Blog
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The more that people hate on Hillary, the more I absolutely love her. We are down the rabbit hole, we’re on the dark side of the moon, we’re lost in the desert at this point in the Presidential Election of 2016. I wish I could say that I don’t even recognize my country anymore, but I do. This fever dream of civic insanity is all too familiar.
Donald Trump is not clever. He’s just dumb enough to wreck our political system for sport. He’s using 3rd grade, “I know you are but what am I” school yard tactics and “the media” is now totally incapable of dealing with it. The amount of times that hosts and pundits call out his lies is only surpassed by Trump surrogates and the even more pernicious lies they offer in his defense. Worse than that, every single day, this clumsy political oaf is thundering across the body politic, suppressing logic, co-opting any real chance at discussion and completely, alarmingly inverting and obliterating good sense and the right and natural order of things.
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My grandfather fought in the Second World War, and then drove a taxicab and died of alcoholism. My grandmother was a seamstress during the war and suffered from mental illness. Their youngest of three children, my mother—Patty Duke—was discovered as an actress, and won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker when she was thirteen. And in one generation, the extraordinary potential of success that American life affords manifested.
My mother became a very outspoken activist on a whole host of issues, including gay rights, and obviously, with playing Helen Keller, she advocated for hearing and vision-impaired services. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in her midlife and she spent probably the most important of her political and activist work on mental health advocacy, destigmatizing manic depression. She was president of the Screen Actors Guild, with Ronald Reagan before her, and so I grew up in a house where America had a super capital ‘A.’ And my brothers and I were raised to believe that the greatness of this country is available to everybody, and should be fought for, and enjoyed by everybody. -
I'm back on the road for HILLARY. Today's journey started yesterday in Hawaii. After much needed family time, the moment has come to dig in and do my part for Democracy. As Patton famously said, "God help me, I love it so."The plan is for me to hit three states in three days; Wisconsin, Nebraska & Iowa. The Campaign has me visiting phone banks, volunteer training sessions and various staff gatherings. I absolutely love this kind of campaigning. Nothing in Government is more inspiring than seeing passionate and devoted citizens working hard to make the world a better place. I drop in, very briefly tell the story of why #ImWithHer thank them all, sometimes roll up my sleeves and make calls or canvass myself, do news or radio interviews, answer blog questions, and basically have a blast promoting my candidate.
It isn't always easy. There are way too many haters, trolls, pessimists & cynics. While I've gotten pretty good at discarding the forces of destruction when confronted with them, I can never totally dismiss or ignore them. It's hard to discern who the malcontents are from those with a genuine difference of opinion or a well considered bias against my candidate. I genuinely enjoy hearing opinions that differ from my own and I always reserve the right to change or amend my positions based on new information or a better case that's made.
Make no mistake, I am for HILLARY CLINTON for President. I like her. I trust her. I have every confidence that she will discharge the duties of her office with wisdom, discipline and courage.
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Please visit The Patty Duke Mental Health Initiative: InMemoryOfPattyDuke.com.
To each of you, all of you and the entire world :-)))
My mother's life touched tens of millions of people. Her ground-breaking portrayal of iconic American legend Helen Keller launched a career that would span six decades. First on broadway and then on the silver screen, Patty Duke's characterization of the extraordinary development of the blind/deaf child brought global attention to the plight of people living with those challenges.
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Need a rhetorical boost in your life? Dwight D. Eisenhower's Farewell speech on January 17, 1961, is a civic mind blower!!!
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Teachers, Students, Fellow Citizens and folks around the world,
The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of our Nation. I hope you enjoy hearing this audio recording as much as I did making it.
I found it an emotional experience. We hear so much about how weak and ineffective our Government is these days. Well, the clarity and force of this document is an inspiration!
Yours,
Sean -
Donald Trump's rallies have been flooded with protesters. The candidate is clearly provoking violence to gain political advantage. Let's discuss: Tactics, Consequences, History, Justifications, News Coverage, Candidates and Parties responses etc… Opinion from all sides are welcome. Civil Discoursed will be strictly enforced.
Listen here: VIOLENCE ON THE TRAIL U.S. Presidential Campaign 2016 03/13 by Vox Populi Radio | Politics Podcasts
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Do you trust Hillary? Does your answer reveal as much about yourself as it does about her?
If you feel a burning visceral hatred just hearing these questions, know that I honor your right to despise, but respectfully request that you stop reading, don't comment, "unlike me" and leave my page. I am an actor whose view is no more important than anyone else's. My views are no less important. I am a citizen. I registered for the Selective Service (the draft) on my 18th birthday as required by law. I pay my taxes. Like every American, I am afforded the Constitutional Protection provided by the 1st Amendment guaranteeing my freedom to speak. The Constitution makes no exceptions for actors or "celebrities." Moreover, my work as a volunteer and advocate within and without the system is likely unknown to you, but is most assuredly worthy of respect by my fellow countrymen.
I am forced to preface my thoughts because of the litany of thoughtless, mean spirited and hate filled comments on my previous posts in support of my candidate, Secretary Clinton.
A large number of character maligning comments came from Christians. It is decidedly un-Christian to attack someone and impugn their motives for sharing ones views.
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January 29th 2016 — Weekend Eve — Iowa Caucus 2016
Sean Astin, Host of Vox Populi Radio made a triumphant, albiet low-key return to the broadcasting booth (home office desk)! Several callers stated their candidate preferences, and we discussed the issues, the media and the process.
Listen here: Iowa Caucus 2016 INSANITY!! 01/29 by Vox Populi Radio | Politics Podcasts