Patriots promote poem. Twain twirls in grave Sponsors of a campaign to declared the patriotic poem, "America, Why I Love Her," the official national poem -- You know, like the national bird, or national tree? -- have scheduled a fund-raising event for Nevada City May 24.
The poem was written by the late John Mitchum, brother of Hollywood legend Robert Mitchum, A working film and TV character actor in his own right. John Mitchum lived in Nevada County. He appeared in screen and television westerns, cop shows -- Dirty Harry, Bonanza, Rio Bravo, etc. -- from the early 50s to the early 90s. He died in 2001.
Mitchum was also a writer, singer and storyteller. Movie icon John Wayne recorded Mitchum's patriotic poem, reading it over a 140,000-string orchestra playing the Star-Spangled Banner AND God Bless America.
The event will be held at the American Victorian Museum, with politicians such as the right-wing California GOP Congressman John Doolittle, lobbyists from the California Correctional Peace Officers Association and a number of venerable western actors are expected to gather, sponsors stated on the campaign website.
Among the notables expected are, Ernest Borgnine (I thought he was dead), Sue Ann Langdon, Clint Walker (I thought he was dead, too) and one extant member of the Sons of the Pioneers.
Pre-publicity on KVMR has touted the $50-a-plate catered affair -- hotlinks and western grub -- informally as "America's Most Patriotic Event of All Time" -- or suggestions to that effect.
As fate would have it, the Foundry --- as the AVM is locally known -- is a stone's throw away from the historic Nevada Theater, famous for the appearances there by Mark Twain, whose contempt for jingoism and disgust with the uses to which tinpot politicians put manufactured patriotism has seldom been equaled.
This event may well capture, even epitomize in its way, the tenor of these times, when some would have public displays of patriotism serve as a litmus test for public debate. The website for the event and campaign sports a link to something called, the National Center for Patriotic Studies, which describes itself thus:
The center's goals include:
Ah, yes, the spirit of Mark Twain -- which still trods the boards at the Nevada Theater whenever humor and commonsense are imperiled -- will no doubt have many an acid comment to make to his ghostly audience that night.
ME? Oh, I go along with Mark Twain on the subject of patriotism, but I wouldn't mist this event for the world. Of Ernest Borgnine is in fact still alive I hope to get him to autograph my copy of Sam Peckinpah's, "The Wild Bunch," the greatest western ever filmed.
One line from it stands out today, considered the national mood today. Spealing for himself and his doughty band of aging outlaws, William Holden as Pike Bishop observes, "We share very few of our government's sentiments."
The poem was written by the late John Mitchum, brother of Hollywood legend Robert Mitchum, A working film and TV character actor in his own right. John Mitchum lived in Nevada County. He appeared in screen and television westerns, cop shows -- Dirty Harry, Bonanza, Rio Bravo, etc. -- from the early 50s to the early 90s. He died in 2001.
Mitchum was also a writer, singer and storyteller. Movie icon John Wayne recorded Mitchum's patriotic poem, reading it over a 140,000-string orchestra playing the Star-Spangled Banner AND God Bless America.
The event will be held at the American Victorian Museum, with politicians such as the right-wing California GOP Congressman John Doolittle, lobbyists from the California Correctional Peace Officers Association and a number of venerable western actors are expected to gather, sponsors stated on the campaign website.
Among the notables expected are, Ernest Borgnine (I thought he was dead), Sue Ann Langdon, Clint Walker (I thought he was dead, too) and one extant member of the Sons of the Pioneers.
Pre-publicity on KVMR has touted the $50-a-plate catered affair -- hotlinks and western grub -- informally as "America's Most Patriotic Event of All Time" -- or suggestions to that effect.
As fate would have it, the Foundry --- as the AVM is locally known -- is a stone's throw away from the historic Nevada Theater, famous for the appearances there by Mark Twain, whose contempt for jingoism and disgust with the uses to which tinpot politicians put manufactured patriotism has seldom been equaled.
This event may well capture, even epitomize in its way, the tenor of these times, when some would have public displays of patriotism serve as a litmus test for public debate. The website for the event and campaign sports a link to something called, the National Center for Patriotic Studies, which describes itself thus:
The mission of the National Center for Patriotic Studies is to promote an understanding of and a commitment to our American patriotic value system using multi-experiential educational activities and to promote fellowship with the gathering of veteran organizations for reunions and memorial services.It is connected to the Branson Veteran's Task Force -- as in Branson, Mo., the country-western music Mecca.
The center's goals include:
To create a variety of experiential programs focused on student travel, that combines our country's heritage with the entertainment industry in Branson as well as other venues that are patriotic in spirit.In other words, profiting sanctimoniously from patriotism.
To develop Branson as an Educational Tourism market with a series of models of our patriotic monuments from across the country.
Ah, yes, the spirit of Mark Twain -- which still trods the boards at the Nevada Theater whenever humor and commonsense are imperiled -- will no doubt have many an acid comment to make to his ghostly audience that night.
ME? Oh, I go along with Mark Twain on the subject of patriotism, but I wouldn't mist this event for the world. Of Ernest Borgnine is in fact still alive I hope to get him to autograph my copy of Sam Peckinpah's, "The Wild Bunch," the greatest western ever filmed.
One line from it stands out today, considered the national mood today. Spealing for himself and his doughty band of aging outlaws, William Holden as Pike Bishop observes, "We share very few of our government's sentiments."
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