In 1971 I was in college and George McGovern made a whistle stop in town while campaigning for President. I was a McGovern fan for many reasons but most importantly he opposed the war in Viet Nam and I did to.
I attended a small rally on campus. I say small because it barely spilled out of one room. I helped to set up some tables with a few of McGovern's entourage.
One of them was Jon Voight, the actor. I knew he was in movies then but that's about it. He was young and lanky, long haired and interesting looking like an artist or musician. Looking back I suppose he was there in part for his image and in fact it worked because I didn't remember anything anyone said but him.
He was not a dynamic speaker by any means, in fact he was almost timid but listening to him was easy and unavoidable. You sensed that his belief in his own words allowed him to overcome some early discomfort and finish quite eloquently. He was smart but it was his passion and intensity that came through loud and clear. He was one of those people who made you believe you were hearing the truth.
I'm not one to think that people who have gained some stage or film celebrity have opinions any more insightful or valid than anyone else. It's actually quite the contrary. It seems illogical to me, given all the cuts they've made to get where they are, that many of them would be also intellectually endowed. Although, as much as it seems to bend the rules of probability, odds are such that some people, and I believe Jon Voight to be one of them, would be so blessed.
Over the years, even after his Republican conversion, when he speaks I'm still compelled to listen. So in his recent movie promoting appearances, sounding exceedingly conservative, he got me lets say, exceedingly curious.
I know that most people go through an aging process that delivers them more conservative than when they started. Remember the old saying, "Show me a man at twenty who isn't liberal and I'll show you a man with no heart, show me a man at forty who isn't conservative and I'll show you a man with no brains." So sure he has been influenced by experience and age, pushing 70 I believe, even so, this is not the same man I listened to in 1971.
What he said was that he is very concerned with the way in which people speak of the President these days and this dissension gives the enemy the "nutrients" they need to destroy this country. In one interview he said his heart is heavy, and he's really terrified by what is happening to this great nation and that our country is being divided by extremists who really believe all the propaganda that they are being fed on a daily basis by very cunning professionals.
He further said that the President in effect is America and that tearing him down was tearing down America. He spoke of discussions with injured soldiers that seemed to lead him to believe that the Iraq war was winnable. He said that he feels this situation is no Viet Nam so I take this to mean that he still feels OK with his position back in the 70's. He also claimed that the kids that come out of college today think that America is an imperialistic nation.
These are just a few of the things he said. Please check out his interviews with Joe Scarborough and Bill O'Rielly to get the complete picture.
To be honest I'm not exactly sure what to make of it. He was plugging a movie of course but I desperately want to believe that he wouldn't stage a controversy to promote a movie.
The Movie deals with the "Mountain Meadows" killings perpetrated by people of the Mormon faith exactly 150 years ago on September 11th. Voight implies this is somehow ironic and also says that some of his new concerns hit him while making this movie. In my opinion the date coincidence points much more to what movie producers will do to get people into theaters. For the revelation or whatever it was that he experienced making this movie, it looks more like an idea looking for a home than anything else. To compare Mormons to Muslims is ridiculous and I'm disappointed that he would even try. Mormons, who deplore this shameful part of their history will have to be the whipping boys this time around at the masterfully exploitative hands of Hollywood.
For me it is hard to comprehend why Voight is 180 degrees from where he once was. The current situation is different but not 180 degrees different. There doesn't seem to be a sliver of the man left and it forces me to be suspicious of his motives and saddened by the loss of a voice for good in this world.
Mr. Voight, free speech is the nutrient that this nation needs to remain great. Yes, the freedom that you have so enjoyed and it could be destroyed much faster by its denial than by any of your scary scenarios. I just pray that this is not you just reinforcing your belief that this movie was worth making by some redeeming value ratio approach. In the end the movie will be what it is and nothing more.
And finally, we would be well served if you would re-examine your current views to see if your heart is still in it like it once was.
