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Mike Farrell speaks at Western |
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GRAND JUNCTION Amidst the stunning need caused by Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in the week preceding this year’s Catholic Diocese of Pueblo Foundation Dinner on September 9th, speaker Mike Farrell advocated for human rights, focusing primarily on the premise that human life is sacred and must be preserved except when necessary for personal or national defense. The sold out crowd of approximately 200 people responded with standing ovations. Many then waited in line for autographs and personal conversations with Farrell. Farrell is best known for his acting role as B.J. Hunnicutt on the series M.A.S.H. and later for his character on the television series Providence. Beyond television, however Farrell has educated himself about human rights issues often by going straight to the source. He has visited death row—once even sitting at the very table on which a body would be placed to cool after electrocution. He has traveled abroad in search for solutions to unthinkable scenes such as mass graves found in Rwandan Catholic Churches used as decoys for slaughter. At the root of human injustice Farrell claimed, is fear. Unfortunately, societal fear allowed to build upon itself bludgeons hope. “And given the ethical collapse all around us today, who can blame people for being afraid?” “In such a time when people are easily frightened and manipulated,” Farrell said, “confusion abounds in the midst of this confusion arise voices—voices in the media, in popular organizations, in some of our churches, in businesses and in positions of political power these voices are often articulate and persuasive and highly seductive. But if you listen, they are in some very clever ways, giving people permission to hate.” According to Farrell, “Several decades ago, Mohandas K. Ghandi articulated what he called the seven social sins, one of which was ‘education without character.’ Education without character, the careful feeding in of selective information can result in people being manipulated for purposes of evil—whether active or passive.” People really need to understand this manipulation in order to stop it. And more importantly, they need to have a clear sense of themselves and their own value to not be bullied by fear. Without self worth, people do not recognize the value in others. Tragically, love is lost in this equation. To further illustrate Farrell’s statement “Everybody counts or nobody counts,” he told stories about the lost or invisible in our society that become who they are as a result of experience. Many have not felt the hope of a better life, so their bitterness can become outwardly, or inwardly—destructive. Realizing and accepting this potential not only in others, but even in oneself—individuals become armed with the ability to question. They can begin to see that compassion is an asset rather than a weakness. And according to Farrell, “By facing and conquering our fears and learning to rely on our strengths we can do anything.” Farrell acknowledged the agony of the killing in Rwanda and elsewhere deemed right because of selective education of those less sure of themselves and in need of security. Alongside the scenes of profound social injury that he described in America’s prison system and poverty ridden communities, Farrell challenged the audience to ask themselves, “who are we as a nation, what kind of nation do we aspire to be?” Should the eye for an eye mentality continue to set precedent for this nation and the world or should the killing stop here. He offered this idea, “Imagine that you lived in a country that provided an example of human possibility for the rest of the world. Imagine the future that such an opportunity this land embodied could create in the hearts and minds of hopeful beings.“ The resulting realization can be difficult to communicate, but at the risk of being labeled a do-gooder, it’s important to speak out. There will always be those who live in fear, are motivated by fear and preach fear. They will work hard collect allies in their thinking. Fear, however is the antithesis of trust in God. Farrell urged, “We cannot go on being so scared of each other.” The answer isn’t fear but love. He begged that the destruction of the Twin Towers of concrete and steel, not be allowed to obliterate the Twin Towers of liberty and justice. Farrell quoted Jim Wallis of the Sojourner Community, saying, “Hope is the very dynamic of history.” If to replace fear with hope seems too tall an order, “We can look to those who have gone before.” He reminded the crowd of other examples of great social change: achievements in civil liberties, women’s rights movements, labor movements, but most of examples of “those individuals that learn through incredibly difficult personal experience that by putting themselves out in the service of others they became more than they had once been.” Resources Sited by Speaker Mike Farrell
Clarence Darrow,
Attorney (1857 - 1938)
2005 WESTERN SLOPE
DINNER FEATURING MIKE FARRELL
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Michael Joseph Farrell was born on February 6, 1929 in Saint Paul, Minnesota. At the age of 2 a move to Hollywood, where his father's work as a studio carpenter provided young Mike's first glimpse of the world behind the studio walls, began his fascination with the "movies," one he has never fully lost. After graduation from Hollywood High Mike joined the Marines. Once out of the Marines he worked a number of jobs - including a stint as private investigator for a couple of years - then decided to pursue a career as an actor, beginning with small parts in films like "The Graduate" and "The Americanization of Emily". Stage roles and small parts on TV eventually landed him in the soap "Days of Our Lives", where he starred as Scott Banning for two years. "Days" was followed by leading roles in two series, "The Interns" and "The Man and The City", then a four-year contract with Universal Pictures. Clearly, Mike is best known for playing Captain B.J. Hunnicutt in the ever popular series M*A*S*H. His eight years with the memorable show allowed the opportunity to both write and direct several episodes, earning him nominations for Director's Guild and Emmy Awards. His first production experience outside of "M*A*S*H" was the CBS-TV film "Memorial Day", in which he starred opposite Shelley Fabares. On the documentary front, among many others, Farrell co-hosted the show: "Saving the Wildlife" for PBS, hosted "The Best of the National Geographic Specials" and had a great adventure scuba diving with his children, Michael and Erin, among hundreds of sharks in French Polynesia for "The World of Audubon." On December 31, 1984 Mike married actress Shelley Fabares (pictured with Mike to the left). Together with partner Marvin Minoff he formed "Farrell/Minoff productions". Farrell/Minoff's first production was "Dominick and Eugene", a film starring Tom Hulce and Ray Liotta. One of the more recent productions of Farrell/Minoff is "Patch Adams", starring Robin Williams. Not only active in the film industry, Mike is a very active and outspoken citizen. Promoting human rights and opposing the death penalty are two of his focal points, making him a regular lecturer to interested audiences all over the United States. In 1996 Mike was presented the Valentine Davies Award by the Writers Guild of America, given to members: "whose contribution to the entertainment industry and the community-at-large have brought dignity and honor to writers everywhere." In February 1998 Farrell was appointed to the Commission on Judicial Performance, an 11 member California State Commission that adjudicates complaints against judges in the state. 1998 also brought him NBC-TV's "Providence" playing veterinarian Jim Hansen with cast-mates Melina Kanakaredes, Concetta Tomei, Paula Cale and Seth Peterson. In 2002 Mike was elected First Vice President of the Screen Actors Guild in Los Angeles. In 2004 Mike Received the Donald Wright Award from California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, only the third time in the 28 years the award has been presented that the recipient was neither a lawyer nor a judge. In his spare time Mike loves to read, spend time with his wife and kids
and enjoys cross-country motorcycling. His bike trips have
crisscrossed, amongst others, the U.S., Canada, Australia and Europe. Mike Farrell and the Death Penalty "I believe that no one should be executed, guilty or innocent. There are appropriate sanctions that protect society and punish wrongdoers without focusing us to stoop to the level of the least among us at his or her worst moment." Being a life-long opponent of the death penalty, Mike Farrell has debated and spoken about this issue on many occasions across the country. Clearly not everyone shares his views on the death penalty. Some believe it is appropriate under certain circumstances for the state to take a life. Those who hold to that view, thought, "must not only examine the issue on an abstract moral or philosophical plane, but should look carefully at the reality of what a death penalty system truly means in a society such as ours - what it does, who it impacts, who it serves - and what our moral obligation is with regard to the mistakes it makes." An alternative to the death penalty that Farrell believes appropriate is Life Imprisonment Without the Possibility of Parole. This means exactly what it says. Life imprisonment without ever having the chance to get out. "A life sentence without parole protects public safety while sparing us the barbarity of killing our own. It teaches our children that violence will be punished, but not be emulating the violent. This seems eminently more consistent with American ideals than continuing to share the killing stage with some of the world's worst human rights violators." Farrell's views on the death penalty and prison reform are not something that developed in the last couple of years. In the late 60's two friends encourage Mike to get involved with a Salvation Army funded rehabilitation program. The place was a haven to anyone who wanted to come in, but had been established to help drug addicts, alcoholics and those who were social misfits or outcasts because of various kinds of problems that resulted in them acting out in socially unacceptable ways. For Farrell it was a "wonderful eye-opening, mind-opening, heart-opening experience," something he'll never forget. It taught him a lot and since he got so much love and support and warmth from these people ("whores, thieves, junkies, drunks and sexual deviates that society teaches us to think of as dispensable"), Mike determined to use the lessons they taught him to do what he could to change the way people think about others - particularly about "the least among us." Since that time, he has been an advocate of penal reform and prisoner's rights, and has worked with and been a supporter of organizations such as "The Fortune Society" in New York; "P.O.R.T." in Minneapolis and "The Delancey Street Foundation" in San Francisco and Los Angeles. In the late 70's he became actively involved with the "Southern Coalition on Jails and Prisons", appearing at various functions on its behalf. Under the aegis of the SCJP and Reverend Joe Ingle he first visited a death row at Tennessee State Prison during this period. This experience made a huge impression on him. Having been to prisons with the rehabilitation program, he knew a little bit about the kinds of people he'd meet there, but "all of the lore, the horror stories about slobbering lunatics and deranged, fanged creatures," had made him a bit nervous. Yet, what he found on death row was what you'd find anywhere. The people he met were a "cross section of humanity. All of them had come from poverty. Many were black. Some were very tough. But they were unanimous in their appreciation" for him having come. They were "clearly very lonely and very needy, in an emotional sense. There was a sense of embarrassment about some of them, as though they were ashamed to be seen in that circumstance." Farrell was very "touched by their humanness, moved by the awareness that they were no different from you and me. They had done terrible things of course, but that wasn't the sum total of their existence. They had children and mothers and fathers, wives, brothers and sisters. They felt things and hoped for things and wondered about things just as we do. The only difference was that they were living in cages and knew they'd never get out of them until the day they were marched to the electric chair." Trying to create a better understanding about the cruelty and inconsistency of the death penalty, Mike is a regular lecturer to interested audiences across the United States. In his opinion, the best approach to reach that better understanding is "first through the people, then the politicians. Although politicians are certainly influential, they are also mistrusted more and more. Politicians in America are notorious cowards and, for the most part, won't go out on a limb." Farrell is always "thrilled" when someone comes up and tells him he's changed his/her mind, but often he doesn't know the result of his speeches. He's "just glad to have the opportunity to talk to people who really have no personal experience of it in the hope that this will at least give them pause in their support for death." Farrell's activities in the anti death penalty movement vary from organizing and supporting campaigns to save specific individuals, educating the public through radio and television interviews and debates, speaking, writing essays and newspaper editorials, meeting with state governors and/or government officials when appropriate, coordinating and organizing meetings and maintaining communication with other activists and organizations. When Mike gets involved in a death penalty case he finds it most important to "get as much information as you can, not only about the case itself but about the individual and his or her family, the victim's family, the governor, the political situation of the state, etc. Then you can make the best presentation you can, hopefully backed up by the testimony of experts." For more information on Mike Farrell, please visit his website at www.mikefarrell.org. |
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