Over opinionated with Josh Scott
Thank you for your time. Please enjoy and if you like the podcast feel free to check out my other episodes listed on my page. God Bless you All.
- Josh Scott, Host of Over Opinionated.
Over opinionated with Josh Scott
Two Lives That Bridge American History: From Duck Dynasty to Presidential Lineage #83
Two notable deaths this week create a fascinating connection to America's past: Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty and Harrison Ruffin Tyler, the grandson of America's 10th president John Tyler.
• Phil Robertson's testimony of transformation from troubled life to a Christian that impacted millions
• Harrison Tyler was the direct grandson (not great or great-great) of President John Tyler who was born in 1790
• This remarkable connection possible because both John Tyler and his son had children very late in life
• President Tyler's grandson Harrison lived until 2024, showing how brief American history truly is
• America's entire history from founding to present can fit within just four long lifespans
• Harrison Tyler led a meaningful life as chemical engineer, businessman, and preservationist
• John Tyler established crucial precedent of presidential succession when William Henry Harrison died
• Reflecting on our connection to history helps us understand our place in America's ongoing story
• Important to consider historical context when examining figures from America's past
He heals those who have broken hearts and takes care of their wounds. - Psalm 147:3
Over Opinionated is hosted by an average blue-collar worker that was born and raised in Middle Appalachia. Growing up, Josh Scott was always told he was “Over Opinionated” and thus the Over Opinionated Podcast was born. In this Podcast, He will be taking a look at Politics, Religion, world events and news, sports, and another topic I might find interesting to talk about on the show. With special guests, Bible Verses, and more you will never know what to expect next.
Thank you all for your patience while I have been working on the audio technical difficulties.
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Thank you for your time. Please enjoy and if you like the podcast feel free to check out my other episodes listed on my page. God Bless you All.
- Josh Scott, Host of Over Opinionated.
Okay, everybody, welcome back to Overopinionated. This is probably going to be a short little podcast. I want to talk about something that I think is very interesting, kind of cool in a way. But I'm going to give you all that, and after this podcast I am going to get into the life of David as we analyze King David's life. I know it sounds like you keep putting it off, but when this came up, if I focused part of it on this and then part of it on the life of David, I don't think it would have went very well. So I'm just going to split it up into two, maybe two smaller podcasts, and then we'll get into the life of King David, starting in 1 Samuel 15-16.
Speaker 1:But before we get into today's podcast, getting there heavy, I'm going to start us off by reading us the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed, as I always do. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Also, I'm going to read the Apostles' Creed. I think it's good to have a reminder. The Apostles' Creed is not scripture, but I really do believe everything in it is backed up in the scripture, the Apostles' Creed. I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ. His only Son, our Lord, which was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he arose from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From. Therefore, he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Remember, many people interpret hell as just a grave. It's a little debated, but the Holy Catholic Church just means the universal church that you and I are part of, not the Roman Catholic Church. Catholic just means universal. Well, this past week there has been two deaths and I'm sad about them that have really stood out to me that I wanted to address in this podcast.
Speaker 1:One would be a late reality TV star, phil Robertson. Also, he did a lot in the ministry. His denomination was the Church of Christ. I have some disagreements with the Church of Christ, but I definitely think he's a born again believer.
Speaker 1:I had the privilege of seeing him give a testimony at Liberty University. It was either in 2015 or 2014, I can't remember, but it was a men's conference and he came and he stole the show. It was absolutely amazing watching him. He brought his duck call. He had his Bible. It was taped up. You could tell that he read a lot in that Bible and he probably only read from one Bible. I'm a little bit different. I read from multiple different Bibles, but that one was barely hanging on. But that's not a bad sign.
Speaker 1:I wanted to play you all a clip of his testimony but my audio would not allow that and I apologize. Just if you type in the YouTube Phil Robertson testimony, you'll get an amazing testimony about how he ran away from the Lord for many years, got saved at 28,. A heavy drinker and a cheater, an adulterer, that God totally turned his life around After he accepted Christ totally turned his life around. He reached millions of people for his show. So I really do look up to him in that way. He actually he has a story that if you didn't know it was true, you'd think it's crazy, but he actually started football at Louisiana Tech over Pittsburgh Steeler Terry Bradshaw, who would go on to be a Hall of Famer for my favorite Pittsburgh Steelers football team and won four Super Bowls. So Phil Robertson has started over Terry Bradshaw when he was playing and then gave it up because his love of the outdoors. God definitely used him.
Speaker 1:In our prayer with the Robertson family as they go through this hard time. Death is a horrible thing, but when you're going to go and we're all going to go if the Lord doesn't come back before it's our time, you want a testimony like his. You want a testimony not that you have to do a bunch of, not that you have to have the worst resume possible of being a sinner before you get saved, but just a total redemption and love that Christ had for that man and that he had for Christ is amazing. I also want to talk about the death of someone else and it might sound strange at face value Of the 10th President of the United States. John Tyler passed away at 95 years old or sorry, 96 years old in Richmond, virginia today.
Speaker 1:Harrison Ruffin Tyler, he is not the great-grandson, he is not the great-great-grandson, he is the grandson of 10th President John Tyler. I'm going to read you an article about his life. I'm going to read you guys an article. It's always good to pull up the article. I'm not a great reader, so get y'all pull up the article. You can find it at the Richmonder Harrison Ruffin Tyler, grandson of the 10th President of the United States and longtime Richmonder, dies at 96.
Speaker 1:Since 2020, harrison Tyler was the last surviving link to a vanished America. The Richmond resident and chemical engineer, a man who founded water treatment company Chemtreat and from whom William and Mary History Department is named, also had the distinction of being the grandson of a man who became US President in 1841. As long as he lived, much of the great sweep of American history could contain in just free generations of memory. But on Memorial Day weekend in 2025, tyler died five years after his last remaining brother During the executive decor of the Sherwood Forest Plantation Foundation, which operates the Tyler's Familyel Tyler and Susie Rufkin. His father was the son of President John Tyler and President of William and Mary for more than three decades. His mother came from another Virginia family of long lineage and adorned of supporting slavery and succession.
Speaker 1:How a man living in the 21st century managed to become the grandson of one born in the 18th is due to one factor Father who had children late in life. President, john Tyler was 70, I'm sorry, was 63 when Lionel Tyler was born. Lionel was 75 when Harrison entered the world. So you're having President Tyler was 63 when his son Lionel was born and then Lionel was 75 when Harrison was born. So they were having babies pretty late when Harrison was born. So they were having babies pretty late. And that's why someone last week just died that was related to the 10th President of the United States because how late they were having children.
Speaker 1:The connection landed Harris Tyler attended throughout his life. At age 8, he was invited to the White House to meet President Franklin D Roosevelt. He's been featured in numerous stories throughout his life, particularly as he rose in age and the idea that a grandson of a pre-Civil War president could still be among us became ever more fascinating. But Tyler was more than his family. After attending St Christopher School in Richmond, he graduated William Mary Lady Astor paid for his $5,000 tuition, although he had never met. That's nice. Imagine tuition only being $5,000 tuition although he had never met. That's nice. Imagine tuition only being $5,000. Going all the way for school and graduating. That's a different world. And then Virginia Tech, where he studied chemical engineering. In 1968, he and business partner Will P Simmons founded the industrial water treatment company Chemtreat, and Glenn Allen serviced the big-ticket clients like Phil Morris and Kraft in 1989. The pair became transfer owners of the company to an employee who archives a controlling interest in 2000. When Tyler and Simmons retired, the company eventually bought by the Dancer Company.
Speaker 1:In his later years, tyler also became a preservationist preservationist. In 1975, he acquired the Sherwoods Forest Plantations from relatives and restored it with his wife, frances Plain Tyler. The property, which is open to the public and operation by the foundation, today boasts not only the longest farmhouse in America. They boast not only the longest farmhouse in America, but a ghost known as the Gray Lady, who has been hired rocking in one of the house's rooms for over 200 years. In 1996, tyler bought and financed the preservation of Fort Pocahontas, a Civil War artwork near Shirley Forest that had been built by black soldiers of the Union, us Colonel Colored Troops, and in 2001, he donated thousands of papers and books, as well as $5 million, to William and Mary's Historical Department, which was renamed in his honor in 2021.
Speaker 1:At the time of his death, tyler had been living in the Richmond area nursing home, where he had been cared for since a dementia diagnosis. His wife died in 2019 and he is, and he is survived by three children and a number of grandchildren. I think that's amazing. I hate that he has passed away. I hate that his last few days were in a nursing home as well, but the 10th grandson I'm sorry, not the 10th the grandson of the 10th president of the United States, john Tyler, passed away. I think May 27th was the date and he was born in 1928. That's truly, truly amazing. That makes you feel like it kind of shows you that we're not as separated from our past as we believe. Obviously, john Tyler's been gone for a while.
Speaker 1:I actually want to read you guys a little bit about John Tyler, his grandfather. Now, he never met his grandfather and the sad thing about him having a child so late, and I'll be honest, I don't know how much of his father he knew, but I have to. I'm sure he knew his father. Probably not a whole lot, since his father had him in his 70s. Then um harrison lived to be 96 years old and his brother, his twin brother, lived to be close to 90 years old, if he wasn't 90, I think he was 89, but I think he was 90. So they both lived long lives. So I want to read you guys a little bit about President John Tyler.
Speaker 1:He was born March 28th in 1790. Okay, this man's grandson just died last week Well, this week, sorry, just died this week, depend on when you listen to this podcast and his grandfather was born March 29th 1790. That's incredible. I understand it's because they both had children late, but that is incredible. That this man's grandfather, who just now died at age 97, was born in 1790. Remember the Constitution was I think the Constitution was ratified in 1789, so one year after the Constitution was ratified in 1789. So one year after the Constitution was ratified. That's insane.
Speaker 1:He was born March 29, 1790 in Charles City County, virginia. He passed away on January 18, 1862 in the middle of the Civil War in Richmond, virginia. He graduated from the College of William and Mary at the age of 17. He was a lawyer and politician. He was married twice, I believe his first wife passed away. He had 15 children the most of any US president and his last child, you know, had Harrison's son at a late age.
Speaker 1:His political career before the presidency he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1811 to 1816, beginning his political career in the state legislature. He was a US representative from 1816 to 1821, advocating for states' rights and limited government. He was the governor of Virginia from 1825 to 1826, until he became the senator from Virginia in 1827 to 1836, he opposed Andrew Jackson, left the Democratic Party and joined the Whig Party, and I imagine that is because of Andrew Jackson being more forceful with the South over tariffs. I'm probably about certain that that's why he left the Democratic or just became the Democratic Party before then it was the Democratic Republican Party and joined the Whigs. I can about guarantee you that that's why. So he was elected vice president under William Henry Harrison in 1840 as a part of the Whig Party.
Speaker 1:He became the 10th president of the United States after Harrison died just 31 days into his term. So Harrison served a very short term. He gave a very long speech at his inauguration and got a cold and died. That really happened. And their slogan was tip a canoe and died. That really happened. And their slogan was Tippecanoe and Tyler too. And then John Tyler was the Tyler in that Tippecanoe and Tyler too. He was the first vice president to become president due to the death of the sitting president, establishing the precedent for presidential succession, and that was kind of a controversy and Tyler put his foot down. He said no, I am the vice president, I am the president now because the vice president will become the president. Some members of Congress called him the acting vice president to kind of spite him because they didn't like him being the president. But it's true, he was the president and he established that precedent that we hold to this day. And now it's in an amendment form, so now we don't have to worry about it.
Speaker 1:Majors, his major accomplishment is president number one the annexation of Texas. In 1845. He pushed for the annexation of Texas into the Union, though finally authorized under president James K Polk. Tyler laid the groundwork for that. The Webster Amherst Treaty President James K Polk Tyler laid the groundwork for that. The Webster Amherst Treaty resolved border issues between the US and British Canada, particularly in Maine and Minnesota. The Florida Admission 1845. Florida was amended. They were allowed to come to the United States as the 27th state.
Speaker 1:During his final days of the administration he vetoed a lot of Whig legislation, several bills proposed by the Whig controlled Congress, especially those to create a new national bank, which alienated him from his own party. So his own party was upset about his veto power. First presidential impeachment attempt. He was the first, although not impeached. The House introduced a resolution concerning him, making him the first serious discussion of a presidential impeachment in US history. Although he was never impeached Post-presidency and the Civil War involvement Retired to his plantation in Virginia in 1861.
Speaker 1:He was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives, siding with the South there in the Civil War. He died before taking his seat and was not officially mourned in Washington DC due to his Confederate allegiance. And there's actually a little bit of a story that when he died he was an elected congressman for the Confederacy, he supported the Confederacy, he ran for the house, for the newly established house in the Confederate States of America. And when he died I believe before he died it wasn't looking good and he asked President Jefferson Davis not to have a huge funeral, just have a small funeral. But Jefferson Davis didn't care because it's good publicity and because it was a. It was a good way to promote the calls of the new country trying to establish its independence. So he threw this huge funeral um paraded him through the streets of richmond, going through, going against his wishes, um, which I think is just. I just think it's a funny story from the war. Continuing reading a little bit about him.
Speaker 1:He died before he was able to take his seat in the Confederate House of Representatives. He was not mourned in Washington. The flag was not flown at half staff, flagg was not flown at half staff and his legacy often ranked as one of the more controversial or less efficient presidents due to clashes with both parties in the support of the Confederacy. Nevertheless, he played a key role in shaping the constitutional understanding of presidential succession, which is really big. Actually, he actually does have a big part in how we view the role of succession in the presidency debate. He just does that once the president dies, steps down or is removed from office. Steps down or is removed from office, um, either by his cabinet or either by a successful impeachment and removal hearing. Then the vice president becomes the president of the United States. John Tyler stepped that through. Even though the annexation of Texas is political and it had causes of slavery and the Civil War, it was a big deal for the United States to get Texas. It was a big deal for the United States to get Florida and men into the Union.
Speaker 1:Regardless of how you feel about the Confederacy, most people think very negatively about it, and I understand One day I will have a podcast on that. I'm a little hesitant because of how controversial it is. At one point, I was concerned about if it maybe hurt me politically and it probably would but I'm more concerned about how my view of those things, how I go about those things, could hurt someone from reaching the gospel. I think slavery is horrible. I think the way slavery was practiced in the South was horrible. I also believe that the South had the right to leave the Union, and I think, though I think slavery is the biggest cause, yes, but not the only cause, and I think there's a lot more nuance to the Civil War than people give it credit for. I believe all people were made in God's image, regardless of skin color, and this was a horrible thing that you know. Throughout, all of humanity, just about people have looked at other people of different skin colors as lesser. Some people still do that to this day, and they shouldn't, but this was something that hit heads in 1861.
Speaker 1:I have no problem with the outcome of the war, other than the devastation caused to people, um, who didn't make it home. You know, um, I don't have to play this game. Do I wish they would have won or not, because I believe God is sovereign and I don't have to play a game of well, what if this didn't happen? What if Constantinople didn't fall? What if this happened? What if history would have been made better? God is sovereign, god knows what he is doing, even if it looks like we would rather it go the other way.
Speaker 1:I'm a proud American citizen of the United States of America. I'm a proud Virginian. I'm also not ashamed to discuss this hard topic with nuance. I don't believe everyone who fought under the Confederate flag is evil and I don't believe that the Confederacy was wrong for leaving the Union. Let me clarify this I don't believe that they were wrong in exercising their right to leave the Union, union that they had the right to do that. I do believe that the 10th Amendment allows states to leave this union.
Speaker 1:Now the Supreme Court disagreed with me in a case versus Texas in 1868. I simply disagree with the Supreme Court. That's all that goes to that. And that ruling was before 1861, when the South left the Union. So that would not be implicit of could the South leave or not at that time. And the way I see it and you can disagree with me, that's fine. That's not my point. My point isn't to advocate for John Tyler or to advocate for the Confederacy in this. My point is to show you that we were two lifespans, two long lifespans, away from this and that American history is short.
Speaker 1:John Tyler was born in 1790. And the revolution started and began in 1775 and 1776. We declared independence in July 4, 1776. We declared independence in July 4, 1776. You know a little over two very long lifespans, oh sorry, three very, very long lifespans, four life. You could put America's history together with four very long lifespans.
Speaker 1:From the foundation of the country till now, our country is 250 years old. We're not that old. We're a pretty young country. We're pretty young bucks. The history of the new world in the United States compared to Europe, when you look at Europe, when you look at England very old, very old history compared to us, um has a lot more historical value. I work in a building right now where they're not allowed to take certain things down, and I love history. I don't want to get rid of history. They're not allowed to take certain things down, like water fountainsains in certain areas, because that building used to be a hospital and it was erected in the 60s. It was erected like four years before my dad was born. That's not super historical. Okay, it's a 64-year-old water fountain that no one uses and it looks bad. There's an old saying that I think is true In America, 100 years is a long time. In Britain, in the United Kingdom, 100 miles is a long time. That's true because the United States is a huge country. We are a huge country and you look at Britain, it's not a super small country, but, man, we're a lot bigger, a whole whole lot bigger. Um we're, we're still a young country. Um we're, we are still very young country in terms of history. And, uh, I sometimes think it is good to look back and see where we are now, where we've been, and try to get us in a good place of where we're going to. That was mainly my whole point of the episode. We're a young country.
Speaker 1:I thought the story was amazing that the 10th president of the United States has a living grandson until last week. And you know, sometimes it's good to look back. I hate that Mr Tyler passed away and I hate that Phil Robertson passed away. I don't know, I didn't research Tyler's religious beliefs. I hope he was saved. I really do and pray for his family, too in this hard time. But you know, I was more concerned about looking back in the past, through history, with his death, and going back to his grandfather, through history, with his death, and going back to his grandfather, who was the 10th president of the United States of America, former governor of Virginia, former member of the House of Delegates, and he's the only president in American history to be born, I mean to die and be buried under a flag that wasn't that of the United States as the Confederate States, and I'm sure a lot of people would probably tell me not to talk about these types of things.
Speaker 1:I believe in openness and transparency and honesty. I believe that's the only way to go. I'm not going to shy away from it. Hopefully you can see my heart and know that I'm not a horrible racist person, but I can't make someone believe that. But I'm not going to shy away from my beliefs Now. Do I form new beliefs over time? Have I looked at things? Have I solved them on issues? Yes, I have, and I've changed my mind on issues and I'm going to change my mind again. If you never change your mind on an issue, that's not always a good thing.
Speaker 1:I'm not saying that you should be unstable and double-minded, as the book of James tells us not to be. I do think we should learn and grow. I believe all people are made in God's image, regardless of color or where you're from or what language you speak. But I do think sometimes it's easy to look back in the past with our modern morals, with our modern realities, and say how awful and evil these Southerners were and I'm all for condemning the evils that was in the South and I have, and I will condemn that. But I'm also not going to look at it. I'm also not going to judge them as a 21st century man when they weren't, when they were alive in the 1800s and the 1700s, late 1700s and mid-1800s. That's not fair. I'm not going to do that.
Speaker 1:But my whole point was to show you that we're not so separated from our past as we may think sometimes. Now that's not to say that we should just say well, it's me, look at my family history, I can't do anything. No, I mean there's been under. I do believe there's privileges, absolutely, and a lot of that comes with class and money and wealth and history that feeds into that. I agree with that. But that doesn't mean that you're being kept down today because of what happened yesterday. Necessarily it could mean that it might be harder for you, I agree with that, but it doesn't mean that you can't accomplish your goals today. Because don't let the media give you the fetus mindset. Just don't do it. Don't give them that gratitude. Don't let the media give you the fetus mindset. Just don't do it. Don't give them that gratitude. Don't let them divide us, okay, don't let them divide us like that.
Speaker 1:We are one race, the human race, and I just wanted to say that I think this is an interesting episode. Next week I am going to try to get back on King David, but see, it took us about 30 minutes. We're normally an hour to 45-minute podcast, but it would have been crazy for me to go off all of this and then go into the first chapters of David's life that we see in the Bible. So I'm not going to do that. So next week, or halfway through the week, I'm going to drop the first episode of the Life of David and we're going to go through it. We're just going to go through it chapter by chapter, verse by verse, the Life of King David, and I felt pretty strongly about doing that series for a while and I think we're going to do biblical character stories where we just go through the Bible each day. But I want to give you guys the verse of the day and then I'll let you all go.
Speaker 1:Today's verse of the day comes from the book of Psalms, the 147th chapter and the third verse in the New International Version.
Speaker 1:He heals those who have broken hearts and takes care of their wounds. He heals those who have broken hearts and takes care of those wounds. If you have a wound today because someone has hurt you, because you've lost a loved one, jesus can heal them. None of us are getting off of this planet unless the Lord comes back, but we can have redemption in Jesus. When we lose loved ones that are in Jesus, we can have a sigh of relief and this is also why we need to spread the gospel and pray for the lost and keep those families in your prayers that lost those two gentlemen this week. And also this verse could work for the pains of the past, the sins of the past of the South and the United States. Commonwealth of Virginia. God can heal those wounds and let us not be beholden to them. God bless you all, I hope you have a great day. We'll see you here next week With the first chapters of the life of King David.
