Dennis Weaver, "McCloud" has died

I always liked Dennis Weaver. Sure, he was a liberal, but I can kind of differentiate between the "regular" Hollywood liberals and the horribly offensive ones. A lot of Hollywood performers don't really think all that much about politics. They just go with the liberal flow, register as Democrats and write out checks to leftist candidates. That's not good, but it's not the same level of offensiveness as the Jane Fonda types who go out and trash America and trash the family. Weaver seemed like a nice guy who bought the line that liberals "want to protect the trees and help poor people". I never heard of him denouncing America's military or trashing Christian values or anything like that.

RIP, Mr. Weaver. I enjoyed your performances, from Gunsmoke to Duel to McCloud and beyond.

He had a wonderful upbringing, though. Born on Route 66 and an OU Sooner, to boot! I'll try to remember to do a stiff-leg limp sometime soon in remembrance. I don't know a kid who didn't imitate that at one time or another, along with the "Mister Dillon, Mister Dillon!"

I ran across his web page a couple of years ago which talked about his daughter-in-law's death--killed by that driver who ran into the Farmer's Market. Dennis had started some sort of charity in her memory. I remember being kind of surprised at the New Ageyness of it, but he seemed like the good person I always thought he was.

I didn't watch McCloud all that much, but remember that he was from Taos in that show, though he was in NYC, and my friends in that area of NM used to talk about it. And when he teamed with Opie's brother in Gentle Ben, that was another Okie pairing.

RIP, Chester Goode!

You might want to see who I was replying to with that post.

He was a Navy veteran of WW II. One week older than my daddy, who was also. And both OU Sooners.

Charming...

No, what's charming is your dismissive attitude...simply because the man didn't share your political beliefs.

Never mind that he gave a lot of us a lot of entertainment. (I'll bet you're just jealous cos you never looked as cool as he did in that cowboy hat and suede jacket on McCloud!)

As someone else here commented, this practice of assigning worth to someone based on their politics is too prevalent and sad. I try to practice the reverse of Oz...I really try not to see the man behind the curtain when it comes to entertainment. Actors and authors do not define me. If they're good, they make me think. I don't judge people based on their beliefs (politicians, personal relationships, and priests excepted, of course).

When you die, is the only legacy you want to leave is that you were a Republican? Is that really all you want to be remembered for?

Weaver probably could have been classified as a Scoop Jackson Democrat.

Decent people who choose not to respect those who have passed on keep quiet about it.

Awesome. Thanks for noting Weaver's honorable veteran status as a Navy pilot. I'm sure he loved this country.

So let's move on to the E's now.

I wondered on another thread whether Ed Asner was still kicking.

Apparently, Dennis outlived J.D. Cannon by 9 months.

http://www.emmys.org/news/2005/june/cannon.php

"I remember the show Whirly Birds, I think from the late 50's..."

Starred Ken Toby and Craig Hill (but don't ask me what I had for supper last night).

and personally a jerk.

Subtract one MAJOR Hollywood lib. from the US population.

No, subtract a husband who remained married to his wife for 60 years. He also lived what he preached. What's wrong with that?

I can certainly have more respect for him than you.

Yup, me too. Duel still on my Top 10 movies.

(I'll bet you're just jealous cos you never looked as cool as he did in that cowboy hat and suede jacket on McCloud!)

LOL, yeah, I'm jealous because I don't dress like a hick. Damn I wish I could wear a belt buckle the size of a pie tin and look like an unwashed hillbilly! LMAO. Get over your silly idle worship.

I heard that too about him.

"When you die, is the only legacy you want to leave is that you were a Republican? Is that really all you want to be remembered for?"

Doesn't bother me. I just don't want to be remembered as a person who worked to undermine my country during a time of war like Dennis Weaver did. But if people also remember me not only as a patriot but also as a proud Republican, then I shall be glad.

But let's cut through your hero worship of this no-talent has-been actor to talk about just how far to the left his politics were. It was not merely that he was "of the opposing party" which I have no problem with. It's that Weaver was part of the hard left, Moveon.org Hollywood crowd which does damage to this country. Notice the group and the letter Dennis Weaver signed on with, all sponsored by Moveon.org. Notice all the other hard left Hollywoodites on that lies. Then notice the 2nd letter written by Dennis Weaver attacking the president's efforts to secure us domestically. Then you'll understand why I don't get all weepy over the loss of a Hollywood puke who worked to emboldened terrorists:

From the desk of Dennis Weaver....
NESARA = Ouster of Bush Regime = Peace
January 18, 2003 3:44 p.m. PST

Hello Dear Friends and White Knights,

These are the days when “you get back what you put out” and Bush Jr. is
getting his “regime change”.

It will be NESARA REMOVING the Bush Regime! Yes, Bush Jr., you are getting
your regime change – it will be the Bush Regime being removed in the first
minutes of the true NESARA law announcement!

I enjoyed watching the Peace Event in D.C. this morning on C-SPAN while
working on my computer. I finally got to watch some news on television
with which I agree! One fellow made some statements about good changes
coming. A big thank you to everyone who participated in the Peace Events
around the U.S. and world today!

I saw actress Tyne Daley (dark-haired lady cop in Cagney and Lacey TV show
some years ago) speak briefly at the D.C. Peace Event today and she
mentioned the “Artists United to Win Without War” organization. I THANK
these artists for SPEAKING OUT in public and calling for peace! If you
know any of these people, please tell them “thank you” for speaking out for
peace.

I’ve looked around the internet for information on these show business
people who are speaking out for peace. I did find a few articles which
I’ve included below, including one list of some of the artists united for
peace. Not all the artists’ names are on the list, however, many familiar
names are there and I am thankful they are using their influence for
peace!

These famous people are speaking out for peace even though they are being
attacked by the media for disagreeing with the Bush Regime. I have now
seen several news articles written by sycophantic journalists who are
kissing up to the tyrannical Bush Regime and these journalists continuously
attack the TRUE PATRIOTS who are speaking out for peace.

I ask ALL of you who subscribe to newspapers to PAY ATTENTION to this
disrespectful “tone” of these childish newspaper reporters and to CALL your
newspaper and tell the editor to remove the disrespectful childish tones of
their reports OR YOU will STOP taking their paper. Tell them you will tell
your friends and families that these newspapers are reporting their
personal opinions, not the news. To you in the D.C. area, I STRONGLY URGE
you to call the Washington Times and tell the Editor that the reporters are
obviously Bush regime sycophants and you will cancel your subscription
unless this ends. You in L.A. have some of this in the L.A. Times also –
watch for this snooty attitude some reporters have toward people speaking
out for peace and then CALL the EDITOR and tell them to knock it off! If
you cannot speak directly to the editor, LEAVE a MESSAGE! It’s time we
quit putting up with this garbage from the news media.

When we receive our prosperity funding, I will be watching and if necessary
will coordinate a MASSIVE MOVEMENT to clean out all the media reporters who
have been skewing the news to fit their personal agendas. I remind you
there is ongoing proof the CIA has been controlling the U.S. media for many
years by PAYING media reporters to carry the CIA’s version of news, and we
KNOW the CIA is the lapdog of the Bush-Rockefeller gang. If there
continues to be this slanting of the news, those of us in the prosperity
programs can buy television networks and newspapers end the lies in the
press!

To subscribe to the Dove egroup, please send an email to my address:
dove_of_o@fourwinds10.com with the “Subject: SUBSCRIBE” and I will
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requests.

Below is the Time Magazine European division poll regarding which country
is the greatest threat to peace in 2003. As of today earlier, with almost
230,000 votes in, the U.S. has 82% of the votes as the biggest threat to
peace!

Thank heaven the true NESARA law is removing the Bush gang from power once
and for all! The Bush gang are NOT Americans – they are “globalists” who
have gunned and murdered their way into the White House. We will all
celebrate when we finally have our government restored under the
Constitution and we must be ever vigilant to safeguard our renewed
liberties, prosperity, and peace after NESARA is announced. NESARA Yes!

Blessings and Love,
Dove of Oneness

The Dove Report currently has 10,601 subscribers and is read by over
260,000 people worldwide in forums on other websites and published in
magazines and journals nationally and internationally.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
http://www.time.com/time/europe/gdml/peace2003.html

Which country poses the greatest danger to world peace in 2003?
North Korea 8.3 %
Iraq 9.5 %
The United States 82.2 %
Total Votes Cast: 229,249 (as of 12:49 p.m. PST on January 18, 2003)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On December 10 a group of film actors and other entertainers held a press
conference in Los Angeles to launch “Artists United to Win Without War,” a
group opposed to US policy in Iraq. The group issued an open letter to Bush
urging the government to avoid military action.
The declaration criticizes the Bush administration …, and urges the
disarming of Iraq through “legal diplomatic means.” It continues, “We are
patriotic Americans who share the belief that Saddam Hussein cannot be
allowed to possess weapons of mass destruction. We support rigorous U.N.
weapons inspections to assure Iraq’s effective disarmament.” And further:
“However, a preemptive military invasion of Iraq will harm American
national interests. Such a war will increase human suffering, arouse
animosity toward our country, increase the likelihood of terrorist attacks,
damage the economy, and undermine our moral standing in the world.”

Martin Sheen, Mike Farrell and Tony Shalhoub were among those who spoke to
the press December 10. Shalhoub commented, “This notion of preemptive war
is setting a precedent ... and we must ask ourselves, where does this end?
Where is the next preemptive strike?”

Others signing the letter included Academy Award winners Kim Basinger,
Helen Hunt, Olympia Dukakis, Susan Sarandon and director Jonathan Demme.
Other names included Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny of X-Files fame,
West Wing cast members Sheen, Janel Moloney, Bradley Whitford and Lily
Tomlin, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation actors Marg Helgenberger and Robert
David Hall and Ocean’s Eleven cast members Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Elliott
Gould and Carl Reiner.

Actors Jessica Lange, Ethan Hawke, Samuel L. Jackson, Jane Kaczmarek,
Laurence Fishburne, Alfre Woodard, Danny Glover, Noah Wyle and Téa Leoni
also added their names to the list, along with musicians such as R.E.M.’s
Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills, Bonnie Raitt and Peter Yarrow.
The letter was signed as well by retired admiral Eugene Carroll Jr. and
former US ambassador to Iraq Edward Peck.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the open letter originated in a
“teach-in” organized by Farrell and director-producer Robert Greenwald in
October ….

http://www.moveon.org/artistswinwithoutwar/

THE PETITON LETTER

TO: President Bush
SUBJECT: Artists Say Win Without War
__________

War talk in Washington is alarming and unnecessary.

We are patriotic Americans who share the belief that Saddam Hussein cannot
be allowed to possess weapons of mass destruction. We support rigorous UN
weapons inspections to assure Iraq's effective disarmament.

However, a pre-emptive military invasion of Iraq will harm American
national interests . Such a war will increase human suffering, arouse
animosity toward our country, increase the likelihood of terrorist attacks,
damage the economy, and undermine our moral standing in the world. It will
make us less, not more, secure.

We reject the doctrine--a reversal of long-held American tradition--that
our country, alone, has the right to launch first-strike attacks.

The valid U.S. and UN objective of disarming Saddam Hussein can be achieved
through legal diplomatic means. There is no need for war. Let us instead
devote our resources to improving the security and well-being of people
here at home and around the world.

Signed,

Mike Farrell, Co-Chair
Robert Greenwald, Co-Chair
Gillian Anderson
Edward Asner
Rene Auberjonois
David Bale
Kim Basinger
Ed Begley, Jr.
Theo Bikel
Barbara Bosson
Jackson Browne
Peter Buck (REM)
Diahann Carroll
Eugene J. Carroll, Jr.,
Rear Adm. U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Kathleen Chalfant
Don Cheadle
Jill Clayburgh
David Clennon
Jack Coleman
Peter Coyote
Lindsay Crouse
Suzanne Cryer
Matt Damon
Dana Daurey
Ambassador Jonathan Dean
Vincent D’Onofrio
David Duchovny
Olympia Dukakis
Charles S. Dutton
Hector Elizondo
Cary Elwes
Shelley Fabares
Mike Farrell
Mia Farrow
Laurence Fishburne
Sean Patrick Flanery
Bonnie Franklin
John Fugelsang
Jeananne Garafalo
Larry Gelbart
Melissa Gilbert
Danny Glover
Elliott Gould
Samaria Graham
Robert Greenwald
Robert Guillaume
Paul Haggis
Robert David Hall
Ethan Hawke
Ken Howard
Helen Hunt
Anjelica Huston
LaTanya Richardson Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Jane Kaczmarek
Melina Kanakaredes
Casey Kasem
Mimi Kennedy
Jessica Lange
Tea Leoni
Wendie Malick
Camryn Manheim
Marsha Mason
Richard Masur
Dave Matthews
Kent McCord
Robert Duncan McNeill
Mike Mills (REM)
Janel Moloney
Esai Morales
Ed O'’Neill
Chris Noth
Peter Onorati
Alexandra Paul
Ambassador Edward Peck, (former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq)
Seth Peterson
CCH Pounder
David Rabe
Alan Rachins
Bonnie Raitt
Carl Reiner
Tim Robbins
Steve Robinson, Sgt., US Army (Ret.)
Mitch Ryan
Susan Sarandon
Tony Shalhoub
Jack Shanahan, Vice Adm. US Navy (Ret.)
William Schallert
Martin Sheen
Armin Shimerman
Gloria Steinem
Marcia Strassman
Michael Stipe (REM)
Susan Sullivan
Loretta Swit
Studs Terkel
Lily Tomlin
Blair Underwood
Dennis Weaver
Bradley Whitford
James Whitmore
James Whitmore, Jr.
Alfre Woodard
Noah Wyle
Peter Yarrow
Howard Zinn
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

June 2005

To justify his war in Iraq, President Bush tells us that it was necessary to secure our freedom. And with the powerful national public relations campaign coming out of Washington daily, to support that premise, most freedom loving Americans believe it. The irony is that while the President tells us that the war is necessary for our freedom he strongly calls upon congress to extend the Patriot Act, which threatens and erodes our freedom.

Shortly after it was passed [overwhelmingly by both the House and the Senate] in November of 2002, the very conservative columnist William Saffire of the New York Times wrote, “Every purchase you make with a credit card, every magazine subscription you buy and medical prescription you fill, every website you visit and e-mail you send or receive, every academic grade you receive, every bank deposit you make, every trip you book and every event you attend – all these transactions and communications will go into what the defense department describes as ‘a virtual, centralized grand database’.

“Add to this computerized dossier on your private life from commercial sources, every piece of information that government has about you – passport application, driver’s license and bridge toll records, judicial and divorce records, complaints from nosy neighbors to the FBI, your lifetime paper trail plus the latest hidden camera surveillance – and you have the supersnoop’s dream, a ‘total information awareness’ about every US citizen.”

What makes America great and very special is our love for the precious freedom that the founding fathers gave their blood to make sure that we can enjoy it. What would they say if they were alive today and witnessed the erosion of those freedoms? What would Patrick Henry say who sounded the battle cry, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

Freedom must not only be fought for on the battlefield and in the halls of congress but by every truly patriotic citizen of this great country in the town halls, the homes, the workplaces of America and finally in the voting booth. It is sad that often we don’t realize the value of something until it is taken away from us. It seems to be true with freedom for the process of its erosion is gradual and we won’t realize that it is happening until perhaps it is too late. I’m reminded of the experiment the scientists did with the frog. They put the poor fellow in a container of water in such a way that the frog could vacate it if it wanted to. But the water was pleasantly warm and the frog felt no desire or need to get out. The scientists then began to heat the water - very slowly. The frog continued to swim until one day it woke up and cried out, “I’m in real hot water.” But by that time he was so enervated that he didn’t have the strength to save himself. Are we going to fall into the same trap? Are we going to ignore the slow chipping away of our civil liberties and freedoms until it’s too late?

George Orwell tried to warn us in his controversial book “1984” that perhaps the real and greatest threat to our way of life is not from an outside force but from within. And today we see those that have been elected to protect our civil liberties are willing, even seemingly eager, to support legislature that will deny us those civil liberties. And it is all being done in the name of security. The justification is that we are at war, and war requires that we must take extreme measures to ensure our safety and that The Patriot Act will be necessary only until the war is over. The problem is that we are fighting an endless war. There can always be terrorist cells somewhere around the world, and in the minds of some, that is justification for depriving us of our constitutional rights.

President Bush is not only lobbying for an extension of the Patriot Act but is requesting that congress make it permanent. He wants it forever? It’s hard enough to get a piece of legislature reversed even if it is not permanent. Income tax for instance. It was voted a necessity during World War I. There wasn’t enough money to support the war from the sale of war bonds, so income tax was created with the assurance that it would be repealed after the war was over. Not only was it not repealed but, over the years congress has increased it. And that was a war that had a definite ending.

Our freedoms and our private lives are sacred. Are we willing to give up that which the founders of our country gave their blood to give us? Is it not our responsibility to pass on to those who follow the freedoms and the right to privacy, which we have been given? Security is important but not if we have to sacrifice our freedom and our civil liberties, not if we shred the protection that our constitution guarantees us. Security without freedom is meaningless. There are thousand of individuals incarcerated in our prisons that are ‘secure’ but live futile lives of desperation without freedom.

Patriotism does not mean that we acquiesce meekly to those in power, but to speak out when we feel that they are making decisions contrary to the good of our country and the welfare of its people.

To express your feelings on this important matter, you may contact your Senators and members of the House of Representatives by going to

http://www.senate.gov/

http://www.house.gov/

I merely pointed out that he was a Hollywood liberal. I'm not sure those rises to the level of a grand indecency.

He seemed like a decent guy. (Sent you an FR mail by mistake--sorry)

Yeah, my life will never be the same not having the respect of some total stranger on a blog. But check out my post #137 to see the kind of man you respect, someone who worked with Moveon.org. Look at the things he wrote and the letters he signed onto with other hard left Hollywood lefties. I couldn't care less about having your respect to begin with, but if what you resect is a Moveon.org disciple who worked with Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins to oppose the liberation of Iraq, a man who worked to undermine his nation during a time of war, then I BEG you not to grant me your respect.