[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 133 (Saturday, August 6, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4206-S4207]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO NORMAN LEAR

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, a remarkable American marked his 100th 
birthday last month. Marcelle and I were delighted to be able to wish 
Norman Lear our best on this milestone.
  His achievements throughout his impactful life have broken important 
new ground at just about every turn. We all know Norman's credits in 
television, such as ``All in the Family,'' ``The Jeffersons,'' and 
``Maude.'' They helped shape 20th century American culture.
  Norman's influence on America did not start in television. He was an 
U.S. Army Air Force pilot in World War II, flying more than 50 combat 
missions over Italy and Germany, and his heroism garnered the Air Medal 
with four oak leaf clusters.
  Norman's patriotism and public service continued throughout his 
television career. He addressed pressing social issues in ways others 
were not willing to do, touching hearts, and changing lives. The core 
of his message was always to bring people together on common ground, an 
idea which is so desperately needed today in all facets of our culture 
and media.
  He founded People For The American Way, to champion American ideals 
that often were under fire or diminished by apathy.
  Norman Lear has always understood that more things unite us than 
divide us as Americans, and to quote him, ``we are all in this life 
together.''
  I was moved by his reflections, published in the New York Times on 
July 27, 2022, his 100th birthday, and ask unanimous consent to have 
them printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the New York Times, July 27, 2022]

  On My 100th Birthday, Reflections on Archie Bunker and Donald Trump

                            (By Norman Lear)

       Well, I made it. I am 100 years old today. I wake up every 
     morning grateful to be alive.
       Reaching my own personal centennial is cause for a bit of 
     reflection on my first century--and on what the next century 
     will bring for the people and country I love. To be honest, 
     I'm a bit worried that I may be in better shape than our 
     democracy is.
       I was deeply troubled by the attack on Congress on Jan. 6, 
     2021--by supporters of former President Donald Trump 
     attempting to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. Those 
     concerns have only grown with every revelation about just how 
     far Mr. Trump was willing to go to stay in office after being 
     rejected by voters--and about his ongoing efforts to install 
     loyalists in positions with the power to sway future 
     elections.
       I don't take the threat of authoritarianism lightly. As a 
     young man, I dropped out of college when the Japanese 
     attacked Pearl Harbor and joined the U.S. Army Air Forces. I 
     flew more than 50 missions in a B-17 bomber to defeat fascism 
     consuming Europe. I am a flag-waving believer in truth, 
     justice and the American way, and I don't understand how so 
     many people who call themselves patriots can support efforts 
     to undermine our democracy and our Constitution. It is 
     alarming.
       At the same time, I have been moved by the courage of the 
     handful of conservative Republican lawmakers, lawyers and 
     former White House staffers who resisted Mr. Trump's 
     bullying. They give me hope that Americans can find 
     unexpected common ground with friends and family whose 
     politics differ but who are not willing to sacrifice core 
     democratic principles.
       Encouraging that kind of conversation was a goal of mine 
     when we began broadcasting ``All in the Family'' in 1971. The 
     kinds of topics Archie Bunker and his family argued about--
     issues that were dividing Americans from one another, such as 
     racism, feminism, homosexuality, the Vietnam War and 
     Watergate--were certainly being talked about in homes and 
     families. They just weren't being acknowledged on television.
       For all his faults, Archie loved his country and he loved 
     his family, even when they called him out on his ignorance 
     and bigotries. If Archie had been around 50 years later, he 
     probably would have watched Fox News. He probably would have 
     been a Trump voter. But I think that the sight of the 
     American flag being used to attack Capitol Police would have 
     sickened him. I hope that the resolve shown by 
     Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, and their 
     commitment to exposing the truth, would have won his respect.
       It is remarkable to consider that television--the medium 
     for which I am most well-known--did not even exist when I was 
     born, in 1922. The internet came along decades later, and 
     then social media. We have seen that each of these 
     technologies can be put to destructive use--spreading lies, 
     sowing hatred and creating the conditions for 
     authoritarianism to take root. But that is not the whole 
     story. Innovative technologies create new ways for us to 
     express ourselves, and, I hope, will allow humanity to learn 
     more about itself and better understand one another's ideas, 
     failures and achievements. These technologies have also been 
     used to create connection, community and platforms for the 
     kind of ideological sparring that might have drawn Archie to 
     a keyboard. I can only imagine the creative and constructive 
     possibilities that technological innovation might offer us in 
     solving some of our most intractable problems.
       I often feel disheartened by the direction that our 
     politics, courts and culture are taking. But I do not lose 
     faith in our country or its future. I remind myself how far 
     we have come. I think of the brilliantly creative people I 
     have had the pleasure to work with in entertainment and 
     politics, and at People for the American Way, a progressive 
     group I co-founded to defend our freedoms and build a country 
     in which all people benefit from the blessings of liberty. 
     Those encounters renew my belief that Americans will find 
     ways to build solidarity on behalf of our values, our country 
     and our fragile planet.
       Those closest to me know that I try to stay forward-
     focused. Two of my favorite words are ``over'' and ``next.'' 
     It's an attitude that has served me well through a long life 
     of ups and downs, along with a deeply felt appreciation for 
     the absurdity of the human condition.
       Reaching this birthday with my health and wits mostly 
     intact is a privilege. Approaching it with loving family, 
     friends and creative collaborators to share my days has 
     filled me with a gratitude I can hardly express.
       This is our century, dear reader, yours and mine. Let us 
     encourage one another with visions of a shared future. And 
     let us bring all the grit and openheartedness and creative 
     spirit we can muster to gather together and build that 
     future.

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