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HistoryFaces [ http://bit.ly/HistoryFacesApp ] honors Mickey Leland—a Face in the current HF App and Congressman from Texas’ 88th District—who died #OTD 8/7/1989 in a plane crash on an anti-hunger mission to a U.N. refugee camp in Ethiopia. #MickeyLeland
![HistoryFaces [ http://bit.ly/HistoryFacesApp ] honors Mickey Leland—a Face in the current HF App and Congressman from Texas’ 88th District—who died #OTD 8/7/1989 in a plane crash on an anti-hunger mission to a U.N. refugee camp in Ethiopia. #MickeyLeland](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ee1CfAhX0AITi0k.jpg "HistoryFaces [ http://bit.ly/HistoryFacesApp ] honors Mickey Leland—a Face in the current HF App and Congressman from Texas’ 88th District—who died #OTD 8/7/1989 in a plane crash on an anti-hunger mission to a U.N. refugee camp in Ethiopia. #MickeyLeland")
It’s hard to find anything critical of Mickey Leland, but Stephen Chapman (SC), in a Chicago Tribune article published 8/17/89, days after the fatal airplane crash, found plenty to criticize. I'll put his remarks 1st then follow with info from others. You decide.#OTD#MickeyLeland
SC: ...he was not the indispensable man on starvation relief. ...bombarded with images of emaciated children on network TV... The bill passed easily in each house, & President Reagan promptly signed it, even though it included more money than he had recommended.#OTD#MickeyLeland
WP 10/31/84 [Helping Ethiopia is] complicated by Washington's resistance to the government... British food-aid expert, Dr. Charles Elliott, [charges] the U.S. & Britain have withheld assistance in the hope that a disastrous famine would topple the government.#OTD#MickeyLeland
![WP 10/31/84 [Helping Ethiopia is] complicated by Washington's resistance to the government... British food-aid expert, Dr. Charles Elliott, [charges] the U.S. & Britain have withheld assistance in the hope that a disastrous famine would topple the government.#OTD#MickeyLeland](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ee1DcvzWoAY-zMA.jpg "WP 10/31/84 [Helping Ethiopia is] complicated by Washington's resistance to the government... British food-aid expert, Dr. Charles Elliott, [charges] the U.S. & Britain have withheld assistance in the hope that a disastrous famine would topple the government.#OTD#MickeyLeland")
SC: He began as a radical and never learned much. In 1975, while serving in the Texas legislature, Leland said, ''My political philosophy is probably Marxist . . . I probably do fit the definition of a revolutionary.''#OTD#MickeyLeland
WP: active in the civil rights movement as a student in the late 60s... describing himself as a "Marxist" & "revolutionary." ...demonstrating against police brutality ...proved to be a pivotal moment... persuading Leland to work within the political system rather than against it.
SC: Much has been made of Leland`s maturing from a dashiki-clad militant to a responsible insider. But even in his later years he was prone to extremist fevers. After... the invasion of Grenada, he signed a petition ...for President Reagan`s impeachment-though he recanted...
WIKI: The CBC denounced the invasion, & 7 Democratic congressmen introduced an unsuccessful resolution to impeach President Reagan, led by Ted Weiss... Some scholars... concluded that the invasion constituted neither justifiable self-defense... nor humanitarian intervention...
SC: When a black candidate he supported for vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee lost to another black, Illinois Comptroller Roland Burris, Leland angrily denounced Burris as a house slave.#OTD#MickeyLeland
FOX NEWS 5/28/09: In a 1/5 sworn-affidavit filed before Burris testified before the Illinois impeachment committee, Burris wrote that "prior to the 12/26/08, telephone call from Mr. Adams Jr., there was not any contact between myself or ...my representatives with Gov. Blagojevich
FOX NEWS cont.: But in the FBI wiretap ...recorded 11/13, Burris tells Rob Blagojevich -- then chairman of the ex-governor's reelection campaign -- that he would "personally do something" to help the governor and offered to "give him a check." HF: May not make him a "Tom," but...
SC: But when it came to Marxist dictators, Leland could hardly find uncharitable words. He made several visits to Cuba, meeting with Fidel Castro and reporting, ''While I disagree with his fundamental ideology . . . I respect him for his intellect.''#OTD#MickeyLeland
Harry Hurt III: [On our trip to Cuba,] we passed through urban slums even more dilapidated than those in Havana... Mickey boldly notes within earshot of our official guides that only two ...members of the nation’s ruling politburo are black.#OTD#MickeyLeland
![Harry Hurt III: [On our trip to Cuba,] we passed through urban slums even more dilapidated than those in Havana... Mickey boldly notes within earshot of our official guides that only two ...members of the nation’s ruling politburo are black.#OTD#MickeyLeland](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ee1FihIXYAE2FyT.jpg "Harry Hurt III: [On our trip to Cuba,] we passed through urban slums even more dilapidated than those in Havana... Mickey boldly notes within earshot of our official guides that only two ...members of the nation’s ruling politburo are black.#OTD#MickeyLeland")
Texas Monthly: In the 80s the State Department praised him for helping arrange the release of 4 Americans imprisoned by Castro in Cuba. #OTD#MickeyLeland
We cut and paste; you decide.
We cut and paste; you decide.
SC implied that Leland was not productive in Congress. That does not match what I found. Leland sponsored or co-sponsored 2649 bills in the 100 and 101st Congress; 278 became law. The subjects are extremely varied but generally focus on helping folks. More... #OTD#MickeyLeland
I knew little about Leland before he became a face in HistoryFaces [ http://bit.ly/HistoryFacesApp ]. SC seemed to contradict what I had learned about Leland. I thought I'd find support for SC's position & that would make for a good thread, but... no.
![I knew little about Leland before he became a face in HistoryFaces [ http://bit.ly/HistoryFacesApp ]. SC seemed to contradict what I had learned about Leland. I thought I'd find support for SC's position & that would make for a good thread, but... no.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ee1HxIOWoAA1kKr.jpg "I knew little about Leland before he became a face in HistoryFaces [ http://bit.ly/HistoryFacesApp ]. SC seemed to contradict what I had learned about Leland. I thought I'd find support for SC's position & that would make for a good thread, but... no.")
