Ron Silver

Ron Silver was an American actor of screen and stage and ardent political activist. Like many in Hollywood, he had been deeply liberal for many years. But he shocked expectations in 2004 when he fully supported President George W. Bush's reelection. His educated reexamination of his political positions was denigrated by liberals who expected him to blindly follow the Hollywood values line. Silver complained of being blacklisted for his politics in the years that followed, citing his difficulty in obtaining film roles, despite Hollywood's ostensible willingness to employ hardworking individuals with acting chops. His film career may have faltered due to external forces, but he did not let them kill his political activism too. Heremained politically active until his death. Silver succombed to esophagal cancer on March 15, 2009.

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"I find it ironic that many human rights advocates and outspoken members of my own entertainment community are often on the front lines to protest repression ... but they are usually the first ones to oppose any use of force to take care of these horrors that they catalogue repeatedly. Under the unwavering leadership of President Bush, the cause of freedom and democracy is being advanced by the courageous men and women serving in our armed services. The president is doing exactly the right thing."

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