Remembering a well loved DUer today

[malaise]

William Rivers Pitt - he died two years ago. I often wonder what he would have written about the CONvicted felon today.

[PJMcK]

1. He was an awesome writer

Mr. Pitt had terrific insights and had a deep understanding of our political and cultural worlds. I miss his thoughts.

ETA: only two years? It feels much longer.

[malthaussen]

14. Time both flies, and creeps in its petty pace.

Really, I often find it hard to believe that it's 2024 already.

-- Mal

[orleans]

35. it does feel much longer -- i vaguely remember he had stopped posting here

i looked up his profile and he joined in july 2002 but his last post was "NA"

[brush]

151. Right. IIRC he was banned for calling Pres. O a POS.

Sorry, but that's a not so fond memory.

[Raven]

2. TY.

[malaise]

5. Thinking of you too

[NJCher]

3. How odd

I was just thinking about him yesterday.

This wiki entry covers his many books.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rivers_Pitt#:~:text=on%20the%20war.-,Personal,died%20on%20September%2026%2C%202022.

[malaise]

8. Amazing that you were thinking of him on

The day he died 9/26.
Thanks for the link

[NJCher]

43. here's another one

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=19484810

read end of that post and the next two.

[malaise]

45. Thanks

[intheflow]

18. Weird.

See my post, below. He popped into my head yesterday, too. Apparently he decided to visit us on his death anniversary.

[NJCher]

44. OOOOOOOOOOOKaaaay.....

Right after I posted the above back to Malaise, I heard a cough in the corner of the room and a cardboard tube that was sitting on the desk fell to the floor.

I thought it was my cat so I checked on him and he is still sleeping in the bedroom.

------------------------

on edit: sometimes cardboard tubes are used to direct or magnify the voice.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. IMO, Will would have been commenting nonstop in perpetuity

if he were still with us.

I loved his viewpoints and his prose.

Dare I call him an icon.

[SheltieLover]

6. R.I.P., William.

TY for sharing, Malaise. I've not heard from him in a long time & have been wondering if he's ok.

[kentuck]

7. Will Pitt had the best words.

I admired his passion.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

13. Me too

[quaint]

9. From Truthout

William Rivers Pitt was Truthout’s lead columnist and senior editor. He died on September 26, 2022, at the age of 50. If you’re grieving for Will, as so many of us are, you can support a fund for his 9-year-old daughter Lola here.

[FarPoint]

10. Absolutely....

I miss him every day.... I've lost several friends from my old days at political campaigns ... Andy Stephenson, Kevin Spidel and Will Pitt....Will was really hard...still grieving.

[catrose]

11. Good thoughts to his daughter Lola

[malaise]

12. and the rest of his family

Including his mom😀

[sinkingfeeling]

15. I adored his writings and still have some from DU and

Truthout stored on my computer.

[intheflow]

16. I was JUST thinking about him yesteray!

He popped into my head as I was driving and I even thought, "I should write a DU post about how much I miss him." He was a lovely person and I'm glad our paths crossed here.

To Will PItt!

[malaise]

23. I loved his posts

[uppityperson]

41. Me too, I agree

And hi

[intheflow]

46. Hi back!

Been a tick, UP!

[Kid Berwyn]

17. A great Democrat and a great human being.

FEARLESS and TOPS in every way that’s good.

Miss him every day.

[malaise]

26. Nailed it

Rec

[JohnSJ]

49. The hatred post against President Obama, and anti-Hillary posts,

encouraging people not to vote for Hillary

“great democrat”?

[Kid Berwyn]

51. Yes, he was a great Democrat.

William Pitt proved it every freaking day. He put his real name down next to his words and he took much heat for it -- much from the same vile types who today are MAGA "nation."

Sometimes he and I disagreed, vehemently. But on what counts, he believed in the Constitution, thought all people are created equal, and treated others with respect. Besides any of that, this is a democracy, and Will Pitt was entitled to his opinions.

[JohnSJ]

54. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I just expressed mine

Some say Nina Turner and David Sirota are great democrats also

[obamanut2012]

74. Thank you

[JohnSJ]

82. ..........

[betsuni]

121. Called Obama a Republican Trojan horse too, TPP was an Obama conspiracy to screw American workers (it goes

without saying that Bill Clinton was the sole cause ruining America because of loss of manufacturing jobs -- he signed a trade deal in the '90s -- instead of reality, that the economy shifted from manufacturing to service in the '70s and the losses became very bad in the '80s (remember Michael Moore's movie "Roger & Me" from 1989 oops before Bill) and the main reason is automation, not Bill Clinton's diabolical plot to ruin America). That Democrats shifted Right and have the same neoliberal economic policies as Republicans is the foundation of the ideology. A lot of conspiracies and mis/disinformation going around at the time, very trendy with the I Hate Democrats They Must Be Replaced audiences. A fictional evil Democratic Party.

Said he was voting for Stein or writing in a name in 2016. What a "great Democrat"!

[tritsofme]

132. I just don't understand the rewriting history thing. Are we all just supposed to play pretend? Like all that

didn't actually happen?

[betsuni]

133. Idealizing. Worlds Collide between worship and reality.

I sometimes quote elected officials attacking Democrats but don't attribute it because fans can't deal with it, get really mad and insist it never happened or the person didn't say what they said, what they really meant was totally different and yer just a hater, that person who just said Democrats are corrupt and don't care about the working class is more of a Democrat than Democrats!!!!!! Verbatim quotes are fake news bashing personal attacks. You can explain with examples going back years why on a forum for supporters of the Democratic Party a person who hates Democrats wouldn't be popular, but it's all a mystery. They won't listen, have poor reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. A simple black or white world.

[Oopsie Daisy]

138. You've nailed it. A lack of comprehension and reading skills explains a lot.

Some writers resort to ornate writing to compensate for a lack of substance in their writing or arguments. By inundating their work with flowery language and extravagant embellishments, they attempt to mask deficencies in their content or reasoning. This tactic can sometimes be a smoke screen to distract readers or opponents from recognizing the weaknesses in their writing, ideas, or arguments.

I've always thought that it is important for writers to focus on clarity, coherence, and substance over mere ornamentation. Others are, obviously, less concerned with such matters of style and are easily impressed (or dazzled) with the sparkling verbal affectations.

This may be particularly true when this style of writing aligns wth readers' preconceived beliefs or ideologies. It can reinforce their existing views and biases. In environments where like-minded individuals congragate, this type of writing may be well-received as it echoes and amplifies familiar sentiments.

I suppose it's also possible that readers may mistake complex, long and ornate sentences as an indication of depth or intelligence. The intricate and convoluted nature of purple prose might give the impression of profound thought or insight, leading to admiration from those who value complexity in writing.

Making this more complex is the fact that in time, someone's emotional investment in the writer (and their work) can cloud the judgment. For fans and followers, they become more inclined to overlook flaws or shortcomings. The emotional connection they feel towards the writer can override their critical assessment of the work.

In this type of situation, fans or followers may automatically like or recommend posts & tweets without fully engaging with the content due to their existing admiration for the writer. On Twitter, for example, there can be a herd mentality where users are influenced by the actions of others. If a post by a popular writer who leans heavily on flowery language receives likes and retweets quickly, other users may follow suit without critically evaluating the content themselves, assuming that the post must be valuable based on the initial positive feedback or based on the author's name.

And, as you've observed, Betsuni, this phenomenon where fans are aggressively protective and react in disbelief or denial, often extends into the arena of popular elected politicians. I can name at least one or two politicians who benefit from this hero-worship phenomenon. I guess it's an easy trap to fall into. There may be times that I've been lured-in, I'm not perfect. But at least I can recognize what's going on and how things like this work, and that allows me to reflect for just a moment, re-read, re-listen, re-think and truly absorb what's going on and what's being said.

[TBF]

142. Show a little respect -

We have a spectrum of dems here, and we don't all agree on everything. We especially come together for big elections, as we should, and we argue policy. That's a good thing.

But there is no need to go off about someone who has passed away. You can skip the thread, that's allowed.

[LizBeth]

143. Right

[mgardener]

19. I was thinking about him the other day

Thanks for the reminder.

[murielm99]

20. Like many others here,

I was thinking of him yesterday.

[jfz9580m]

21. Wow...Will Pitt passed away?

That is very sad.
I don’t see columns by NanceGreggs these days either..

Good to see you still around Malaise.

You wouldn’t know or remember me. Though I have been around .

[malaise]

24. Nance said she was retiring from DU

Miss her big time.
You rarely post.
My 20th anniversary is next month😀

[ananda]

27. Me too. I'm so sorry she left.

Life can be hard sometimes.

[malaise]

33. LOL

Post more😀

[marybourg]

50. See below:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/~NanceGreggs

[jfz9580m]

60. Thanks

That sucks but maybe she will rethink it at some point..:-/

[Clouds Passing]

22. William

[ananda]

25. I know. I liked him too.

He is so missed.

[mountain grammy]

28. Looked at my bookmarks last night

And there was an interview with Will.

[malaise]

29. Wow!

I meant to post yesterday but was preoccupied with the hurricane

[Evolve Dammit]

30. Thanks for sharing. I would love to read his thoughts today.

[malaise]

32. He wrote this before Jan 6

It was prescient

https://www.salon.com/2020/11/26/trump-lost-the-election-but-he-is-still-doing-terrible-damage_partner/

Speaking of endings, there is none here just yet. "Poll: 79 Percent of Trump Voters Believe 'Election Was Stolen' via @BreitbartNews," Trump shriek-tweeted this morning. "They are 100% correct, but we are fighting hard. Our big lawsuit, which spells out in great detail all of the ballot fraud and more, will soon be filled. RIGGED ELECTION!" It appears the president still has some fundraising to do.

There are 57 days until the inauguration. That is plenty of time for Trump and his people to make deeply damaging mischief, and they are not wasting the opportunity. Beyond that is the strange, unsettling quiet from the fringes of Trump's supporters. Justin King, also known as video blogger Beau of the Fifth Column, somberly notes that groups like the Proud Boys have not taken a seat at the table just yet, and no one can be sure what it will look like if they choose to intervene. The menace of it looms like a distant thundercloud that doesn't seem like it's moving, perhaps because it's headed right for you.

"That events could so easily have turned out the other way, however, should make Americans wary of any notion that this country glides across time and space along a natural arc of progress," notes Atlanticwriter Clint Smith. "Our norms, our institutions, or our systems do not inevitably bend toward justice and protect us. That has been made clear. The truth is that, in some instances, we have simply been extremely lucky. And this month, even after a period of uncertainty, we were lucky again."

At bottom, it is less important that Trump's tactics were insufficient to his goal of overthrowing a national election, and far more important that he and the GOP tried to do this in the first place. He leaned on obscure low-level state officials and loosed his well-trained dogs on them in order to break their will and bend them to his. Even in his incompetence, Trump managed to get almost all of the Republican Party to stand mute while he throws wild accusations around for no better reason than to convince millions that Biden stole the election.

[Evolve Dammit]

90. He Nailed it. As always. Thanks for sending that. It is so insightful, and his gift to all of us.

[AllaN01Bear]

34. i dont remember him but found this on wikipedia for those who dont know.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Rivers_Pitt

[Polybius]

59. He was only 50, wow

How did he pass away?

[UpInArms]

99. A heart attack

😢

[tritsofme]

37. I can't help but wonder what he would have to say about President Biden and VP Harris.

Based on his slurs against President Obama, I can’t imagine it would be very good.

[JohnSJ]

68. 8 years ago he was FFR.

[Skittles]

106. just cannot stay away can you

UGH

[tritsofme]

131. What else can you say about a POSUCS?

[leftstreet]

38. DURec

[DinahMoeHum]

39. He was the reason I joined DU back in 2002. . .

I saw him as a 21st century Thomas Paine back then.

[Alliepoo]

40. I was thinking about him a couple of weeks ago.

He is surely missed.

[1monster]

42. I followed Will on Facebook when he left here... It was

So shocking to hear that he had passed... He was born the year I was a sophomore in high school and should have been here longer than me. But Will was very passionate -- I'm not sure anyone's body could sustain that level of intensity for long. Especially after he had been so ill a year or so before.

His writing always pulled me in, but his most lyrical were his essays about his daughter. I only wish he had the time necessary to put together a book of their adventures for her to cherish...

Also thinking of you, Raven, and remembering his essay about the blackthorn walking stick.

[H2O Man]

47. Recommended.

I first joined DU on the day that Patrick Fitzgerald was appointed, and one of Will's most powerful articles was published. We became friends shortly thereafter. I miss Will, and think about him frequently. He made DU a better place.

[malaise]

48. Thanks for this my friend

Like you he made (and you still continue to make) DU a better place. 😀

[H2O Man]

53. Will and I

had some great conversations over the years, about a very wide range of issues. Among the best were ones about boxing, a sport he had a lot of interest in and respect for. When a big fight was coming up, he'd ask who I thought would win, and how the fight might unfold. He had real insight into the sport. Man, I miss those days!

[plcdude]

52. I

Feel the same thanks for saying that and Raven hang in there.

[Dave Bowman]

55. Somehow, when I read the tittle of your post, I knew that it was about Will.

Great writer and a great guy. I miss him a lot.

[MiHale]

56. Yesterday was my little sister's birthday...same day makes me remember...

Will helped me out at DU when I first got here… a great guy.

Oh the combination of words he’d create for the situation now would be truly great reading.

[Prairie Gates]

57. ...

He lived passionately.

[Permanut]

58. One of the pillars in this little community..

Direct, blunt, irascible, razor sharp, opinionated, made the debates and discussions here much more interesting.

R.I.P. William Rivers Pitt.

[Skittles]

61. I remember him fondly

his mum is on DU; I do hope his little girl is doing well

[Autumn]

62. I saw pics of the Tampa flooding and thought of his article The Ocean is Coming. Found it and

posted it. I would love his insight on what is going on now. I still miss going to his FB page first thing in the morning.

[malaise]

63. Add the link here please

Great post
Rec

[proud patriot]

64. rest in power Will

love to Raven, Lola and family

[samplegirl]

65. He is missed

Thinking of you Will

[Figarosmom]

66. I rember him

And Truthout. His writing was great

[TBF]

67. thanks for the thread -

I followed him after DU - either twitter or facebook - I don't remember which but I really did like his writing. He was a talented guy.

[MineralMan]

69. He lost me at POSUCS.

Sorry.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

72. The death threat wasn't great either.

[MineralMan]

73. Yes. That, too.

I didn't see that in real time, though. He was a clever poster, but prone to fits of anger. He went too far.

[Dave Bowman]

111. So you registered an hour ago just to take a dump on a thread remembering him on the second anniversary of his death.

Interesting.

[GP6971]

115. So what. Enjoy your stay.

[obamanut2012]

76. .....

And, around that same time, he threatened to rape me because I disagreed with him, and he threatened it 100% because I'm a lesbian. He got a hide but that's it. I, however, had a hide when I called him out about the POS Used Car salesman thing.

I also was told he accused Andy Stephenson of lying about needing the money for a cancer operation, and freaked out publicly here that he thought Andy was grifting everyone.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

77. Christ, not sure how I missed that -- I'm so sorry he said that to you.

[obamanut2012]

81. It was something

[obamanut2012]

75. Well, I may have to disagree with you

He first lost me when he threatened to rape me because 'm a lesbian, and then it was furthered when he said the POSUCS thing. I actually had a hidden post in that thread because I called him out, and I guess that was a no-no to criticize him. He also told plenty of folks on Facebook not to vote for Hillary. Last time when there was a thread like this, I got several PMs lecturing me, but sorry, I don't excuse men who threaten to rape me.

[MineralMan]

79. I did not know of that.

Yet another reason. He was clever, but not a nice person.

[obamanut2012]

83. Yup

People with anger issues shouldn't drink.

[MineralMan]

84. Indeed.

[JohnSJ]

91. deplorable

[Orrex]

93. I believe you

I never liked him, and I never understood why so many swooned at the mere mention of his name.

And that was before I even read your post.

Holy fucking shit.

[obamanut2012]

135. Thank you

Sincerely

[Orrex]

141. '

[whathehell]

122. I certainly don't blame you..

Last edited Sat Sep 28, 2024, 12:34 PM - Edit history (1)

for not excusing a man who would threaten to rape you.
That is OUTRAGEOUS and should have gotten him tombstoned.

[JI7]

144. I never knew about this

[LizBeth]

145. Right.

[tritsofme]

85. Thank you. That was despicable.

[Orrex]

92. He never failed to post a brilliant, insightful observation

Two days after it was posted on Raw Story or elsewhere.

[MineralMan]

94. I never inquire into such things.

Few of us have truly unique ideas. We are all influenced by what others say or write. Often we are not even aware that we are echoing the thoughts of others, who were also influenced by others.

[Orrex]

95. My ideas are all new and unique and quotable, of course, but I take your point

Still, it's not that he reposted material, because I sure as hell do that; it's that he was invariably praised for his unique insights and daring observations, when in fact he was often simply regurgitating.

[CaptainTruth]

70. I loved him. He not only informed me, he inspired me as a writer.

I wish we could have him & Hunter S Thompson back.

[ms liberty]

71. K&R- thanks, malaise. n/t

[Tree Lady]

78. I met him in SF at a bar

With a bunch of other du'ers.

I think it was 2004 right before election.

[LexVegas]

80. Not a good person. Worse writer. nt

[Oopsie Daisy]

86. In the darkened chambers of his mind, where ink-stained thoughts dance a chaotic waltz *

In the darkened chambers of his mind, where ink-stained thoughts dance a chaotic waltz, he, a scribe of woeful talent, wielded his quill like a drunken swordsman, besotted by the intoxicating spirits that whispered sweet nothings into his eager ears. His prose, a labyrinth of twisted phrases and fractured dreams, bore the weight of his inebriated soul, stumbling gracelessly through the hallowed halls of literature, a maestro of missteps in a symphony of disarray.

[betsuni]

87. Perfect.

[greatauntoftriplets]

97. It was like he was always writing a Gothic novel.

That's beautiful.

[LexVegas]

104. Ponderous, overwritten, bleh. nt

[Oopsie Daisy]

113. 🤣🤪🥰

[BannonsLiver]

100. Basically zero chance he'd be supporting Harris

Would be RFK Jr or Stein if I were betting.

[UpInArms]

88. Gone too soon

He was a great fighter for our country

[Kaleva]

89. I remember him as a person with issues

The below he wrote in 2016:

"William Rivers Pitt | Just a Show: The Calm Sham of the DNC

However, when it was over, I realized something. I don’t like Hillary Clinton or her husband. She does not have my vote. I voted for Bill twice, and he went on to sign NAFTA, GATT, the Telecommunications Act and the Defense of Marriage Act into law. "

https://truthout.org/articles/just-a-show-the-calm-sham-of-the-dnc/

The below thread is where he ended up FFRd shortly after the above article was published:

https://eu-west-3.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=8086157

[UpInArms]

101. Thank you

…

[OAITW r.2.0]

102. The man could write, Shared PM's with Will because we shared the same Alma Mater.

I always thought he was better when he had a Republican President in Office to inspire his writing. For whatever reason, he had a hard time supporting Obama.

[BootinUp]

103. He was able to put our concerns into words very well. nt

[Kaleva]

109. He was against Obama and Hillary

[BootinUp]

110. Why don't we make this a big tent thread and not even post that shit. nt

[Kaleva]

114. Yes, we should sweep that all under the rug

When he voiced his opposition to Hillary, which got him flagged for review, did he speak for you then?

Will Pitt, may he rest in peace, really wasn't the great guy some here may think he was .

Will had his qualities but he also was flawed .

[BootinUp]

116. It seems very important to you to make a black mark on this thread. Whatever. Geez

[Kaleva]

118. Read this post

https://eu-west-3.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=19509659

[BootinUp]

119. He can write no more. Get over it. nt

[Kaleva]

120. Im not going to whitewash the truth

[Orrex]

124. A woman is threatend with rape, and you think people should get over it.

Interesting.

[BootinUp]

125. Didn't even read it. nt

[Orrex]

126. Yeah, why the fuck would you?

Might cause you to rethink your heroes, and who the fuck wants to face reality?

[BootinUp]

128. Heroes? Do you have any more words and thoughts to fucking put on me? Do it now.

[Orrex]

129. Look at you imagining that you can tell me what to do! Bless your heart!

You've made your position plain, and I don't have to justify shit to you.

[LexVegas]

127. Great guy. Never met him. nt

[LizBeth]

146. This is the inevitable when it comes to women being harassed, threatened and even worse

get over it. Thank you

[Orrex]

147. Yes indeed, time and again

So often we see entreaties along the lines of "but they said/did nice things before."

That's super. In other words, we should ignore the harm that they inflict and should instead honor the person that they used to be.

[LexVegas]

112. Weird revisionist history going on here. nt

[hlthe2b]

140. Many posters here knew him for more than 10 years before YOU ever arrived. Many posters changed over time

but that neither makes them all good or all bad. The guy you never knew by your own admission, had both periods--the latter impacted heavily by alcohol. He wasn't the only one here with that problem and his caused serious impacts. But for years, he contributed greatly to this site. Many of the original posters here still remember THAT.

[ReRe]

117. I didn't even know he was gone.

I loved reading every word from his mind. I remember reading him here, at TruthOut.org, & some at

CommonDreams.org. So sad he's gone, but we do have his words forever. He was a good soul.

[mahina]

123. Oh my God. Iʻve been thinking of him all day.

Literally 20 minutes ago, was talking about him to my physical therapist who used to live right by Fenway near the bar where he bartended.

William Rivers Pitt was the man. Will Pitt, a hell of a good writer, lover ov hos beautiful baby girl, a true blue heart.
Remember when he asked us for suggestions for baby names for a little girl? That was pretty sweet. He loved her so. I hope she is ok.

I fear there will be none like him again. aloha nō, a hui hou.

Thanks Malaise 💧

So long Will
Thanks for laughing with me about George Wʻs impression of The Church Lady in his debate with ? Gore or Kerry. It was a beautiful moment When we knew this country wouldn’t never vote for such an obvious moron, before we went down that stupid lawless murderous path as a nation. 💧💧
I see mention of some pretty hideous things that he is asserted to have done, said, I did not see those things and I don’t know anything about that.

[pansypoo53219]

130. another ty

[hlthe2b]

134. To those who cannot let go of the offenses they internalized toward the end of WRP's life on this thread

I get it. I had a dear, dear friend for decades who likewise hurt a lot of people toward the end with the changes in his personality--all alcohol-related (as it was with William Rivers Pitt). When my friend passed, those who gathered at his memorial and read the notes in the funeral home memorial book were met with the ugliest comments and abuse. Some of these "former friends" even attended the memorial and did not hold back at the planned wake afterward, causing untold pain to family members and those others who felt the loss of even a truly flawed friend.

I share this very bad memory to those on this thread who have gone out of their way to do the very same. You don't hurt WRP. He's long passed. But some remember the full decades that he contributed on this forum and understand the role that alcohol had in the unfortunate changes that led to some really awful posts in later years and pain inflicted. But, I also know that his dear mother has long been a member and continues to post here and WRP had some friends still that will see this thread and will feel the compounded grief of loss with angry disdain.

I am a Democrat for many reasons, not the least that we are the party that seek to be compassionate when we know others are in pain and eschew causing more for no good reason. I'd hope we could do so here too. And, if you cannot do so, then perhaps pass by this very rare thread of remembrance?

[malaise]

136. THIS

Rec

[LexVegas]

137. tldr: threatened with rape? Let it go. nt

[Orrex]

148. One is reminded of a quote by Angelou. (nt)

[Dave Bowman]

149. This one?

"A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.

They are very negative people to say the least. Nothing is ever
good enough!

When you make your mark, you will always attract some haters..."

-Maya Angelou

[Orrex]

150. lol. Nope, keep trying.

It's an interesting study, though. People so willing to overlook horrible characteristics out of some nostalgic fondness for who they perceive a person to have been.

For me, it's not jealousy; I want nothing that he had or did. And pointing out his real failures of character--on display here on DU for all to see--has nothing to do with me making myself feel tall.

And attacking someone when they call out shitty behavior? Or telling them to "get over it?" Yeah, that's classic gaslighting.

[betsuni]

152. Third party voters don't mind Trump so much. No need to wonder.