More fallout from the NPR/Juan Williams Fiasco: It has been reported that billionaire philanthropist and champion of liberal causes George Soros recently donated $2 million to NPR. Of course, this added fuel to the firestorm being stoked by the conservative pundits: should National PUBLIC Radio (funded in a VERY small part by the US Government) accept large private, donations from people with obvious political agendas. Of course, this donation, considering its source, sticks in the craw of all red-blooded, American conservatives.
Well, I'll leave that discussion for another day. What I will say is this: George Soros is a hero. Like my father-in-law, he is a Hungarian immigrant who barely escaped the communists during the Hungarian Revolution. Like my father-in-law, he is a self-made man who made his way with hard work, guile, and intelligence. They are menches. I once heard Soros respond to a question regarding his liberal stance. He responded (paraphrasing), " I know what it's like to live without freedom and I'll do everything within my power to make sure that it doesn't happen here".
Need we say more?
photo: F. LoBuono
I didn't know about the donation, but I knew about his heart. Nice piece.
ReplyDeleteI just came back from a memorial celebration of the anniversary of the Revolution at the Hungarian-American Athletic Club. In addition to speeches by survivors (all in Hungarian, so I didn't understand a thing. But they seemed compelling!), there was folk dancing and singing. One of the singers was my father-in-law, 83 years old, looking dapper with a beautiful suit and his shock of greying hair. Damn he's proud. And he should be. This is a man who arrived here with 12 dollars in his pocket and no English. He's owned at least 2 businesses, 4 or 5 permanent homes, vacation homes, and numerous boats and cars. Don't tell me it can't be done!! He has lived the American Dream.
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