FAMILY TEXT

These notes of mine have more than one outlet… and, on at least one there are “requests” from a publisher not to write anything political. I have tried to be okay with that, which is harder than it may sound to some of you.

I am a political animal. I would point to any of my television series to solidify that argument. I occasionally revisit The Trials of Rosie O’Neill on Amazon Prime and despite the more than thirty years that have passed since I produced that CBS series, I continue to take some pride in just how current the discourse in that show is on matters political.

My recently completed memoir, to be released next year by McFarland publishers, has more than a chapter dealing with the politics I introduced to viewers in the American South through the Daniel Boone television series on NBC. It should go without saying that Cagney & Lacey, my series on CBS, still ranks right up there as strong politically on any number of subjects… especially those dealing with women in the workplace.

I am older now, albeit not much wiser. I just don’t want any trouble, so when a friendly publisher asks that I refrain from writing about a certain subject, I do my best to be a good guy and comply.

I am guessing that now that our President has become the leading candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize that restriction just might have eased a bit… but I have no desire to climb on that band wagon either, even though I acknowledge the accomplishment and pray that it all goes well and lasts a long, long time.

No, it is not peace in the Middle East that brings me to my word processor. It is the text message I got late last night from my grandson. Alex Rosenzweig is one of (if not) the leading undergraduate poets at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. He is also an intern at a publishing house in NYC and he texted:

“An author whose book came from the publishing house where I currently intern just had to flee the country. He wrote a bookabout Antifa and teaches at Rutgers University. Apparently, the Turning Point USA chapter at the school doesn’t like his work and the conservative backlash to his presence on campus recently became too overwhelming. Some people at Melville House (the publisher) have received death threats or calls for resignation. I’m all good for now but wanted to update you all. Very scary times for the humanities but I am happy to work for a house that considers itself an activist press in these weird, weird times. Sending love from NY and go Dodgers.

My grandson then continued the text with a link to a Washington post, Oct. 8 article.

My granddaughter, the offspring of another of my daughters,answered with a thank you for sharing and then I wrote “please continue to inform us of the goings on… stay brave and strong and, as always, be smart.” 

Alex’s mother wrote “scary times. Your generation is gonna have a lot of work… thx God you’re all smart and awake to it.”

Another granddaughter chimed in, “thank you for sharing. Miss you very much. Proud of your brain always.”

My wife added, “Be safe, my sweetheart.” And my eldest child added, “Wow, it’s one thing to be living in interesting times, but we are in just plain ol’ bizzarro times: Thank you for sharing this, Alex. Hang in there and continue the good work.”

As a dad and granddad, I got some pleasure out of the way my family all came together over this piece of news from our youngest member and, of course, I was also pleased to note the addendum coming from Alex:

“And with all the press coverage has also come an influx of support for Melville House and the author himself. So, with all the bad there is also good.”

Amen to that.

Postscript to all of you out there. As stated, I am an old guy who isn’t at all happy with our current administration no matter what Mr. Trump does or does not pull off in the Middle East. I confess to being just even handed enough (but no more than that) to wish our President well in that regard. As for all the other stuff on his and his cabinet’s 2025 agenda, I continue to be a non-believer and very disappointed that my traditional outlet, the Democratic Party, is currently in the hands of too many weak-kneed consultants whose specialty is that they write great concession speeches.

This all began with a text about a book making some reference,or references, to something called Antifa… right? I know little to nothing about this…. “organization” (?) but do have one question: isn’t Antifa simply short for anti-fascist? 

And who, may I ask, is not that?

 

Barney Rosenzweig