A Harvey Milk Holiday?
by Daniel J. Flynn
Inspired in part by the Academy Award-winning Milk, California’s senate has passed a bill making slain San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk’s May 22 birthday a Golden State holiday. But the celluloid hero portrayed by Sean Penn bears little resemblance to the genuine article, who lashed out at political opponents as “Nazis,” purportedly staged a hate crime to engender support for a lagging campaign, and promoted Jim Jones to President Carter “as a man of the highest character” just a few months before the Peoples Temple leader orchestrated more than 900 murder-suicides. My City Journal article shows how Sean Penn’s Harvey Milk is as real as Toby Maguire’s Spider-Man. Only people so ignorant as to get their history from Hollywood would place the formerly obscure San Francisco city supervisor alongside the likes of Jesus Christ, George Washington, Christopher Columbus, and Martin Luther King in celebrating a holiday in his honor.
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58 Comments
Yes, but considering this is happening in CA, what does it really mean?
Those of us who were around here during Milk's rise to power know what he really was. His being a gay rights advocate was actually one of his few admirable traits. He was a pure San Francisco political-machine manipulative politician. He thrived on discord and division. Leaving his sexual orientation completely out of the discussion, he was a sleazy, dishonest leftist demagogue. In other words, typically San Francisco.
And as usual, the demonization of gay icons by republicans, continues. If we're going to point out the less positive atributes of our national heroes, let's start with Ronald Reagan and his reaction to the AIDS crisis.
Can someone explain exactly WHAT he did that's so great? Seriously. WHAT did he do, aside from being shot and killed for blocking a fellow city worker from getting reinstated-which resulted in him getting shot? Just what in the hell did he do that was so special, that commands a holiday?
I'd prefer to start with Rush Limbaugh. What's with that guys "a n a l obsession"?
"We are being told that we have to hope [Obama] succeeds, that we have to bend over, grab the ankles, bend over forward, backward, whichever, because his father was b l a c k, because this is the first b l a c k president." Jan 2009
Key John McCain ally Sen. Lindsey Graham "is certainly close enough to [McCain] to die of a n a l poisoning."
NBC's Andrea Mitchell, somewhat confusingly, is the "bu tt boy" to Rep. Barney Frank.
When Adm. Bobby Ray Inman didn't want to take an administration job, Limbaugh sympathized. "He — he decided not to undergo the congressional and media r e c t a l exam that being nominated for a Cabinet post — that's what this is, folks. Somebody's got something somewhere that he just doesn't want probed."
The 1996 Republican nominee was bound to get "the biggest … r e c t a l exam."
almost forgot this one… Is it mere coincidence that he got out of serving in Vietnam because of an a n a l cyst?
Wow, you have basically described President Obama…
And the REALLY twisted thing is, people are basing their judgement of Milk on the movie with Sean Penn.
Hey, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Penn go to Iran not too long ago and go all smoochie with AquaVelvaJad?? Everyone knows how much Iran loves gays…..
I think this is typical California politicians pandering for the gay vote. It reminds me of a quote: "When the reality no longer exists, people can exploit the legend for either good or bad." In other words, Harvey Milk has been dead for 30 years & now they are remaking him into something he's not.
[...] May 22 Harvey Milk holiday Inspired in part by the Academy Award-winning Milk, California
Did you read the article? Not about demonization of gay icons. It is about proclaiming a holiday for one crummy politician in San Francisco who happened to be a gay politician. And what about Reagan and AIDS? He reacted about the same as any politician at the time, and probably better. Nobody was sure what it was. It only seemed to affect one small segment of society, and even then they were not sure at first that it was actually caused by sexual contact. But when it became the "gay plague," Reagan refused to join in any of the gay bashing that came out of that. You are using leftist/gay rights talking points without knowing anything about the real times and the real history.
here's a question for you, how do you feel about Sean Penn?
Give specific examples of said demonization from this page Junie. Put up or shut up. I haven't read any except more typical Leftist robots spouting crappy nonsense.
And why do you assume that people dislike this man just b/c he's gay? Maybe, and this is just a thought, people just didn't like him as a politician. It's a stretch, I know, for you to get it, but I have hope for you nonetheless.
AquaVelvaJad! Priceless.
There are no gays in Iran
He stood up to conservative scum and fought discrimination and bigotry. That makes him an American Hero.
The same city that wanted to name a sewage treatment plant for George Bush wants to honor a corrupt, lying, dishonest looney leftwing liberal.
Not surprised.
HAHA, The liberals are in an uproar as 98% of California sees this as a joke just like our State leaders are a joke (Almost all liberals).
Liberals have done this state wonders, bordering on highest Unemployment, deepest in debt, people leaving in droves.
Liberals have created their utopia!! I do my fair share and dismissed all my employees that had Odumbo stickers. Letting them know that I feel for them but the economy just can't support so many workers. And since I used feelings to speak about their layoff they left without so much of a whimper.
LiberalsRidiots!
Hahahahahaha…I'll celebrate by making love to my amazing wife!
So how come for the last 30 years no one's heard of this guy until this silly movie came out? I was raised in the Bay Area and NO ONE cares about this guy. Only a few gays in SF started whining about him recently 'cause of the movie buzz. The guy did NOTHING except get killed for putting his fat nose into someone else's business. He was nothing but a hypocritical liberal scumbag (like all liberals) who ratted on a fellow city worker and blocked him from getting reinstated, so he got shot and killed because of it. Why don't we have an Al Gore day too?
The idea that Reagan did nothing or worse about Aids is more Left-Wing prevarications about a American Legend. He put Billions into fighting Aids. Could he have done more sure, lets not forget he was peacefully taking apart Communism, something the Far-Left will never forgive him for, and trying to revive a stagnant economy at the same time.It's o.k. to re-visit History you just can't Rewrite it. Where Ronald Reagan put his feet the likes of the Sean Penn's and Harvey Milk's Couldn't put their faces
Ratted on a fellow city worker? Where are you getting your information from? It amazes me how some conservatives refuse to accept reality, by prefering to regard it based on their own perception.
Auntie? Pie? Twinkies? I sense a connection here…..
AquaVelvaJad?!?!?
We have a winner – no more entries are needed.
So let me get this straight (no sexual reference intended), California is broke and heading over the cliff and all these legislators in Sacramento can find the time to do is dream up another "holiday" for some sexual deviant? Is it me or does this seem insane? I wonder if they would also consider a state holiday to honor Ronald Reagan. Not in this lifetime.
I was well aware of Milk's enablement of Jim Jones and therefore the Guyana massacre, having read about his letter to Carter several years ago. It is astounding that a movie was even made about the guy because of that episode, much less that anyone would propose a day of remembrance for the guy. The only place Milk should be remembered is in infamy. Penn's movie Milk doesn't qualify as a biopic because it's nearly complete and total fiction. What that film is is a myopic (Ha, ha).
During Reagan AIDS was a non-issue that hardly anyone knew about. Not even the leftist press was saying much about AIDS at that time. And what about demonizing gay icons? How about demonizing a guy that supported Jim Jones, mass murderer, a political cheat, thug, liar, etc that promoted some pretty evil approach to politics? Apparently Junie thinks that because the guy was gay he must be deemed a saint, no questions asked. No thanks Junie. That guy Milk is a sad pathetic excuse of a human being on a number of levels.
Junie, you had a chance to say what he did that was great. Still waiting. Or are we to assume that because he was gay he must have done something great and sensitive and noble? Well Junie instead of your hit and miss tactics, lay out your hero worship and why you feel it is justified.
Spineless legislators are just doing what they know best: Pander for votes. It's easy when one stands for nothing, hence the spinelessness for the flexibility to swing from issue to issue.
The Golden State!? I thought it had become The Welfare State.
Like Halloween?
Sounds like most any politician.
Not quite yet. Currently it's only the really badly-tarnished state.
All I see is Jeff Spicoli.
Why don't we have an Al Gore day too?
Yes!
That is scheduled the day after hell freezes over.
This is typical of the California Legislature.
Instead of scheduling another day off, those clowns need to stay at work and get to work on the budget.
i have no hate towards gays. But if you want to honor people in CA, why not pick people who really gave their all for their community and their country ? I would rather see a nationwide Audie Murphy Day of remembrance of our heroes.
Are we to have a Sean Penn holiday too?
A guy that was voted into office by other gays and liberals, tended to lie for political gain, was kicked out of the navy, and lied about why, was friends with the Jim Jones crowd, etc. This is a guy that deserves a state holiday? Man, you liberals sure do know how to give honor to the wrong people.
I remember Harvey Milk well. He was a flaming *itch! Now the idiot Penn and the liberal media is trying to turn this partisan hack politician into a saint! Nauseating!!
Actually "Junie," Milk ratted on and complained about city supervisor Dan White (according to the History Channel), the man who shot and killed him. And he DID complain and block him from being reinstated (that's why the guy lost it and shot him along with Mayor Moscone). You got anything to refute that, Lefty? It doesn't amaze me how liberals don't fact-check their own arguments before shooting their mouths off.
Why does he need a holiday? Doesn't he already have an entire section of the supermarkets all over the country??
I can't wait to leave this demented cesspit. CA is an absolute joke; this place deserves financial ruin. Instead of honoring some military heroes we're honoring some queeer for simply being a queeer. Next the brain-dead misfits of this state will create a holiday to celebrate the illegal aliens and their gang bangin' offspring.
Correct. All it takes is a simple Google search to find the facts about Reagan and AIDS but that is too much trouble. It's way easier to be spoon fed misinformation by people like Olbermann and MIlk than too actually research something. The one bit of misinformation I like the most from the left is that Reagan didn't even mention the word AIDS until 1987. So why didn't any of these liberals that act like they care so much ask him about AIDS?
I thought Sean Penn was the ugliest man in the world until I saw Harvey Milk. And Sean Penn as Harvey Milk was frightening.
I thought Governor Arnold struck this down and would not sign this bill. Did it come up again and the legislature passed it? If so, then you can expect me, as a mother of two boys, to raise HELL if our kids have to learn about this crap in school. Hey kids, skip school day – ice cream on me…
The official homosexual holiday.
More "Gay"….F-Harvey Milk…he made his pee pee the central issue of his life and a bunch of other militant "Sexualists". Behold Harvey's legacy….http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,521209,00.htm...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpbag-KSoYI
Assuming I accept your argument that the above are “myth” days, your points make no sense. So two myths make a right?
Actually, gay icons (i.e. Perez Hilton) do a pretty good job of demonizing themselves.
It's the Golden Shower State
Thanks for having the guts to be honest about that miserable piece of crap and very minor footnote in history Harvey Milk.
I just had this idea. I have decided to become Gay (with a capitol "G"!). If you guys don't believe me, I will personally sodomize you till you do. Butt if I was you, I'd just trust me on this one. It'll be a whole lot less painful for everybody involved if you do. Thank you.
Also, now if you don't like my "art", then you're all a bunch of f**king homophobes.
Didn't all the local California politicians enable Jim Jones?
Flynn's City Journal peice is incredible. Try telling a liberal friend the truth about Milk and watch the shocked reaction. Most friends who saw MILK never even heard of Jim Jones.
Most significant Democrat politicians operating in the Bay Area in the 1970's were in some form of collaboration with Jim Jones and The People's Temple and was even supported by First Lady Roseiline Carter.
The Peoples Temple cultists as political activists were just to powerful and valuable to cross. The one major politician who dared to question Jim Jones's activities was Congressman Leo Ryan who was murdered by Temple gunmen. Even Leo Ryan on the last day of his life started out praising Jonestown as a "dream" and a success.
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