{"id":4266,"date":"2005-12-11T11:08:38","date_gmt":"2005-12-11T15:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2005\/12\/11\/they-stood-up-for-truth\/"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:20","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:20","slug":"they-stood-up-for-truth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2005\/12\/11\/they-stood-up-for-truth\/","title":{"rendered":"they stood up for truth"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

\n


\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
Coming of age as Richard Pryor was evolving into a new voice
of black comedy in America, and Eugene McCarthy grabbed
the spotlight in Presidential politics, greatly affected my views
on race and politics in this nation — and on the need for both
everyday citizens and our leaders to speak the truth about the
problems we face as a nation.<\/FONT> <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
\"RichardPryorG\"<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
Their deaths yesterday (see NYT<\/EM> on <\/FONT>Pryor<\/FONT><\/A> and <\/FONT>McCarthy<\/FONT><\/A>,  Dec.<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
11, 2005) left me considering similarities between outwardly very <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
different men.  One was  brash, black, emotive and a foul-mouthed<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
elf and entertainer, and the other a tall, patrician intellectual and <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
politician (and former baseball player).  But, they both used acid <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
humor to skewer the powers to be and wake up their audiences.<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
I recently watched Pryor’s Live in Concert<\/EM><\/A> (1979) for the first time <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
in years, and my cheeks hurt from all the laughing — he showed <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
blacks, whites, men and women the humor in their differences and <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
their similarities.   I don’t find expletives funny and don’t need an <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
entire evening of blue humor, but Pryor’s insights into human <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
nature and American character sometimes called for both and <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
almost always worked despite the raunchy packaging.<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
                                                                               \"GeneMcCarthyG\"<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>As the NYT notes, “Eugene McCarthy left his mark in a generation’s
skepticism toward war and the willfulness of political leaders.”  His attitude
toward party politics perhaps most affected me then and now.  The Times
explained that McCarthy “identified simplistic partisanship as the ultimate
enemy in the domestic strife over the Vietnam War. Invoking Whitman’s call
to human goodness – ‘Arouse! for you must justify me.’ – candidate McCarthy’s
basic message to Americans was Daniel Webster’s dictum to never ‘give up
to party what was meant for mankind’.” Pryor and McCarthy both stood up and <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
spoke the truth.  They left me expecting truth from entertainers and politicians.  <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
For that, I thank them.<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n

\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
\"window\"<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
 <\/DIV>
\n

\n

\n

\n

\n

\n

\n
winter parting…<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
the man in the moon<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
still eludes me<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n

\n

\n

\n
winter fog
car after car
onto the bridge<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
       <\/FONT> <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV><\/DIV><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n

\n
<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
what my words can’t explain —
the autumn sun
on your back <\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
\n

\n

\n

\n

\n

\n
snow flurries
<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>candlelight moving
from window to window<\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
 <\/FONT> <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n

\n
paul m<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/A> <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
“<\/FONT>winter parting<\/FONT><\/A>” Roadrunner Haiku Journal <\/EM>V: 2 (2005)<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
“<\/FONT>winter fog”<\/FONT><\/A> The Heron’s Nest<\/EM> (July 2003)<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
“<\/FONT>snow flurries<\/FONT><\/A>” The Heron’s Nest <\/EM>(Dec. 1999)<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
“<\/FONT>what my words<\/FONT><\/A> can’t explain” – The Heron’s Nest<\/EM> (Oct. 2003)<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n

\n
sleet turns to rain –<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
snow buddha’s visit<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
cut short<\/FONT><\/DIV>
\n
                       <\/EM><\/FONT>dagosan<\/EM><\/FONT><\/STRONG><\/A> <\/EM><\/FONT> [Dec. 31, 2004]<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/EM><\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/EM> <\/DIV>
\n
                                                                                                                                                          \"noYabutsSN\"<\/FONT><\/EM><\/DIV>
\n
 <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/EM> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/EM> <\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
\n

\n

\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
\n
<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Coming of age as Richard Pryor was evolving into a new voice of black comedy in America, and Eugene McCarthy grabbed the spotlight in Presidential politics, greatly affected my views on race and politics in this nation — and on the need for both everyday citizens and our leaders to speak the truth about the problems […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-16O","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4266"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4266\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12877,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4266\/revisions\/12877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}