RIP MOLLY IVINS

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We Can All Be Molly
by Larry Sakin
31 January 2007
A hole developed in my heart this afternoon. It formed
while reading about the death of syndicated columnist
Molly Ivins from cancer. Ivins was 62.
Molly Ivins was my inspiration for becoming a political
writer. A straight shooting newspaper woman of over
thirty years, Ivins’ critical eye guided millions to a
better understanding of how American politics are played
out on state and federal levels.
Ivins was characterized as a liberal, but a careful
reading of her work shows she had no affiliation with
any political philosophy. Her wry critiques were
reserved for greedy fools who landed on all points of
the political landscape. Just a little over a year ago,
she wrote of the overwhelming influence of campaign
contributions in the Democratic Party, and how campaign
cash contributed to the weakening of long standing
policies. It was a clarion call to every American to do
away with the current corrupt system, and was the
impetus for my “I Am Molly” article, which urged readers
to take the political system back from the “greedheads”,
a term Ivins coined, and fight for clean elections
systems across the country.
Sure, Ivins was rough on conservatives and she often was
the target of vitriolic attacks from the right. But no
one was spared her witty, cynical insights. Former
President Bill Clinton described Ivins as someone who
was "good when she praised me and who was painfully good
when she criticized me."
But Ivins served as more than a writing mentor for me.
Ivins is among the last of a breed of political
observers who didn’t write what people wanted to read.
She wrote the truth, as she saw it at least, and was
willing to call someone a bullshitter regardless of
their political views. She was a torchbearer for such
crusading editorialists as H. L. Mencken, Ambrose
Bierce, and Mike Royko; writers who put their balls on
the chopping block with each successive story they
published. In a century quickly becoming known for
cowardice and phony machismo, Molly Ivins followed her
predecessors into the storm of controversy, knowing how
easily her tits would get twisted in the wringer of
public opinion. It was this same courage she fought the
battle with breast cancer for nearly eight years.
However uncommon a person Ivins was, she practiced a
courage common to all of us.
And if her death is to mean anything, we desperately
need to absorb her burning passion for justice. Touch
our own courage in ridding our nation of despicable,
self-absorbed leaders unconcerned by the plight of
common people taking solace in Ivins’ words. We are all
Molly’s, and we can imprint our vision of this country
upon neighbors, friends, and leadership alike by
applying the same wisdom and bravery Ivins left as her
legacy.
Soon, the hole in my heart will heal as I re-read the
articles Ivins compiled for her many books, her
investigative reports in archived issues of Mother
Jones, and her observations on George W. Bush, whom she
briefly attended high school with. I will miss her
clarity; the pointed commentary so often lost in the din
of bloviating pundits. But her words will continue to
burn in me, fueling my disgust for the measly “old-boy”
network of legislators and executives that pass as
‘leaders’ in this country.
Hopefully, Ivins words will continue to burn in you too,
keeping your senses on alert for the next wave of
bullshit our dear leaders have in store for us.
http://mytown.ca/sakin/
FOR YOU MOLLY....WITH A TEARS IN MY EYES!
http://www.apfn.org/audio/when_I_Die.mp3
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