Sandy GholstonThe United States House of Representatives honored the late actor Paul Newman’s “humanitarian works and incomparable talents have made him an American icon who will never be forgotten.”
This Fox News story was dated Feb. 25, 2009:
WASHINGTON — Paul Newman, the late actor and 10-time Academy Award nominee, has been honored by lawmakers as a screen legend and humanitarian.
Newman died Sept. 26, 2008, at age 83 after a long battle with cancer. The House on Tuesday night approved a resolution recognizing Newman’s achievements on and off screen.
The resolution said Newman’s “humanitarian works and incomparable talents have made him an American icon who will never be forgotten.”
The Hollywood star won one Oscar and took home two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including “Cool Hand Luke,” “Exodus,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Verdict,” “The Sting” and “Absence of Malice.”
Newman and his popular food company, Newman’s Own, have given more than $250 million to charity over the years. He also helped to start “Hole in the Wall” camps across the world for children with life-threatening illnesses.
Now that is interesting.
Here is what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said about a resolution honoring Michael Jackson that was brought up by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee:
“I don’t think it’s necessary for us to have a resolution,” Pelosi told reporters during her weekly press conference.
“In his case, if the idea is to praise the life and work, as I assume that resolution does, then why not do that?” she said. “A resolution, I think, would open up to contrary views to — that are not necessary at this time to be expressed in association with a resolution whose purpose is quite different.”
Pelosi is probably correct that it would open matters up contrary views (particularly from haters like the less-than-noble Rep. Peter King), but is that enough to stop it when it seems the precedent already has been set?
I am not necessarily advocating resolutions of these times, but don’t act like this one for Michael Jackson is unprecedented. It is not unprecedented.
If Pelosi and/or others want to stop these types of resolutions, then fine by me. But, they need to be consistent. Or, at the very least, she and others need to make the case why this should be different.
