Nassau Rejects Poet Nominee Over Words About War in Iraq

[Echotrail]

Source: New York Times

GARDEN CITY, N.Y., June 4 — The news release announcing the designation of Maxwell Corydon Wheat Jr. as Nassau County’s first poet laureate had already been drafted. But it was not to be.

After a lifetime devoted mostly to poetry and nature, Mr. Wheat on Monday found himself the focus — and the legislative casualty — of a passionate debate over United States soldiers in Iraq.

Mr. Wheat, a Freeport resident who declined to give his age, had seemed to be a shoo-in. The County Legislature had appointed a six-member advisory panel of experts, which unanimously nominated him after reviewing 14 candidates.

The panel enthusiastically cited Mr. Wheat’s accolades after decades of writing, teaching and promoting poetry, including the Long Island School of Poetry Award from the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, and an award from the New York State Outdoor Education Association. He is also a naturalist who leads local tours, and many of his poems are about the flora and fauna of Long Island.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/nyregion/05poet.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

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Mr. Wheat, a Marine veteran and nature poet nominated for county poet laureate, was accused by highly partisan county legislators of "attacking the soldiers." He'd written some poems critical of the war on Iraq.

[damntexdem]

1. Typical Rethug reaction to poetry, as to all truth.

As much as U.S. civilization tries to tame it, poetry IS dangerous -- thank goodness.

[Echotrail]

3. Anytime someone speaks the truth they say "The soldiers!" "The soldiers!"

If I were a soldier I would be pretty upset that these arrogant conservative non-thinkers were speaking for me.

This is what some of the soldiers think:
http://www.ivaw.org/view/profiles
They speak very well for themselves!

[BikeWriter]

2. Fascist bastids!

[Barrett808]

4. k & r