I’d say that the case for honoring the legendary actor, singer and athlete, Paul Robeson, is pretty strong on purely personal and artistic grounds. As a campaigner against racism, Robeson’s legacy is an important one. But it remains the case that Robeson was an avid support of Stalin long after the mass murderer’s crimes against humanity were known and acknowleged. Robeson was a full-fledged apologist for the Stalinist terror and even refused to condemn Stalin’s pact with Hitler. If he’d been a staunch supporter of Hitler and backed the Fuhrer in the pact, do you think we’d be honoring him today? Or is a Father Coughlin stamp coming out soon? Here’s how the Washington Post describes the late communist:
Also being released early in 2004 will be the 27th stamp in the Black Heritage series, which will honor actor, singer, civil rights activist and athlete Paul Robeson.
David Failor, executive director of stamp services for the Postal Service, said there was strong support from the public for a stamp honoring Robeson, who was labeled a subversive for his mid-century activism against racism and anti-Semitism.
No wonder Duranty kept his Pulitzer.
PRO-LIFE, PRO-GAY MARRIAGE: Another conservative sees the connection. The connection I’d draw more readily is affirmative action. I’m against affirmative action for exactly the same reason I’m for gay marriage: I think people should be treated equally by the government, regardless of characteristics they do not choose. The state has no right carving out special rights for racial minorities or sexual majorities, treating one group differently than another. There should be the same standards for all: academic excellence and emotional responsibility. We shouldn’t be saying tacitly that minority students can’t be expected to meet the standards; and for the same reason, we shouldn’t be telling gay couples that their relationships are somehow inherently and civilly inferior to straight ones. You could call this argument conservative, I suppose. But it is basically liberal: limited government with equal treatment, so far as possible, for all its citizens. (Heads up: I’ll be debating the issue of marriage rights at Fordham University in the Bronx on Wednesday night at the Keating First auditorium at 6.30 pm. I’ll also be talking about friendship to a joint meeting between Colgate University’s gay group and its College Republicans tomorrow night at the campus chapel at 7 pm. The joint invitation is a first, and I’m delighted to accept it. Everyone welcome.)
The Dish 