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Dorothy Healey, 91; Lifelong Communist Fought for Working People
Los Angeles Times ^ | August 8, 2006 | Dennis McLellan

Posted on 08/08/2006 4:47:23 PM PDT by calcowgirl

Dorothy Healey, a onetime labor organizer, civil rights activist and Marxist radio commentator who was chairwoman of the Southern California district of the Communist Party USA from the late 1940s through the 1960s, has died. She was 91.

Healey, dubbed "the Red Queen of Los Angeles" by headline writers during her heyday, died Sunday of pneumonia in the Greater Washington Hebrew Home, said her son, Richard. She had been a resident of Washington, D.C., since 1983.

The diminutive Healey, who stood just under 5 feet tall and once wore a pendant that pictured a clenched fist raised as a symbol of solidarity and militancy, fought a lifelong battle against what she called the oppression of the middle class and minorities.

"She was a heartfelt revolutionary of her time," Donna Wilkinson, the widow of national civil liberties leader Frank Wilkinson, told The Times on Monday. "She was always so fiercely partisan for working people. Yes, of course, she cared about war and peace and women's issues, but she was always concerned about working people."

The daughter of Hungarian Jewish immigrants, Healey was born in Denver on Sept. 22, 1914. Her father was a traveling salesman, and the family moved from Denver to California when she was 6. Constantly on the move because of her father's work selling smoked meat and cheese, Healey attended 19 schools. Her father died when she was 16.

Healey, whose Socialist mother was a founding member of the Communist Party in America, joined the Young Communist League in 1928, when she was 14.

"I joined the Young Communist League out of a feeling of hate and love," she told an audience at Golden West College in Huntington Beach in 1977. "I hated the system that reduced all humans to a feeling of total helplessness . . .

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: communists; cpusa; dorothyhealey; dorothyhealy; healey; losangeles; nofoollikeanoldfool; obituary; redqueen
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To: calcowgirl

21 posted on 08/08/2006 4:57:07 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (404 Page Error Found)
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To: calcowgirl

But but but! McCarthy was wrong, there were no Communists in the USA. < /sarcasm >


22 posted on 08/08/2006 4:57:20 PM PDT by weegee (Remember "Remember the Maine"? Well in the current war "Remember the Baby Milk Factory")
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To: WWTraveler
It might be interesting to see who will show up at the funeral.

"Married and divorced three times, Healey moved from Los Angeles to Washington to be near her son, who, along with two grandsons, survives her".

Doesn't sound like a whole lot for a person in their 90's.

23 posted on 08/08/2006 4:57:21 PM PDT by Troublemaker
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To: calcowgirl
I joined the Young Communist League out of a feeling of hate and love," she told an audience at Golden West College in Huntington Beach in 1977. "I hated the system that reduced all humans to a feeling of total helplessness .

Unlike the communists who just shoot you or throw you in a gulag before your totally helpless.

I would like to see the times obit for Reagan. I bet the word conservative and controversial appear more than once.
24 posted on 08/08/2006 4:58:08 PM PDT by TheRedSoxWinThePennant
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To: calcowgirl
" Constantly on the move because of her father's work selling smoked meat and cheese..."

Guess the stuff wasn't much good.
25 posted on 08/08/2006 5:00:03 PM PDT by decal (Different Tagline Tomorrow!)
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To: calcowgirl
fought a lifelong battle against what she called the oppression of the middle class and minorities.

Cause of death?

26 posted on 08/08/2006 5:00:08 PM PDT by Disambiguator (Don't mess with Israel.)
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To: calcowgirl

Her family was taken in by this country and she returned her hate in "gratitude". Good riddance to this nasty old bat and other fellow travelers, who undoubtedly never had a good word to say about this country and never added a decent thing to it.


27 posted on 08/08/2006 5:01:08 PM PDT by laconic
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To: calcowgirl

Communists dedicate their lives to destroying the capitalism that creates jobs. For some reporter to moon over this old dame, yapping that she fought for the working man, is beyond insanity.

Perhaps she's having a nice visit with Fidel just now. I'm sure they have lots to talk about.


28 posted on 08/08/2006 5:01:28 PM PDT by Darnright (http://www.irey.com/)
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To: AmericanInTokyo

LOL


29 posted on 08/08/2006 5:01:44 PM PDT by rwilson99 (R) South Park)
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To: calcowgirl
I don't suppose the wonderful, idiot communist ever quite noticed that "working people" fare a hell of a lot better under liberal democracy that communism.

No. That would be asking too much of the nitwit.

30 posted on 08/08/2006 5:02:04 PM PDT by Reactionary (The Barking of the Native Moonbat is the Sound of Moral Nitwittery)
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To: calcowgirl

Good riddance, subhuman commie-fascist bitch. Rot in hell!


31 posted on 08/08/2006 5:02:50 PM PDT by butternut_squash_bisque (The recipe's at my FR HomePage. Try it!)
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To: butternut_squash_bisque
So aren't any of you guys gonna pray for her soul?

HAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

32 posted on 08/08/2006 5:05:48 PM PDT by cloud8
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To: butternut_squash_bisque

that is a beautiful commentary. so poetic...thanks, i'll second it!


33 posted on 08/08/2006 5:06:42 PM PDT by KOZ.
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To: butternut_squash_bisque

Now, tell me how you really feel about her?


34 posted on 08/08/2006 5:06:57 PM PDT by fogofbobegabay
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To: calcowgirl

First off I HATE the term "working people" as if what I do isn't "work" in their mind.

According to these people, since I am "white collar," this place I spend 50 plus hours a week at isn't "work."


35 posted on 08/08/2006 5:08:34 PM PDT by RockinRight (She rocks my world, and I rock her world.)
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To: calcowgirl
She had been a resident of Washington, D.C., since 1983.

She was a Democratic Congresswoman?

36 posted on 08/08/2006 5:09:39 PM PDT by RockinRight (She rocks my world, and I rock her world.)
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To: Axhandle
Good riddance.

My sentiments exactly.
37 posted on 08/08/2006 5:09:43 PM PDT by Wolfhound777 (It's not our job to forgive them. Only God can do that. Our job is to arrange the meeting)
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To: calcowgirl
Constantly on the move because of her father's work selling smoked meat and cheese

He should have sold that yummy sausage that folks lined up around the block for in Moscow.


38 posted on 08/08/2006 5:10:41 PM PDT by Larry Lucido
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To: calcowgirl
"I hated the system that reduced all humans to a feeling of total helplessness . . .

So why were you a Commie?

Not too bright of a woman, apparently.

39 posted on 08/08/2006 5:11:39 PM PDT by RockinRight (She rocks my world, and I rock her world.)
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To: calcowgirl

She died the same month as Castro. How appropriate.


40 posted on 08/08/2006 5:11:52 PM PDT by rod1
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