Good Sunday morning, everybody!
When you click on this link, do you see something that parallels to what we are experiencing now?
I loved Denise Oliver-Velez's diary about Paul Robeson; I wasn't taught fully about McCarthyism until I read her diaries. This is my thank you diary!
Now that I am done gushing, here's an astonishing excerpt from the New York Public Library Archives about Walter Winchell.
February 9, 1936: Winchell extols J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI.
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October 21, 1951: This broadcast includes Winchell's controversial defense of his conduct in the Josephine Baker-Stork Club cause célèbre.
November 9, 1952: Winchell calls a certain left-wing political party a "Commie front," describes Paul Robeson as a "Moscow mule," and offers a $7000 reward for the capture of each of "7 fugitive Reds."
April 4, 1954: In a very controversial broadcast that caused great alarm among health officials and the general public, Winchell warns of the dangers of the Salk polio vaccine, asserting that "7 of 10 batches contained live - not dead - polio virus."
Those parts were emboldened because some parts of history are repeating: puffery, eugenics, conspiracy theories, proximity to power and fear.
I couldn't help seeing a frightening parallel to the anti-lockdown, anti-mask, and anti-vaccine responses to curb the coronavirus.
I also couldn't help wondering if this pattern was a response based on Walter Winchell's deeply embedded insecurities.
Let's also keep in mind he started his career at a gossip columnist.
If anyone asks why I don't like gossip columns, here are some videos from YouTube.
I get that those videos were talking about cannabis was made illegal by racism; please keep in mind yellow journalism played a big part as well as corporate greed.
Here's a video clip from an episode of American Masters about him, courtesy of YouTube.
I also get I named a few key players on the wrong side of history; I also need people to start connecting the dots, especially in these times.
This is where media literacy needs to be taught in schools to teach our kids to dismantle conspiracy theories, racist and sexist disinformation campaigns.
I don't want to see anymore reactionary violence like Charlottesville, Pizzagate, Ruby Ridge, or any radicalized violence.
Thank you for reading.