[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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