READY FOR JERRY RUBIN’S 80TH BIRTHDAY?!
Everyone is invited, he says, Monday, Dec. 11, 6 p.m., at the Gaslight, 2030 Wilshire.
Hard to believe that old goat is finally… old. But wait - isn’t 80 the new 60? Joni Mitchell just hit 80. Mick Friggin’ Jagger is 80! And still touring, still looking for satisfaction, along with fellow Stone Keith Richards, who will hit 80 a week after Jerry’s party. (I hope you invited them, Jerry.) Willie Nelson turned 90 (on stage at the Hollywood Bowl) this year, as did John Mayall, Quincy Jones, Yoko Ono.
Joe Biden is 81 and despite the right wing Fox propaganda, is doing quite well, thank you. (Those speech fumbles? He’s always had them, since he was a kid, after overcoming stuttering.) The Queen was 96 when she died, her queen mother 101. President George H. W. Bush was 94. President Jimmy Carter is still with us at 99, diplomat Henry Kissinger at 100.
De Niro is 80, Scorsese 81. (Don’t miss "Killers of the Flower Moon.") Laker superfans Jack Nicholson and Dyan Cannon are 86, as is Morgan Freeman. Robert Redford is 87. Donald Sutherland is 88, as is my mom Julie Andrews – just kidding, she’s too young for that. Michael Caine is 90, James Earl Jones 92.
Dick Gregory is 84, Carol Burnett 90, Bob Newhart 94. Dick Van Dyke and Mel Brooks are 97, still cutting up. Comedy creator Norman Lear is 101. George Burns and Bob Hope were both 100 when they told their last joke, Betty White just 17 days short of that century mark.
I think Jerry knows about those long-lived comedians, because he’s been doing stand-up lately. I haven’t had the courage to go. His humor is so dry not even Sahara Desert Bedouins get it. Pope Francis is 86, the Dalai Lama 88, so being a man of peace apparently keeps you alive too.
I get to tease Jerry because he is my good friend of many years. Some are surprised at that. After all, Jerry never saw a new tall building in Santa Monica he didn’t love, and always showed up to tell the City Council so. But we agree on almost everything else, from trees to murals to the Lakers and Bruins to the clowns in DC.
Jerry Rubin is a truly remarkable human being. At one point his life was so out of control he wondered if he’d even make 40. He flipped a switch and has been focused and steadfast ever since, in loving everyone and working for peace, starting with himself. I don’t know how he does it. And he has not wavered even in the face of the devastating loss to cancer of his dear wife and partner Marissa, a year ago. I can tell you, it has been very rough for him, and still is. But he has remained – Jerry.
OK – he doesn’t love Donald Trump. For all the right reasons. Same for Putin. But it’s a pretty small group, of leaders who work against peace, against the environment, against human rights. Which makes sense. Most of us parse issues pretty finely but Jerry loves a lot of people who, to be honest, I don’t love. I understand, and I admire his dedication. He really is a hero. Most of us say we are for peace and love, but Jerry Rubin actually lives it. Every day, maybe every minute. I am only one of many here locally who disagree with him on some issues, but acknowledge his greater personal crusade. Jerry may be born Jewish but he’s more of a real Christian than almost anyone I know.
Jerry, I know you seem tireless in your life’s work, but the world needs you around for another 80 years. You don’t mind, do you?
PART III
If you recall (or even if you don’t), I set out two CURIOUS CITY columns ago to offer a primer on Santa Monica politics, for those mystified by what goes on in this town, especially that which has been destroying its character and history. Why would anyone want to do that, to such a special, historic, irreplaceable city?
Lots of reasons, and it’s not all money (but a lot of it is). Lots of players, lots of groups, with diverse agendas, but nearly all of them circling back to development. Overdevelopment. Those of us who want to develop slowly, reasonably, of necessity not greed, those of us who want to preserve our history, our low rise skyline, our historic buildings, our trees, our parks and beach, our mom and pop businesses, the character of our neighborhoods, our diversity of population – sorry, that’s a minority group that has little power right now. Big money and established power channels want something different, and Santa Monica is already nearly unrecognizable from the city it was just 10 years ago. Improvements? Not in my book.
A LOT OF MOVING PARTS
It does take years to figure this all out. But we don’t have years. Look around at the construction. Do all these buildings belong in a city of less than 100,000? Are they necessary? Do they improve the quality of life for those of us who live here?
Every buck stops at the City Council. (Though they do not have the power to control a lot of things.) But I say it was voting for the wrong City Councils that got us here, for the most part, and our only chance of making this a great city to live in again is voting, voting. The election is less than a year away, and we don’t even have good candidates yet (except some incumbents). We don’t have a PAC to fund their campaigns. Those on our Council now who have tried to reverse course, to stand up for residents, have been treated terribly. It’s a national problem, in this day of threats rather than discourse. But, a handful of good souls with thick skins and a strong desire to see the right things done, must step up.
The establishment power brokers, SMRR, Forward and others, had a stunning setback when a slate of three "residents candidates" (Parra, Brock, de la Torre) did something never done before, won election without their endorsements. Then Lana Negrete was appointed to fill a vacancy, and she wound up voting with the slate many times, forming a majority. Of course the power establishment is not at all pleased with this, and is determined to undo it in the next election. Like the prospect of a second Trump presidency, be prepared, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
So at least peruse those first two columns, Nov. 1 and Nov. 15. Some things will start to fall into place for you. You will still have many questions (send them to me), but you will be on the path to some understanding, and informed voting. And informing your neighbors about what you think is going on. We have the numbers, of voters and we love our city and have a passion to save it from further destruction. Yeah, I know, I preach, but polite supplications don’t get the job done. It’s now or never, and I don’t want to have to move.
Charles Andrews has lived in Santa Monica for 37 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send love and/or rebuke to him at therealmrmusic@gmail.com
