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Ed Asner: Central America
built 607 days ago
[Ed Asner] has ... been active in a variety of other causes, such as the movement to free Mumia Abu-Jamal, and is a prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America. His political position may also have motivated him to play the voice of the pig-like villain Hoggish Greedly on the pro-environmental animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers.
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Like his character, Asner could ... be outspoken. His first brush with politics occurred when he became a labor rights activist during the 1980 strike by the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG), which delayed the 1980-81 TV season. Asner's work on behalf of the actors helped make him a viable candidate for the SAG presidency, which he received in 1981. Asner's political agenda widened, and, in the face of a growing right-wing national sentiment highlighted by the 1980 election of Ronald Regan, Asner became increasingly vocal against U.S. public policy, including that affecting U.S. involvement in Latin America.
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Asner was in court as a character witness for Gay on the basis of a screenplay Gay wrote while in prison. The play, "A Children's Story," won a $500 prize in a 1994 contest in a writer's workshop connected with the American Film Institute. Asner announced the award in a June 2 ceremony that year.
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Just 20 years ago, Asner appeared in front of the State Department to announce formation of a committee called Medical Aid for El Salvador. It raised money for victims of a bloody Central American civil war as the Reagan administration was arming a main combatant.
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During this period, Asner became a vocal critic of the Reagan administration's policies, especially regarding foreign affairs. Condemning U.S. involvement in Central America, Asnertook part in a fundraiserto send medical aid to El Salvadoran communist guerrillas who were fighting against the Reagan-backed government in that country,and he lent his name to a rebel-supporting direct-mail piece.
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A passionate and informed spokesperson for the causes he supports, Asner is a frequent speaker on labor issues and a particular ally for the acting industry's older artists. Among the political and charitable causes to which he currently lends his name and energy are Defenders of Wildlife, Peace Now, The Heifer Project, the ACLU, Food First, Death Penalty Focus, the Disarm Education Fund, the Office of the Americas, Democratic Socialists of America and Amnesty International. He was honored with the Anne Frank Human Rights Award in 1986, the Eugene V. Debs Award in 1987, the Organized Labor Publications Humanitarian Award in 1990, the American Civil Liberties Union's Worker's Right's Committee Golden Lunchbox Award in 1991, the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal in 1992 and the National Emergency Civil Liberties Award.
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