The Lenny Bruce Pardon

[elektro80]

Arrest the living, pardon the dead! What the story of comedian Lenny
Bruce really reveals is that a man could be arrested solely for his
speech in the land of the constitutional first amendement protecting
that free speech as late as 1964. At that time the US vigorously
protested similar arrests in the Soviet Bloc. It was shameful that he
was arrested, and it is shameful that he did not win the pardon while
alive. Interestingly, he could not get work following his jail time
and his life ended miserably in two years after that - just as lives
of many Eastern European dissidents did, once they were declared
outlaws. Now, a Republican Governer pardons Lenny with a lifetime
delay, only to shore up his first amendement credentials in face of
his shameful support to the Patriot Act which denies the first
amendement rights to the living.



http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/23/entertainment/main590005.shtml

CBS/AP) Comedian Lenny Bruce was granted a posthumous pardon by New York Governor George Pataki Tuesday for a nearly 40-year-old obscenity conviction prompted by a foul-mouthed political commentary.

Pataki called his decision, the first posthumous pardon in New York state, "a declaration of New York's commitment to upholding the First Amendment," which protects freedom of speech.

The campaign to win a pardon for Bruce was supported by his ex-wife and daughter, more than two dozen First Amendment lawyers and entertainers including Robin Williams and the Smothers Brothers.

"Lenny Bruce was one of the first poster boys for free speech, and even though it's long in coming, the pardon I think is well deserved … I think it's a symbolic and virtuous thing the governor did for Lenny Bruce," said comedian Tommy Smothers in an interview with CBS Producer Frank Teltsch.

[Michael Chocholak]

Yup. With plenty of worldwide historical precedent. And since the fbi can access our library records we are obviously working on lit crime which is just around the corner from thought crime. Of course, we will probably give a posthumous pardone to certain celebrity offenders in those cases as well, so not to worry.

[mosc]

Lenny Bruce was profoundly mistreated. In a way, he was one of the leaders of the 60s revolution. He challenged the conservative society by stepping over the line, and he payed the cost, unfortunately. He was one of the first "in your face" expressionists. A few years later, comedian George Carlin used dirty words to build a huge career. Rap artists followed suit in their time. Now, arresting someone for saying fuck seems absurd.

This pardon is a good thing because it puts a symbolic stake in the ground saying Lenny's treatment is condemned by the judgement of mainstream society. It doesn't do anything for Lenny, but it is a step forward for the living. It's similar to the Pope's pardon of Galileo, or of the Jews.

Certainly this is too little too late, but nevertheless, it's a step in the right direction. We have a very long way to go.

[Michael Chocholak]

Yes, certainly stepping forward in a positively symbolic way is a good thing. The gov't skewered him and owes him and his perspective an apology. Still, to me, it just seems a bit too facile, convenient & self serving whenever anybody does this.

The thing is, it's really a moot point. Look around and it's obvious the the culture itself not only totally vindicated Lenny a long time ago, but has been celebrating him for years!