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"The Quiet History of Fictional Americans"

This week Aunt Bee from the Andy Griffith Show.

Margaret Ruth Bea, "...Bee", was called "Aunt" by all in the fictional world of the Andy Griffiths Show. The era was the early 1960's U.S. South. Strangely none of the racial traumas common then ever makes an appearance. However as we will see Margaret was more than aware of them.

Margaret was a member of the Young Communists League at Sanford when a freshman in 1935. She left after the war when the truth of the USSR became apparent. Still an idealist she became an associate of the NAACP. Not a member. Those days whites even fictional ones in the South had to support Civil Rights covertly.

For reasons known only to herself she became a fixture in the bizarrely unaffected by history town of Mayberry. State, and county still unknown.

In suppressed episodes of "Mayberry" she is seen holding a one person demonstration against the Klan. That, and slapping Opie across the room when he used the "N" word.

In later years she moved on to other fantasy towns commercial spots, and voicework. She eventually got her masters in computer science, and was a player in the early days of the Digital Age. She retired from IBM in 1985.

She has since dedicated her time to working on behalf of the Homeless, and now at 103 gives aid to persecuted Immigrants.

Her 16 year old great-grandson helps produce her weekly progressive 'web live stream, "Old Bat out of Hell!"