Malachy McCourt for NY Governor

The New York State Green Party seems to be one of the more feisty US Green branches, with a good radical edge. Malachy McCourt, brother of the Angela's Ashes author (Frank McCourt), is running for NY Governor. The guy who played 'Grand Father Munster' was also one of their candidates, although sadly he died last year.

Anyway, here is some material about Malachy. His election will be part of the mid-term contests in November.

Malachy McCourt for Governor: Best-selling Author Turned Candidate Says "Don’t Waste Your Vote - Give it to me!" by Deyva Arthur, Green Party of the New York State

New York State Greens need 50,000 votes to get back the much coveted ballot status. For this election, the party’s nominated candidate combines both the political and poetic. Though Malachy McCourt has been in the front line of many protest marches, spoken out for human rights as a columnist and longtime radio talk show host, and sharply criticized the current administration in his book, Bush Lies in State, he is known for his sense of humor and love of fun.

Growing up in Ireland, he left school in the sixth grade to start his many years working as a laborer. Unlike his brother, Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes, Malachy never thought of himself as a writer. But at age 66, he put pen to paper and has since published eight books, including the New York Times bestseller, A Monk Swimming, a book of meditations for recovering alcoholics, and one on the history of Ireland.

McCourt also has an extensive career as an actor, appearing in numerous movies such as The Molly Maguires, She’s the One, and Green Card. In television he has been in many soap operas, and had an on-going role in HBO’s series Oz.

McCourt lives in Manhattan with his wife Diana. He has five grown children and four grandchildren.

At the NYS Green Party convention in May, he shared some thoughts on his campaign and his special view of life with Green Pages, the US Green Party Magazine.

What brought you to the Green Party and running for governor?

I was always a lesser-of-two-evils man before. But then I thought about winning and, being a recovering alcoholic, I know that it is important not to be wedded to results of consequences. Just do the right thing.

I realized this [the Green Party] is like the love that I have never met — just waiting for me. It is all about being human, humanity, caring for people, for each other, loving the earth, breathing and being joyful. Not being wedded to this kind of punishing organized religion and a god that kicks the shit out of you. My talents lie in being able to get people together, to unify people — I don’t know if that’s called leadership…

There’s 18 million people in New York State. There are 50,000 square miles, 62 counties and we have mountains and rivers and streams, we have forests and cities and villages. But what it boils down to is what do people need? What do people want? So keep it simple.

Make sure that people are happy, and secure, and safe. That they have a healthy environment. That the water is pure enough to drink. That our food is unadulterated. That we don’t have people putting chemical emissions into our water and that corporations are not treated as human beings. They are profitmaking entities. We don’t have the same privileges as corporations even though they have the same privileges as we.

What it boils down to, as far as governance is concerned, is that it is government of the people, by the people, it is not over the people — that is very important. This is the Empire State. We don’t need an emperor; we need a governor.

What will be the Green Party’s challenges in this race?

One of the challenges to me anyway is in comparison to the folks that are being selected [on the Green ticket]. Alison Duncan [for Lt. Governor] and Howie Hawkins [for US Senate] are well-read and their facts are well-founded. They know whereof they speak. One of my problems is going to be “What? Him? Who the hell does he think he is to be governor of New York State?” One guy on television said, “Is this a joke? Is this to sell more books?” I can think of easier ways of vending my books than putting my family through the strain of a political campaign — it ain’t worth it at $2.32 a book.

What are your thoughts on health care reform?

I wouldn’t call it health care, it is more accurate to say sickness insurance. Every corporation, every employer will have to give full sickness benefits to its employees. They will have to pay a living wage, not the minimum. They would have to give at least $15 per hour with full sickness insurance and full pension. Otherwise we won’t do business with them.

What are your thoughts on the death penalty?

I don’t believe people have a right to take other people’s lives. I don’t believe that the state should make murderers out of people, when they say you will put this person to death. And they have doctors administering injections. Now they are violating their Hippocratic oath. Some white-coated physicians assisted by other people injecting a stranger — is murdering them.

What are your thoughts on “grassroots”?

I’m very interested in the use of language. Words are extremely important and that is why I cannot stand that term “grassroots.” It is for corpses and for worms. We need to stay in the sunshine above the grass. That means you are alive and vibrant, whereas if you are down below, it almost connotes you have lost. So we must stay above ground.

Do you find your acting, writing and political work intertwine or do you keep them separate?

Life is not a bunch of tributaries to one river; it is one river. You find yourself much applying those principles.

For example, I am a recovering alcoholic. I’ve had cancer, I’ve had heart disease and I have had very deep depression and all of that. It all helped bring me, in recovering from all of these, to such an appreciation of life and of laughter and of love of my wife. I look back on my life and I think, well, the things that I have done, some I would say are shameful things, and angry things and violent things in my life. People think of me as a nice guy now, but I wasn’t always, so bringing all of that stuff to bear [has brought me to be an activist]. I have become a worker among workers and that is what I think of myself.

How did you come to writing?

The whole writing thing was amazing. I didn’t think I could write, cause I have no formal education and I always thought you needed that. There was an exam to go on to secondary school and I didn’t get it, so that was the end of the formal education for me. But being an omnivorous reader gets me through.

I met the Irish Minister for Education and he asked me where I got my university degree. I said I don’t have one. He said, Well where did you go to secondary school? So I told him I failed the primary certificate. He asked how I got to write so many books and be on the New York Times bestseller list. Well, I write a lot, rearrange the words and write them down again. He thought that was amusing and a few weeks later I got a call from the Irish Ambassador, that the Irish Department of Education were about to do something they have never done in the history of Irish education. They were awarding me an honorary grade school certificate. It was wonderful. I was so pleased with myself. And there it is.

For more information visit www.malachyforgovernor.com