Pic of Pete Seeger on way to be sentenced for refusing to name names to HUAC. Brave act.

[madfloridian]

Found on Twitter.

Jonathan Mandell ‏@NewYorkTheater

Peter Seeger, with guitar, on his way to court to be sentence for refusing to "name names" HUAC, 1961

Thanks @NewYorkTheater for sharing this wonderful picture.

[ck4829]

1. And the funny thing is Paul Vallely who is calling for a coup against Obama's 'tyranny'

And the right wing nuts who support him in the 'Take their country back Quest' would have said they hope Seeger rots if they had been in prominence back then.

Does anyone doubt that?

K&R.

[GP6971]

2. Don't doubt

that at all

[KoKo]

3. And...we are in danger of reliving some of that time

if we don't keep involved working for the "commons" and not the aspirations of the 1%.

Thanks, MF!

[TBF]

4. He gave it his all -

and will be fondly remembered. Here are a few songs -- http://www.democraticunderground.com/10244073

[Voice for Peace]

5. thanks.. sweet picture of him. Looked up HUAC testimony if anyone is interested:

http://www.peteseeger.net/HUAC.htm

[FourScore]

8. Fabulous! n/t

[madfloridian]

11. This part we all need to remember.

MR. SEEGER: I will tell you what my answer is.

(Witness consulted with counsel [Paul L. Ross].)

I feel that in my whole life I have never done anything of any conspiratorial nature and I resent very much and very deeply the implication of being called before this Committee that in some way because my opinions may be different from yours, or yours, Mr. Willis, or yours, Mr. Scherer, that I am any less of an American than anybody else. I love my country very deeply, sir.

Thanks for the link.

[Voice for Peace]

14. and...

MR. SEEGER: I decline to discuss, under compulsion, where I have sung, and who has sung my songs, and who else has sung with me, and the people I have known. I love my country very dearly, and I greatly resent this implication that some of the places that I have sung and some of the people that I have known, and some of my opinions, whether they are religious or philosophical, or I might be a vegetarian, make me any less of an American. I will tell you about my songs, but I am not interested in telling you who wrote them, and I will tell you about my songs, and I am not interested in who listened to them.

[VWolf]

24. Jesus, I just read a good portion of that hearing

and it creeps the hell out of me. Heaven help up if we ever go down that road again.

BTW I was born in the mid-60's so I have no personal recollection of that era.

[madfloridian]

26. "Heaven help up if we ever go down that road again."

Seems we are always on the verge of times like that. Right on the edge.

[Alameda]

29. Hmmm.....looks to me like we are on that road right now.

[Hissyspit]

36. Digby on Seeger's appearance before HUAC:

"Fortunately, human beings have now evolved to the point at which something like this could never happen again. Whatever information the government obtains today about one's political affiliations and activities is perfectly safe because they've assured us it will never be used for anything except finding and rooting out enemies of the United States.

Which is what they said then. But that was different. Obviously."

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com.br/2014/01/a-tiny-historical-note-about-government.html

And just in case anyone is missing it, Digby is being

[madfloridian]

38. I read that earlier. That paragraph caught my eye. To repeat:

"Fortunately, human beings have now evolved to the point at which something like this could never happen again. Whatever information the government obtains today about one's political affiliations and activities is perfectly safe because they've assured us it will never be used for anything except finding and rooting out enemies of the United States.

Which is what they said then. But that was different. Obviously."

Gave me a chill because it is so true.

[another_liberal]

42. Talk about a gutsy but eloquent response . . .

"I feel that in my whole life I have never done anything of any conspiratorial nature and I resent very much and very deeply the implication of being called before this Committee that in some way because my opinions may be different from yours, or yours, Mr. Willis, or yours, Mr. Scherer, that I am any less of an American than anybody else. I love my country very deeply, sir."

[Archae]

6. Best part about that picture?

Pete didn't go to jail for HUAC's latest publicity stunt, and he outlived all the reactionaries that tried to call him a "communist."

Some of those reactionaries died in disgrace.

[DesertDiamond]

7. He looks happy! I would be too! There's nothing more honorable than what he did.

[Starry Messenger]

9. k&r

[ananda]

10. Thanks for sharing this.

What a great man!

[bkanderson76]

12. A True Patriot

[madfloridian]

13. "I have sung in hobo jungles, and I have sung for the Rockefellers"

From the HUAC hearings:

Mr. SEEGER: I have sung for Americans of every political persuasion, and I am proud that I never refuse to sing to an audience, no matter what religion or color of their skin, or situation in life. I have sung in hobo jungles, and I have sung for the Rockefellers, and I am proud that I have never refused to sing for anybody. That is the only answer I can give along that line.

[Voice for Peace]

19. "I should be glad to tell you about all of the songs that I have sung"

MR. SEEGER: No, sir, I said that I should be glad to tell you about all of the songs that I have sung, because I feel that the songs are the clearest explanation of what I do believe in, as a musician, and as an American.

[ChazInAz]

15. One of my heroes!

Along with the rest of the Weavers.
The committee would have perished from the pearl-clutching if they'd seen his banjo and its inscription, instead of that guitar!

[displacedtexan]

33. Are you talking about "This machine guards against hate"?

Isn't that what was on his banjo? I embroidered that on my canvas guitar case when I was a teenager.

[Hissyspit]

37. "This Machine Surrounds Hate and Forces It To Surrender."

[joeybee12]

16. RIP...a great guy

[chuckstevens]

17. Thank You Pete

What a courageous man and kind spirit. Bring HIM home!

[Aristus]

18. ...

[progressoid]

20. Rec!

[RoccoR5955]

21. AFAIK, Pete was the only person

to invoke the FIRST Amendment when questioned by HUAC. Many others invoked the Fifth.
It was a brave and dare I say patriotic move on his part.
This is one of the things that he has done that will always stick with me.

Well that and the many times we spent sailing, or singing, or protesting, or all of them together.
I will miss this dear friend of mine.

[madfloridian]

22. Those must be times you will never forget...

How lucky to have that time with someone like that.

[Martin Eden]

23. HUAC is incredibly IRONIC

The House Un American Activities Committee was perhaps the most Un American injustice ever to victimize the American people.

[jsr]

25. "Be wary of great leaders. Hope that there are many, many small leaders." - Pete Seeger

[sulphurdunn]

27. The inquisitors

haven't changed one goddamn bit either, unless they've become even more obtuse.

[The Wizard]

28. The HUAC

was an anathema to the Constitution.

[indepat]

30. Thank God that our country has been blessed with Pete Seeger and others who would dare question

what government does in our name. RIP, Pete.

[Jakes Progress]

31. Brave and honest.

Not many like Pete with us anymore.

I still treasure my Pete Seeger banjo instruction manual. I never got very good with it, but he inspired me in other ways too.

[zentrum]

32. Love you Pete

[WillyT]

34. K & R !!!

[SHRED]

35. That is a banjo on his back I think

Did he play the guitar?

I love how he stood up to HUAC.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

41. All good folkies play the guitar!

?

[BlancheSplanchnik]

39. great pic. thanks!

Never saw it before.


Historic.

[DemocraticWing]

40. One of the few to stand up and tell the truth.

It's Un-American to be a Communist, it's Un-American to make it illegal to be a Communist.