More Words of Wisdom from AARP's Man of the Year

Harry Belafonte Speaks at Duke
Belafonte talks about Martin Luther King's life and legacy

Duke News & Communications
By Sally Hicks
Monday, January 16, 2006

Durham, N.C. -- Entertainer and human-rights activist Harry Belafonte spoke for an hour and a half at Duke Chapel Sunday, telling anecdotes about his friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., recounting his rise from poverty to worldwide success as a singer and urging the crowd to pursue King’s dream by helping those in prison, victims of Hurricane Katrina and others in need.

Belafonte was the keynote speaker in Duke’s three-day celebration of the King holiday, which continues today (Monday) with a series of "Freedom School" discussions on contemporary social issues and a staged reading of the play "Speak Truth to Power: Voices from Beyond the Dark," written by Duke literature professor Ariel Dorfman. It began Friday with a talk by film director Charles Stone III.

Belafonte also addressed the recent controversy over his recent trip to Venezuela, during which he criticized President Bush.

"I go where things are happening and see for myself," he said. "Such an experience recently has unfolded a new set of problems."

He said he went to Venezuela after President Hugo Chavez’s offer of help after Hurricane Katrina was rebuffed by the Bush administration.

"Our people called out in their pain and suffering and fear and our government did not respond," Belafonte said. "When the Venezuelan government stepped into this hollow moment...our president arrogantly dismissed it."

He was harsh in his criticism of President Bush, saying, "Killing is our easiest tool. When you look at the president who has led us into a dishonorable war that has caused the deaths of tens of thousands of people, many our own sons and daughters, I ask myself what Dr. King would have asked...

"It is an act that has driven fear and terror into the hearts of the American people. What is the essential difference in quality of our humanity for those who would do the cruel and tragic deed of flying an airplane into a building and killing 3,000 innocent Americans and those who would lie and lead the nation into a war that has killed hundreds of thousands?[My emphasis]

"Excuse me, fellow citizens, if the line for me becomes a little blurred."

Belafonte’s speech was punctuated by applause and the occasional "Hallelujah!" as he told stories from his own life and also urged the crowd to action.

Belafonte was the son of a Jamaican immigrant to New York, and he said his mother quickly encountered limits to her success in America. After enlisting in the Navy, he returned to find that service in the fight against Hitler had not altered his status as a black man in America. After that, he said, "I read everything, I listened to everyone and gleaned from everyone anything that I could apply. At this moment...Martin Luther King walked into my life."

After finding success as a singer -- his "Calypso" album was the first to sell a million copies -- King sought out Belafonte’s support.

Belafonte said they met for what was supposed to be a 40-minute conversation and ending up talking for five hours in a church basement. King was 24 and Belafonte was 26.

"I came away knowing the course of my life had been set. I knew whom I was to serve," he said. "I understood his humanity. We shared the journey, up to and including the day of his death."

Belafonte -- whom King once described as a "tactical weapon" in the fight for Civil Rights -- said his fame also carried a responsibility. "If we are given that gift, the question is, what do we do with it. I had role models and mentors that fulfilled that question of what I should do with my life."

By all means, you conservative retired folks continue to support AARP. This is what their politics truly is. This is the voice of "AARP's Man of the Year."

I strongly recommend that any Conservatives join NASCON (the National Association for Senior Concerns). They present the Conservative alternative to AARP's socialist agenda. Dues are $15.00/year with multi-year discounts. They don't offer all of the benefits yet, but they are striving to grow and broaden their offerings. [Pardon the advertisement, but I am a strong believer in this.]

For an allegedly pro-American organization to choose a strident, highly vocal, anti-American as their man of the year belies their claims of non-partisanship. AARP has never been a friend of the retired conservative. Their agend is one of hardline socialism. They are anti-Bush, anti-business, anti-freedom, and anti-American. It is time for a solid shift in retired people's allegiance to an organization which stands for the same beliefs our forefathers fought for. AARP's socialist agenda is the dead opposite of those aims.

Full Story: Belafonte Equates Our Troops with 9/11 Terrorists

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