Harper Lee being given the Presidential Medal of Freedom

[MonkeyFunk]

at least numbnuts has done ONE thing right.

On C-SPAN now.

[endarkenment]

1. Harper Lee ought to refuse to accept same from the war criminal. nt.

[MonkeyFunk]

10. Luckily

she's a civilized, Southern Lady and not a lout.

Not everything is political. She's received a great honor, and I'm happy for her.

[endarkenment]

13. Hello? this is a political event, it is not a pulitzer prize. nt.

[MonkeyFunk]

18. She won the Pulitzer 46 years ago

this is another honor. I'm glad she's getting it.

[endarkenment]

27. Yes she did. But you asserted that this was not a political event.

And that is simply false. This is a political event. The war criminal leader of a nation engaged in the illegal occupation of a foreign country, a nation that has openly asserted its authority to violate the geneva conventions and engage in the routine torture of persons held by the state, has decided to award 'freedom medals' to some individuals. By accepting this medal at this time from this person, Ms Lee is unfortunately supporting this regime. She should not do this. Nobody should.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

28. It's a National medal - not Bush's personal medal. Accepting it is NOT an

act of acceptance of Bush's agenda

[endarkenment]

44. Hitler. nt.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

49. Wow - how intelligent of you

:eyes:

[endarkenment]

53. The point being you really cannot separate the medal giver from the medal.

To claim that you can is a dishonest argument. The simple example of Hitler disproves it. The point is not to equate Bush to Hitler. Pretending that receiving a "freedom medal" from the head of this regime is not problematic is pathetic.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

55. Whether you like him or not he represents our Nation. This honor is

symbolic of the Nation's appeciation. I think he's given it to many people who clearly did not deserve it but I find you're argument silly at best.

[MonkeyFunk]

30. blah blah blah

it must be exhausting to be perpetually outraged.

I'm just happy for Ms. Lee.

[endarkenment]

43. There is a compelling argument.

Look, you asserted that this was not a political event and that consequently it was just fine for Lee to accept a 'freedom medal' from the war criminal Bush. That assertion is false. If you now want to descend into insults to mask a weak argument, fine. Too bad Lee did not have the courage she wrote about to do the right thing.

[MonkeyFunk]

45. Her famous character...

Atticus Finch, would not have acted like a brat as you suggest she should do. He would've respectfully accepted the honor.

This isn't a political event. It's a well-deserved honor for a lady who did something great.

[EFerrari]

23. That's what I was thinking, too. He probably has no idea

who she is in the first place.

It was cool to get to see her, though.

[SteppingRazor]

2. Given who he's already handed that thing out to...

it and $5 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

But, yeah, Harper Lee did write a good book. I don't know whether that should or shouldn't get you the presidential medal of freedom. But given who's already won it, I'd say just about any of us should qualify.

[MonkeyFunk]

6. I think calling it "a good book"

underestimates its importance.

It's a book that will be studied and loved for at least another century.

[SteppingRazor]

8. Oh, certainly.

Hell, just recently Atticus Finch landed at the top of a best fictional characters list (I think that was for the movie, but obviously, that wouldn't have happened without the book).

And, yeah, it's an excellent work. The only problem I have with Harper Lee is that To Kill a Mocking Bird is also, in fact, her only work. It's as if she painted the Mona Lisa and then never touched a paintbrush again.

[MonkeyFunk]

9. I understand....

I'm not alone in wishing she'd written more.

But that's because the one book she did write is so nearly perfect.

[SteppingRazor]

11. It is definitely an outstanding one, but as you pointed out below...

there might be more-deserving writers, as far as output. I can think of one example right off the top of my head -- Norman Mailer's practically on his deathbed, so if you wanted to give him the medal and not do it posthumously, it should've been done soon.

Of course, unlike Lee, Mailer probably would have told Bush to shove it.

[MonkeyFunk]

15. Heheh...

yes, I doubt this administration would give the award to Mailer, nor would he accept it.

But I also think Mailer is less-deserving. Yes, he's written some great stuff. He's also written some crap. But he's a helluva guy.

[cgrindley]

17. But it's not a perfect book

parts of it are a little clumsy (many of the scenes with Dil), or seem too emotionally convenient (the failed lynching--wisdom from the mouth of babes is pretty tired as a literary convention), or attack the suspension of disbelief (everything to do with Boo Radley), others seem parachuted into the plot (eg the morphine-addicted old lady)... there are many books that are at least equal to it, and many that surpass it. Cormac McCarthy, for example, is twenty times the writer that Lee is and is much more deserving of the award. Hell, give it to the poet Philip Levine. He deserves it more than any living poet in the US. He's also the same age as Lee so it would be a nice alternative.

[MonkeyFunk]

19. Again

I don't believe there's only one slot for a writer, and that somebody else was overlooked in favor of Lee.

Personally, I'd say Joyce Carol Oates is probably "more" deserving. But it's not a competition. Lee is getting a nice honor, and I'm happy for her.

[JitterbugPerfume]

26. A good book?

that is a master of understatement!


She deserves the honor, to bad it has to come from such a clueless person.

[liberal N proud]

3. The medal comes pre-tarnished

Tarnished by others that have been distributed by this regime

[cgrindley]

4. She should try writing more books

she's basically written less than JD Salinger. That's an accomplishment. Sure her book was pretty good, but even Ralph Ellison managed a larger output that her. Why not give the distinction to a more deserving writer?

[MonkeyFunk]

7. I dunno.....

Do you think they had one "writer" slot, and somebody more deserving lost out?

It comes down, eventually, to a matter of opinion. And my opinion is that Lee's one book is more important than the lifetime output of most other writers.

[cgrindley]

14. Care to defend that opinion

so you're telling me that Harper Lee's single book is more important than any number of other writers' collected works? In what way? Other than on gut reaction, on what do you base that view?

To me, she's really not a particularly good role model for anyone. One book--no public appearances--a handful of "modest" essays. This is not a great literary career. Not to detract from the book, but you get these sorts of awards as a writer, not for a single book.

No. She is the Peter Schilling of the literary world, the Buggles of prose, the Knack of belles lettres. A good, one-hit wonder who managed to capture a specific time and place. If the book hadn't been made into the film, it would be relatively obscure. As far as impact goes, Ellison's unpublished "Party Down at the Square" is infinitely better and only 5 pages long.

[MonkeyFunk]

21. I'm not looking at it as a competition.

She wrote one of my favorite books. She's being honored for it. That makes me happy.

[cgrindley]

22. That's fair enough (nt)

[JeffR]

33. This phrase deserves an award itself:

"the Peter Schilling of the literary world, the Buggles of prose, the Knack of belles lettres"

:applause:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. For a book the Imbecile in Chief never read or failed to comprehend.

But, at least the medal is going to someone who deserves recognition.

[UTUSN]

12. She should show some Atticus FINCH moxey and throw it in Shrub's face n/t

[MonkeyFunk]

16. You think that's what Atticus Finch would do?

Did you read the book?

[cgrindley]

20. Atticus would show up and shake the President's hand

and five days later, while reading the newspaper in his easy chair, say:

Scout, sometimes you have to do things that you'd rather not do, things that you're supposed to do, not out of respect to individual people, but out of respect to an elected office, and to the minds that wrote the outlines for that office.

Don't forget that Atticus was a state representative.

[MonkeyFunk]

24. Exactly

Finch was respectful even to the racist dolts he had to fight.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

47. No.

I'd think he'd just sit on his front porch with his shotgun in his hand.

[UTUSN]

48. Thanks for the gentlemanly reply instead of the Did-you-read-the-book type!1 n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

54. I don't see how anybody who's read the book...

would have thought for a second that if Atticus Finch were real he'd have accept the "Medal of Freedom" from Bush.

[cgrindley]

58. Of course he would

do you actually understand his character? did you understand his reaction to the loss in the trial? he was an incrementalist. He was not above being polite to the people he disagreed with in order to move an issue forward. He was not above common politeness all around, even to those who he clearly disliked. He was also an accomplished politician, serving in the state legislature. He also didn't really believe in direct action, and always tried to talk his way out of trouble or avoid trouble all together.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

25. yay for harper lee.

[Ezlivin]

29. Visiting Bush is like visiting Bob Ewell

Same level of intelligence, same level of compassion.

"Hey, cap'n, somebody told me just now that they thought that you believed Tom Robinson's story again' ours."

[Venus Dog]

31. I have believed for some time now that Truman Capote wrote that book

or at the least gave her much of the material. He did it before - wrote stories and gave them to other people. I've read practically everything on and by Capote. I would love to do a writing analysis and comparison of the writing styles in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and his work.

Considering Lee never wrote a single story after that is beyond comprehension. Flame away, but I'll go to my grave believing this now after all I've read about Capote.

[MonkeyFunk]

32. Capote is my favorite American writer...

and yes, there are many similarities.

But I just can't believe Capote could have written such a work and never taken credit for it. He really wanted a Pulitzer, and the esteem that went along with it. His ego wouldn't let somebody else take credit for such a work.

[Venus Dog]

35. Capote had already moved on and was totally obsessed with "In Cold Blood"

He was such a prolific writer - since his childhood.

I believe he saw the story as just one of many stories he had written about the disenfranchised and gave it to his best friend who was a struggling writer herself.

I don't think anyone knew that this story would be read by every American school child. In fact, I remember when it first came out - it was not popular with the public. Capote's connections in the publishing world of NY pushed it with the critics and helped get the film made which, then, changed the book's course of success.

This new book he was writing, "In Cold Blood", was the one he KNEW would change his life and get him that Pulitzer. It was unlike anything he had written before, which was mainly stories about his growing up or life experiences. But, it is quite amazing that Capote was never given the professional recognition he justly deserved.

[MonkeyFunk]

38. Yes

and he wrote little of substance after "In Cold Blood".

Given his 20 year drought, his drunkenness, and his ego, he would've blabbed that he'd written TKAM. He never did.

[Venus Dog]

40. "In Cold Blood" I believe broke his spirit

He went into a deep depression and started drinking heavily.

Capote has been much maligned, but he was extremeley loyal to his friends, especially his women friends. Even during the spat with Lee Radziwell, he never said anything about her until she spoke ill of him in public.

When he wrote about the murder in Holcomb, Kansas on that night in November 1959, I don't think he ever imagined the horrific journey it would take him on. In fact, he once said that if he had known what would have happened as a result of writing that book, he would have never done it. It became his greatest accomplishment, but destroyed him in the process.

[MonkeyFunk]

41. I disagree about his loyalty

his last book, "Answered Prayers" was seen by many of his friends, especially the "ladies who lunch", as a huge betrayal.

[OzarkDem]

51. But it was a good book...

he disguised his characters pretty well and was pretty fair, IMHO. I'm sure there was much, much more he could have said and didn't.

[OzarkDem]

52. Mine, too

and I believe he helped her write TKAMB about as much as she helped him write In Cold Blood.

They were good friends and a good team and each knew how to bring out the best in the other.

That said, I love every single word Capote has written. He was genius.

[EFerrari]

34. The "borrowings" likely go the other way.

Capote even wrote about how Lee was at one point angry with him over it. It would be interesting to do an analysis, though.

Lots of people have one book in them. :)

[applegrove]

36. Was a great book but as was pointed out in a debate (I think Nova Scotia) that book

is a white man's book where the stars are white people. It shouldn't be the only book about race kids read. Kid's should read novels by african american authors.

[MonkeyFunk]

39. Oh, I don't argue that it's sufficient

to teach children about race. But it's necessary.

[applegrove]

56. I loved the movie.

[book_worm]

37. Miss Lee wrote my favorite book. I'm pleased that she got this high award.

[MonkeyFunk]

42. Thank you.

It's sad that one can't express such a simple, honest sentiment without having to defend it politically.

[Spirochete]

46. Will he take it back

when he finds out she wasn't the one who wrote the Hungry Caterpillar book?

[edhopper]

50. She is getting it now?

for a book written over 40 years ago. Harper Lee hasn't written a thing since she wrote that anti-southern diatribe. Why not give one to some one who has written something more relevant, like Lynne Cheney?




Okay, I was just trying out some wingnut talking points.

The truth is Harper Lee wrote one of the greatest books in American Literature and deserves any accolades she gets.

[youthere]

57. " To Kill a Mockingbird" or " My Pet Goat"..which book has Bush actually read?