The silver cord
Update: Roger Simon remembers.
I didn’t know him personally, but I’m very sorry to hear that Ron Silver has died. The NY Post says,
Actor and longtime political activist Ron Silver died this morning, succumbing to a long battle with cancer, friends of the liberal Democrat-turned-GOP stalwart told The Post.
“Ron Silver died peacefully in his sleep with his family around him this morning,” said Robin Bronk, executive director of the Creative Coalition, which Silver helped create.
“He had been fighting esophageal cancer for two years and his family is making arrangements for a private service.”
I think many of us, despite having no personal connection, can still claim kinship in that like him we have had to go through changes, sometimes abandoning or modifying our earlier beliefs in an attempt to stay faithful to our understanding of the truth. It may be, that had he lived long enough — if we live long enough — that one would go through not one but several sets of beliefs. But that is beside the point. He followed his north star as he saw it shining before him. Where he stopped was unimportant; he was the constant pilgrim. That’s all a man can do; and a life thus spent is well lived.
This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Farewell; my blessing season this in thee!
It is strange how one’s most steadfast beliefs come to be known by different names through life–without changing much a ‘liberal’ can become a ‘conservative’ 30 years later–yet the belief itself provides the anchor that shows you are keeping the faith. Polonius was right and that’s my favorite quote from Shakespeare.
The Silver Cord? That’s brilliant. Thank You.
Knowing that men of Ron Silver’s intelligence, industry, practicality and fundamental decency can be found on all sides of an argument is a great gift. To often when we face the infantile caterwauling that has replaced argumentation the tasks of government appear to be so distastefully debased to a form of unending rubbish remover that the temptation becomes to withdraw. That is a great error that misjudges why the community at large confers honor to certain individuals or professions. The qualities of honor and respect are not conveyed as an additional bonus for people who are lucky enough to win life’s lottery. Even in aristocratic societies that would be a misunderstanding. Honor is conveyed on those who are willing to undertake difficult and dangerous tasks on behalf of the community, beyond the hazards that are faced by the rubbish remover. A healthy community encourages and honors it’s warriors even when the enemy they fight are not themselves respectable. This was a theme in The Grand Illusion. So we should fight the good fight for its own sake. In our weaker moments when we are tempted to throw in the towel we should remember that there are men of Ron Silver’s quality on the other side, that they are worth reaching, that they enrich our comprehension no matter which side of an argument they are on, they may change sides, or if they facts justify it so may we, and finally that there is no excuse for any of us on our side as wel as on our opponents to do worse.
An underrated actor who I only really noticed recently. He stole the show in When Billie beat Bobby.
9-11 did in fact change our world forever as it did Mr. Silver’s.
Never forget.He didn’t
RIP, Ron
A sobering sadness at the loss of a voice so skilled, so articulate, persistent and yes, passionately dramatic when necessary [arguably the greatest convention speech of them all, (take that verbose politicians)]
The sound of crickets chirping is fitting tribute from the rabid left, that maintains stedfast, its creed and now interminable vigil, that no good deed shall go unpunished.
Amen, Habu
“We are all travelers in this world. From the sweetgrass, to the packing house. Birth till death, We travel between the Eternities”
(from “Broken Trails”)
NRO links to some nice thoughts by Johnny Pod.
H/t michelle malkin, here’s the text of his 2004 remarks to the Repub Nat’l Convention. The “but as for me” speech, as it is sometimes remembered.
re wretchard’s title:
Ecclesiastes 12:6
1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”; 2 before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; 3 in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim; 4 and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly. 5 Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street. 6 Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. 8 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”
The writer of the above passage in Ecclesiastes seems to have broken solidarity with the spirit of the earth. The lambs don’t dance upon his hills, nor the cedars clap their branches and sing, for this writer. The will to do God’s work on earth as ’tis in heaven seems lost. Rather a longing to shed and return desacrilized dust to the mother as quickly as possible prevails, and a weariness and longing overcomes him. Men are afraid of the terrors of the road, the grasshopper drags himself along, vanity of vanities. Whatever it might be there, it doesn’t seem a winning attitude here.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (often attributed to King Solomon himself)
In the 12:6 it must be a time of acceptance of things as they are in that season. it *is* on the bleak side, for a fact. Also inspired the Byrd’s finest song, “Turn, Turn, Turn”.
i’m sorry, it was the latter, not the former, in the Byrds. duh –
There is nothing bleak about the spirit returning to its Creator.
Yet it makes us sad to lose someone. Worse than sad.
Agreed – I’m particularly sorry to see this guy depart, especially considering he’d come in from the dark side. Friendlies who at one time resided on the Left, do, when they awaken to reality, make the very best foxhole mates. I counted him among the good guys.
OT
The Dow is up slightly (7,324 at last check) for two reasons.
1) Dead Cat Bounce.
2) Pump and Dump
It is my suspicion that BHO’s friends are getting another round of cash out and will follow it with more shorting to extract a few billion more as the market slides towards 5,000 by May Day.
LotM, #17,
I suspect that your suspicion is correct. This cycle would be repeated several times, to the last twitch.
@<twobyfour,
The Obama economic security (for his friends) plan as illustrated by Bram Stocker:
Let it be said that Ron Silver went down fighting.
His latter-day work at conserving foundational American values honors his family and his memory.
Thanks Ron, for a job well done. Rest easy.
Peace
“A man of integrity will never listen to any plea against conscience”
Henry Home
I think it fits him
He was a good man and he will be missed.
Godspeed and safe home, brother.