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Nat Hentoff, the last honest liberal
Enter Stage Right ^

Posted on 01/08/2017 5:22:13 AM PST by Mean Daddy

The columnist has championed a woman rejected from law school for being white. He has defended a police chaplain fired for saying "fag," and been shouted down by pro-choice feminists at a pro-life rally. He's quoted approvingly a charter school founder saying that only when racial categorization is stopped can there be "true equal protection of the laws." And he quit the ACLU in protest of their position against revealing the results of HIV tests on newborns. By the way, he's a life-long leftist who has written for the Village Voice since the 1960s.

He's Nat Hentoff. And with virtually every bit of the counter-culture weekly paper now infected with drab politics, the paper is worth reading chiefly for its comprehensive club listings and for Hentoff's column, which consistently flouts his readership's conventions.

Greenwich Villager Hentoff, now 73, was friend of the late Malcolm X, has authored several books on jazz and wrote the liner notes for Bob Dylan's second album. He's a freewheelin' man who has angered about every political faction around, including his own Voice editors. He is no elitist. In the past he's called into a talk show hosted by Oliver North (Rush Limbaugh was the guest) to agree with them on liberal intolerance for free speech. Recently he appeared on Matt Drudge's Fox television show to discuss Clinton's depravity. He's made common cause with the libertarian Cato Institute against the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). "I just want to go where my fans are," he said in a brief phone interview. "I prefer not preaching to the choir."

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


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: hentoff; nathentoff; tribute
I know there's another article about his passing but this one had some really nice tidbits of his columns. Didn't always agree with him, but he could make his point without slinging names.

The man defended former congressman Bob Barr!

1 posted on 01/08/2017 5:22:13 AM PST by Mean Daddy
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To: Mean Daddy

Been down so long, it looks like up to me.


2 posted on 01/08/2017 5:25:03 AM PST by Lisbon1940 (No full-term Governors (at the time of election!)
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To: Mean Daddy

-—agree—even though I might disagree with him, I always respected him ,unlike the feeling of disgust when I stumble through E.J. Dionne or Paul Krugman-—


3 posted on 01/08/2017 6:31:09 AM PST by rellimpank (--don't believe anything the media or government says about firearms or explosives--)
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To: rellimpank

He sounds like a classic Liberal, not a leftist. A leftist is not tolerant of opposing views while a true liberal will argue with you and not try and shut you up using “hate speech rules”. A classic Liberal now adays is as rare as hens teeth.


4 posted on 01/08/2017 6:40:45 AM PST by Yorlik803 ( Church/Caboose in 2016)
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To: Mean Daddy

There is a difference between a liberal and a left wing neo-communist... which is pretty much what the DNC has evolved into...

Most haven’t a clue that the Dem’s from the 50’s and early 60’s... were not like what is seen today....

It started with Reagan... ever since than it has a hard arch to the left... Forward!!!!


5 posted on 01/08/2017 6:46:07 AM PST by PigRigger
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To: Mean Daddy

Gone are the days when liberals would say, “I may disagree with you, but I will fight to the death for your right to do so.”. Now they aren’t liberals anymore (though they claim to be), they are simply fascists.


6 posted on 01/08/2017 7:13:12 AM PST by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt)
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To: Mean Daddy

Nat Hentoff knew what the First Amendment really meant.

It wasn’t funny when I was growing up and hearing and reading about the conservative radio preachers coming under attack on Fairness Doctrine grounds and being denied their First Amendment rights back in the 1970’s.

People like Sol Taishoff of “Broadcasting” and Nat Hentoff at the “Village Voice” were on the side of freedom of speech for all sides.

Part of my tagline comes from that period of time....”Freedom is everybody’s business”.

I don’t really give a rip about ‘hate crimes’ laws and don’t want the Chicago thugs prosecuted on ‘hate crimes’ laws or anyone else for that matter.

Prosecute people for harm done to other people, not the words that come out of their mouths.

There was a comic named Lenny Bruce who would get arrested for using the “F” word on stage back around 1960..

Today he would still get arrested somewhere, no doubt, but for not using the “F” word, but for using another word in his act, the “N” word.


7 posted on 01/08/2017 7:18:07 AM PST by Nextrush (Freedom is everybody's business: Remember Pastor Niemoller)
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To: Ancesthntr

Marx and Lenin have creeped into their souls......


8 posted on 01/08/2017 7:18:59 AM PST by Nextrush (Freedom is everybody's business: Remember Pastor Niemoller)
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To: Mean Daddy

This is a great article. My father, a classic old school liberal would get the village voice from a friend. He really loved Nat Hentoff. I enjoyed the whole thing, especially the personal ads which were shocking to me. He was a true patriot. RIP Mr. Hentoff.


9 posted on 01/08/2017 7:39:42 AM PST by leaning conservative (snow coming, school cancelled, yayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: PigRigger
Most haven’t a clue that the Dem’s from the 50’s and early 60’s... were not like what is seen today....

Long gone are the Zell Millers, Hubert Humphries, Jim Howards who would put America above party.

10 posted on 01/08/2017 8:02:11 AM PST by JimRed (Is it 1776 yet? TERM LIMITS, now and forever! Build the Wall, NOW!)
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To: Nextrush
Today he would still get arrested somewhere, no doubt, but for not using the “F” word, but for using another word in his act, the “N” word.

That new "N" you mean, NORMAL. It indicates that there are those who are NOT normal, thus triggering reaction from progressives, liberals, socialists, communists and Marxists. But, I repeat myself!

11 posted on 01/08/2017 8:07:45 AM PST by JimRed (Is it 1776 yet? TERM LIMITS, now and forever! Build the Wall, NOW!)
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To: Mean Daddy

I keep reading that he was a “liberal”. Nonsense. He was a libertarian.


12 posted on 01/08/2017 4:34:45 PM PST by Forgotten Amendments (Nessie ... Sasquatch ... The Free Syrian Army ...)
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To: Nextrush
There was a comic named Lenny Bruce who would get arrested for using the “F” word on stage back around 1960.. Today he would still get arrested somewhere, no doubt, but for not using the “F” word, but for using another word in his act, the “N” word.
An excerpt from Lenny Bruce's routine where he uses the n-word, along with other slurs to prove a point, they're only words! (needless to say, very strong language warning!)
13 posted on 01/08/2017 10:06:10 PM PST by Impala64ssa
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