Friday, September 5, 2008
News / Clout City RIP Don Benedict
Posted by Ben Joravsky on Fri, Sep 5, 2008 at 6:27 PM
Don Benedict died yesterday. He led a long and glorious 90-year life as a minister and civil rights and antiwar activist.
He created urban ministries in New York, Cleveland, and Detroit before coming to Chicago in 1960 as executive director of the Community Renewal Society; as the head of CRS he gave John McDermott the green light and financial support to create the Chicago Reporter.
I remember Benedict best for the long-shot aldermanic campaign he waged back in 1987 against 33rd Ward alderman Richard Mell.
Calling himself an agent for change, Benedict ran with the support of Mayor Harold Washington. In reality, Benedict and his ragtag collection of independents didn't stand a chance against Mell's army of city, state, and county patronage workers. Benedict ran fairly well in the Lathrop Homes and the precincts around the Logan Memorial, but other than that Mell crushed him, racking up about 77 percent of the vote. Not long after the election, residents who lived in the mansions along Logan Boulevard, where Benedict had strong support, asked Mell to resurface their street. He told them to ask Don Benedict to pave it. If nothing else, Benedict got under Mell's skin.
Actually, Benedict provided a service for Washington, who was running for reelection against former mayor Jane Byrne. By keeping Mell's troops preoccupied so they couldn't venture into other wards to campaign for Byrne, Benedict helped Washington win. As I recall, there weren't many tears at Benedict's headquarters on election night.
I wish he had won. The man had class and courage. He'd have been the gutsiest alderman since Leon Despres.
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Go to this website dudes It is about tickets in Chicago http://theexpiredmeter.com/ Goodbye.
thank you so much for this blog, Don was my grandfather and of course I miss him dearly, but am happy to see the acknowledgement he is getting for his great lifes work. thank you again my family will be ahppy to see this. sarah benedict casper
Alderman Richard "Dick" Mell did not know about it. He joked that even in death he was getting criticized by the Rev. Mell had the upmost respect for Benedict and said he was a tough real believer and a tough election. Mell is going to introduce a resolution honoring him in the City Council. Ben Joravsky is the best at giving us real Chicago history. A slice of history and politics. Rest in Peace Don Benedict of Blessed Memory.
According to Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin, the work of people like Benedict has no redeeming value
By in the day you had people who stood foe something. Opposition meant opposition. Benedict was such an individual who stood on and for something. The IVI,ACLU BACK in the day stood for something .Today these groups have been taken over by spineless Motherfuckers whom seek approval and acceptance by a corrupt status quo. Also, the spineless pervaders will sale you out to a thug like Daley for a simple pat on the head. Like the old James Brown record "YOU SOLD ME OUT FOR CHICKEN CHANGE"
I'm in town this week for two friends of mine. To honor Don Benedict and to see Frank Coconate gets a fair shake in Circuit Court in front of Judge Leroy Martin jr. Hopefully with the death of one ,will bring a victory to another. Rest in peace Don Benedict , hope you can remind Judge Leroy Martin jr, in spirit, what we all stood for and that guys like Frank Coconate is standing up for open government , just like Harold Washington.
So it does appear that the Reader can moderate a blog if they put their minds to it.
Maybe it's when they get sick and tired of the infantile crap posted by the likes of madam 'to the first degree', the man of a thousand aliases, aka Patrick McDonough, Frankie C-Note, or your delightful self, orion the magnificent.
Then they must have a real high tolerance. Or it could be that they realize that other than posts from those that you have listed, this board would be a ghost town......
Actually, it's in spite of posts from those I have listed that this blog resists becoming a ghost town. Or, rather, a skid row of political hack bums. The hack bum part would be you, oreo. And, of course, the ever reliable madam 'to the first degree'.
Scintillating response. Easily one of your best to date.
you should have heard what I told your sister last night
Uh, that was your nephew. Understandable mistake on your part, since he/she takes after your side of the family.
uh, you were not there, unless you were wearing a wig. If so, you have a very talented mouth that could take the lid off of a can of soup.
Well, I must admit that I've never been blessed with the privilege of being present while you enjoy the magical mysteries of your drug of choice, hence, no, I was 'not there' during whatever delusional episode you experienced and shared with the readers of this blog. Sorry if you found yourself to be so lonely that your drug induced imagination conjured up an unrealistically willing partner to satisfy your twisted desires. Hope you had some mashed potatoes with your cob of corn.
"the lady doth protest too much, methinks....."
Now,what could you possibly know about ladies, oreo? Or gentlemen, for that matter? Did you have mashed potatoes with your cob of corn? Or are you more of a shit on a shingle kinda fellow?
The last I checked, your momma was a lady, unless she had a real good surgical procedure.
YOU WOULDN'T ELECT A NAZI OR CELEBRATE SOMEONE CLOSE TO NAZIS YET:::????!!! In 1995, Ayers stated, “Maybe I’m the last communist who is willing to admit it. The ethics of communism still appeal to me.†Dohrn is so radical that she made the following comments after Charles Manson’s “Helter Skelter†slayings. “Dig it. First they killed those pigs, then they ate dinner in the same room with them. They even shoved a fork into the victim’s stomach. Wild!†Obama's friends are radicals, communists, terrorists and dangerous for America. That is not right wing conspiracy nutwing rhetoric but it is sad reality.
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