood and not know the difference between an alternator and a compressor or how to change the oil.

He’s seen more young mothers come in alone, looking for a car. The other day, one told him she had two kids, as if she were proud of it.

He’d like to tell all the girls who aren’t pregnant yet that they hold the keys to a better life.

I don’t need no damn man.

Yeah. But your children do.

That’s what he’d like to tell them.

This country is heading in the wrong direction, he says, and it’s weird.

Colleen Kenney is on leave. Reach her editors at 473-7306 or citydesk@journalstar.com


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Willie wrote on September 3, 2007 7:28 am:
" This series is pointless. I dont get it. "

 alsplace wrote on September 3, 2007 7:50 am:
" Sounds like Wally is not so weird to me. More people should have those values. "

 Sarah wrote on September 3, 2007 8:55 am:
" Wow these young girls get pregnant all by themselves??? "

 What about the guys? wrote on September 3, 2007 9:13 am:
" The "wierd old man" factor could be diminished by Wally concentrating on the young men who impregnate girls. C'mon, guys and cars? Wouldn't Wally have a better natural affinity for reaching out to teen boys with their mutual love of cars? He could get the same message across and hopefully make an impact. And he wouldn't have to worry about coming off as creepy to the guys...not with cars as the common denominator. "

 Travis wrote on September 3, 2007 10:23 am:
" Sounds like a "just and right" ideal..... Wally is a dyeing generation that shoots from their hip for what they beleive in and don't care what people may say about them. There are very few business owners in this town that have the courage to make these statements knowing that is may effect their bottom line! As a 26 year old business owner, I applaud Wally! "

 annoyed wrote on September 3, 2007 10:52 am:
" Patriarchal, condescending attitudes like this are exactly the reason these young women are left to raise children on their own. "

 abc123 wrote on September 3, 2007 11:14 am:
" i think he knows what he is talking about. it might take the guy to get the girl pregnant but its the girl that pays in the long run. yeh maybe he could have reached to the guys a little more by encouraging them to be a dad but the bottom line is that guy can go on while its the single mom and child that struggle through life. "

 Ripper wrote on September 3, 2007 11:39 am:
" If you don't get this series you probably won't get a lot of things. Wally has been an institution and in fact in his early days Wally did dispense wisdom to the guys as well. My guess is he still does. I remember going to 20th and PEE as he advertised. His car ads were a hoot and drew a lot of people in just to see who would place such ads in the paper. I always liked them. He is a one of a kind. "

 NPR ripoff? wrote on September 3, 2007 12:25 pm:
" I didn't see the first installment of this series, but is seems like a blatant rip-off of NPR's "This I Believe" series (which is much better, btw). Wow, an old man believes teen moms have a hard life ahead of them. And this is front page-worthy, why? "

 Dorothy Parker wrote on September 3, 2007 12:32 pm:
" Yes, this "advice" is patriarchal and condescending. However, it is indicative of the way men speak to women in the middle of the contry. If we want your "wisdom", we'll ask. "

 Lindsay wrote on September 3, 2007 12:38 pm:
" I don't totally disagree with Wally's point of view, but he should also point out to young women the importance of getting a good education. It's tough being a single mom, but if they can earn their education, they won't have to raise their children in slums either. As a child of a single mom I know the importance of that! "

 Laurie wrote on September 3, 2007 12:43 pm:
" Condescending and patriarchal as it may be, what Wally says is also quite true. There are NOT ENOUGH hours in the day to truly be a successful single parent. Don't kid yourself into equating feminism with the superhuman ability to be all things to all people. People make choices. If you make the choice to have children, and don't plan accordingly, a lifetime of struggle, self-denial and hardship is destined to be yours- no matter how liberated you are. "

 Wally wrote on September 3, 2007 12:56 pm:
" Dear Wally, you are wrong. Its not this country headed in the wrong direction. Like all the rest of us in Lincoln, we think the rest of the country is just like us. So you should put up your signs to say "Weird Town of Lincoln." "

 Jeorge wrote on September 3, 2007 1:00 pm:
" I love used car dealers who think they are Psychologists. At least now I understand why each time I have gone to a used car dealer to buy a car they just tell me where the bathroom is. Thats weird too. "

 Oh Yeah... wrote on September 3, 2007 2:31 pm:
" The man (or shall I say boy) doesn't care. He is only out to satisfy his hormone overload. The unwed mother plague started when the girls stopped demanding a commitment from their boyfriends. A boy doesn't care. No amount of lecturing is going to overcome his undisciplined urges. It is the girl who pays for it. Wally is directing his comment correctly when he brings his message to teen girls, not boys. "

 Single but no mom wrote on September 3, 2007 3:13 pm:
" I'm single, and yes my mother taught me to get my education before I go down the road of motherhood. Just so I could take care of myself if I ever had to. I now hold a BS in Biology, and a MA in business. If I wanted to I think now in my 30's I could raise a child in a loving home and would not have to live next door to wierd wally's. I grew up here in town and never did buy a car at wierd wally's but do appreciate his advertizing around town. I think his message is good but do agree that those young females did not get pregnant alone. The young men need to be taught to keep it in the pants! "

 One possibility wrote on September 3, 2007 4:18 pm:
" If you are against single mothers and/or abortion - get a vasectomy! "

 Sarah wrote on September 3, 2007 6:38 pm:
" Wow 'oh yeah', if your views on this are correct, men and boys are obviously a serious public health hazard and we should consider some form of quarantine. "

 whatever wrote on September 3, 2007 7:41 pm:
" My compliments to Mr. Smith. Very few people speak their mind anymore to the detriment of us all. Anymore it's all nuance and "code language" that prevents real dialogue and real problem solving. Sure it takes two to tango, but if our young ladies were brought up to have a little more courage and a little more conviction and a little better judgement when determining who the fathers of their children are then we might have fewer problems. You know, at one time the problem was dealing with a child or two from a single father, now many times a single mother has several children from 3 or 4 fathers. I'm not sure there is a way to "sugarcoat" it. And yeah ladies, kids need their dads. I've seen too many single moms manipulate the system and knock "dad" right out of the picture, then complain that "dad" isn't around. Sure, the boys need to behave too and use better judgement when messing around, but the "buck" really stops at the woman's door. The ladies are the ones that really has the power. Really ladies, you do have THE power, have some self respect and use it. Some of you posters obviously get it. Some of you that don't, well I know where that's coming from. "

 This is Weird Wally... wrote on September 3, 2007 8:52 pm:
" ...cell me your car. Cell? CELL? Oh man I'll never forget that commercial. I honestly didn't think Wally was still in business. Great stuff, and good advice too. (Although as a Dad I think the guys need talking to also.) "

 WW wrote on September 3, 2007 9:29 pm:
" Comical - Just like his advertising. I like ole Wally - his views - umph. Then again - this is cheap entertainment. Not news. "

 wow wrote on September 3, 2007 10:16 pm:
" I hope she was proud of her two children, as parents should be! "

 He's got a point wrote on September 3, 2007 10:18 pm:
" It takes 2 parents to raise children. However in this day & age, it just doesn't seem to happen for whatever reason. However, I think the village mentality in raising a kid isn't necessarily a bad thing. As a parent (whether single or as part of a team), you can never have enough support, advice or help in child rearing. As for children, there can never be too many positive influences in their lives. Just think Weird Wally needs to address the males as well as the females. As the earlier posters said, the girls aren't getting pregnant by themselves! "

 And the point is wrote on September 3, 2007 10:24 pm:
" I guess I'm missing the point of these articles. Aren't people's viewpoints already expressed in blogs, opinions, letters to the editors, editorials, etc. already? This guy may be a Lincoln institution but don't think his attitude & opinion are really worth front page merit. "

 JPD wrote on September 3, 2007 10:52 pm:
" Weird Wally rides again. Bought two vehicles from him for two of our daughters. He is an institution in Lincoln and loved his commercials. And for Willie who doesn't get it, I believe you. Ride Wally Ride........ "

 Honest Wally wrote on September 3, 2007 10:54 pm:
" Wally sold me one of my first cars to my dad and i when i was a teen. Even though I wanted to nicest, he's tell us the most dependable and reliable. He was honest and good to us. He wasn't a salesman, he was a person, down to earth. Just a good man, simple as that! "

 h.h. wrote on September 3, 2007 11:14 pm:
" The attitudes posted on this board about women are frightening. Apparently, we expect so little from our young men, that we're willing to throw up our hands and grant them a pass when they father a child and walk away without a second thought. The responsibility is on BOTH... and when one walks away, we should be outraged, not turn our righteous attitudes on the young women who make a choice to raise their children. Easy? Absolutely not... and yes, children deserve both parents. That means we instill these values in ALL of our children. Nebraska is a state that wants to be seen as "valuing life" and then we provide no support and resources for those who do decide to parent. Embarassing. "

 Wow wrote on September 4, 2007 5:58 am:
" Definitely archaic. "

 OK... wrote on September 4, 2007 6:06 am:
" Can't believe there are still people that believe that it's all the woman's fault when it comes to unplanned pregnancies & being a single parent. And yeah, people do see you as "just some weird old man" instead of "someone who cares" with that viewpoint. "

 Just another old fool wrote on September 4, 2007 9:44 am:
" The man is talking to young girls because they end up holding the bag of problems, not the guy. If they have respect for themselves(the girsl), the boys/man they assocaite would be different. Maybe then they can avoid the hardships that they would encounter if they hook up with a dirt bag. There is an old saying, if you have a daughter you have to worry about everyones son, if you have a son you have to worry about your son. Get it. Honorable man with an insight to the dysfunction of this country. "

 Lindsay wrote on September 4, 2007 10:31 am:
" Women are left holding the bag, but aren't we making excuses for young guys here too...that they supposedly can't control themselves at all? And where do young women get self respect...is this something they have to come up all on their own or is family supposed to play a role in this? The argument here can't be simplified to "girls need to keep their legs together." "

 Fair's fair wrote on September 4, 2007 12:57 pm:
" While Wallie's showing girls the slums they may live in if they have kids, he should also give extra time they guys. He should show them pictures of pants with zippers up & child support check stubs. He does make great points but their so unfair to women/girls. "

 Heather wrote on September 4, 2007 1:02 pm:
" Never in my life have I heard such a sexist audio placed on the website of a legit newspaper. This man does not deserve this "airtime." Does he think these girls impregnated themselves? Did he ever mention the men out their running around impregnating these young single mothers? Did he think about how wonderful and brave there women are for raising these babies. Where are the men? How many single men does he see coming in with babies looking for a ride? Thank you, thank you, thank you single moms out there, especially single ones, for having the courage and strength to raise these babies on your own. Our future generation is in your hands. Please don't let men like this bring you down. You have a village out here willing to help you, and all you need to do is ask. Also, good for you going out and looking for a car on your own. It is awesome to see you are doing it without having to bring a man to do it for you, as Wally would like to see happen. "

 Stand Up guy wrote on September 4, 2007 1:45 pm:
" Weird Wally cares a lot about kids. He's truly one of the good guys. When we were kids, we used to go to his house on halloween. If you ever went to Wally's house on Halloween, you'd make sure you went back every year. A GREAT guy who is spot on with his comments and concern for kids born of single mothers. "

 I believe... wrote on September 4, 2007 2:25 pm:
" this is different from letters to the editor...how? "

 Nina wrote on September 4, 2007 4:18 pm:
" I'm astonished that the state of Nebraska, who says they monitor vanity license plates for inappropriate sayings, etc. (and have turned down many for less vulgar language) would allow one that says 'Ol B--- (which the LJS says is an inappropriate word and won't allow me to use in my posting - case in point.) That's what's weird, Wally. "

 Old or just nosy wrote on September 4, 2007 6:13 pm:
" After reading his & the posted comments, I think I'd walk off his lot if he started asking me such personal questions. He may be a fool for asking them but I'd be a bigger fool for answering them. How does he know that the young mom who came in with 2 kids is single? Just because a woman's young & has 2 kids, it doesn't mean she's not married. Is it really any of his business? "

 Weird Wally style wrote on September 4, 2007 10:57 pm:
" Do you think driving girls past slum areas is an effective method of birth control? "

 Single Mom Here wrote on September 10, 2007 3:00 pm:
" Wow, what a sexist and ridiculous editorial. I'll never buy a car from Wally. I happen to be a single mom by choice, and decided to have a baby on my own after the men I was involved with were: bad tempered, irresponsible financially, and patriarchal like this guy. I happen to be doing much better financially as a single mom than most married couples are. I own my own home outright (no mortgage) in a beautiful area. And, yes, if I were walking somewhere with my child I would be PROUD to say I'm a mom. With 50% of all marriages ending in divorce, I'm doing much better than 50%, so Wally, put a sock in it. "

 momX4 wrote on November 10, 2007 8:56 am:
" If you are a single ,well to do mother,good for you,however our daughters of divorced,poor parents fall into a whole other demographic category.I am divorced and 3 of my 4 kids are female and unfortunately,I feel like they were deprived of something important,with their Dad living far away,and doesn't call as often as he should,I firmly believe that if we all lead by example we can change the thinking of our kids.But,one of my girls think it is ok to be a single parent because "we're all still alive and doing ok",You see my 15 year old has lowered her expectations of life and I feel it is due to not having the white picket fence lifestyle.It is very sad the spiral that we get stuck in. "

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