Milestones

Folk singer Pete Seeger turns ninety today, and I would be remiss if I didn't pay note of this important milestone. As an artist and a citizen, Seeger has been a national treasure. He's fought for progressive causes such as civil rights and environmental protection all of his life, and his music reflects his desire to make America and the world better places. "Turn! Turn! Turn!" brought old biblical truths to life, and "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" effectively used basic troop training as a metaphor for the stupidity of the Vietnam War and how our foolish leaders tried to push through it. (Alas, Iraq has made that song more relevant.) Seeger remains an active voice for social justice today, and I'm pleased to hammer out a birthday greeting to him on my PC keyboard.

Meanwhile, Jack Kemp, the football player from the Buffalo Bills who became a leading conservative voice in the Republican party as a House member, Housing and Urban Development Secretary, and 1996 vice presidential candidate, died last night. Kemp was not like most conservatives. He cared about people. He was also a leading advocate for racial reconciliation, having a genuine rapport with blacks that stemmed from his athletic career.

I'll bet Kemp was none too pleased with George Walker Bush's runaway spending. He likely learned of the Souter retirement from the Supreme Court before he died, and so expected a more liberal replacement. Kemp had cancer, but I wonder if maybe he also died of a broken heart.