We love wingnuts

If Harry Belafonte is a wingnut, as tagged by Toronto Sun columnist Mike Strobel in his Friday column, then we adore wingnuts.

Mike sat down with the unapologetic 80-year-old African American singer, actor, activist, humanitarian and socialist who has called George W. "the greatest terrorist in the world."

Heck, as a black man in America for eight decades, no apologies are needed for his views. So Harry loves Fidel, so did our Pierre and Fidel returned the affection by attending Trudeau's funeral.

The dapper Calypso singer was in T.O. to receive the first International Diversity Award from the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews. It was awarded for his humanitarian efforts.

Mike's always fascinating prose sounds like he admires the man and his music, but not his politics, but then he does write for the Sun.

As Mike would say about his column, "this is my island in the Sun." (We couldn't resist.)

We don't know when Mike sat down with Harry for the interview, but another song that comes to mind when talking about life in America is Abraham, Martin and John.

Belafonte's 1960s version is as vivid as ever in this 44th anniversary week of JFK's assassination:

Has anybody here,
Seen my old friend John,
Can you tell me, where he's gone,
He freed a lotta people,
But it seems the good die young,
I just looked around,
And he's gone,

Has anybody here,
Seen my old friend Martin,
Can you tell me, where he's gone,
He freed a lotta people,
But it seems the good die young,
I just looked around,
And he's gone,

Didn't you love the things they stood for,
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me,
And we'll be free,
Someday soon it's gonna be one day,

Has anybody here,
Seen my old friend Bobby,
Can you tell me, where he's gone,
I thought I saw him walkin' up over the hill,
With Abraham, Martin and John

Our thanks to Harry Belafonte for the music, the movies and the messages.

And to Mike for interviewing him, even if he is a socialist wingnut.