Actor Kal Penn on Why Arts and Humanities Committee Resigned - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 08-22-2017, 12:51 PM

Kal Penn Reveals Why Arts and Humanities Committee Resigned
by Lorena O'Neil
8/22/17

Actor Kal Penn appeared on CNN's "New Day" on Tuesday to speak about the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, which he was part of before the group resigned from the current administration last week, in the wake of Donald Trump's Charlottesville response.

Penn explained that the people who stayed on after the president's inauguration decided to remain because they felt that the work they were doing was mostly non-partisan. Members of the committee were selected by Obama and were appointed to serve until they were replaced.

He added that they were working on a program that is in 18 or 19 states called Turn Around Arts that has now been moved to the Kennedy Center.

"Obviously, we disagree with the Republican agenda," said Penn, highlighting Trump's transgender military ban remarks and his stances on the Affordable Care Act and the Paris climate change agreement. He said that despite their political differences, the committee felt it was their role to focus on arts, education and cultural diplomacy.

"This is very much a cultural issue," said Penn, of the events that occurred in Virginia. "I think the response to Charlottesville — his response — was the worst of who we are. And we just felt like that was not who we are at all and we are better than that and this was an opportunity to show that."

Co-host Chris Cuomo asked Penn why he didn't just stay in the administration to try to change it from within and Penn responded, "This is largely a dysfunctional government period."

He said the committee thought resigning en masse would send a strong message of who the majority of Americans really are. "If government is so dysfunctional and you can't get anything done what if we focus on things outside of government to actually do those things together?"

"Look, you're dealing with a tiny-fingered vulgarian who loves to tweet crazy things as his way of getting policy done?" added Penn, referencing a Trump insult that originated in Spy magazine. "Come on. We're better than that."

The President's Committee on the Arts & the Humanities resigned on Aug. 18 in a letter that addressed Trump's comments that "both sides" were to blame for the violence that occurred at a white supremacy rally in Charlottesville: "The false equivalencies you push cannot stand."

The first letter of every paragraph in the note spelled out "Resist."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...mittee-1031527

DadTheKing · 08-22-2017, 03:10 PM

Kal Penn: "Blah blah, I am not racist. Blah blah, I am noble. Blah blah I hate Trump too." Typical coward. He should have quit immediately, but he hung on so he could quit like the drama queen he is. He has no honor. He was just a time bomb, biding his time so he could do the most damage to Trump he could when he quit. Good riddance. Hope the door hit him where the good lord split him when he left!

08-22-2017, 12:51 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Celebrity Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 39,266	Actor Kal Penn on Why Arts and Humanities Committee Resigned Kal Penn Reveals Why Arts and Humanities Committee Resigned by Lorena O'Neil 8/22/17 Actor Kal Penn appeared on CNN's "New Day" on Tuesday to speak about the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, which he was part of before the group resigned from the current administration last week, in the wake of Donald Trump's Charlottesville response. Penn explained that the people who stayed on after the president's inauguration decided to remain because they felt that the work they were doing was mostly non-partisan. Members of the committee were selected by Obama and were appointed to serve until they were replaced. He added that they were working on a program that is in 18 or 19 states called Turn Around Arts that has now been moved to the Kennedy Center. "Obviously, we disagree with the Republican agenda," said Penn, highlighting Trump's transgender military ban remarks and his stances on the Affordable Care Act and the Paris climate change agreement. He said that despite their political differences, the committee felt it was their role to focus on arts, education and cultural diplomacy. "This is very much a cultural issue," said Penn, of the events that occurred in Virginia. "I think the response to Charlottesville — his response — was the worst of who we are. And we just felt like that was not who we are at all and we are better than that and this was an opportunity to show that." Co-host Chris Cuomo asked Penn why he didn't just stay in the administration to try to change it from within and Penn responded, "This is largely a dysfunctional government period." He said the committee thought resigning en masse would send a strong message of who the majority of Americans really are. "If government is so dysfunctional and you can't get anything done what if we focus on things outside of government to actually do those things together?" "Look, you're dealing with a tiny-fingered vulgarian who loves to tweet crazy things as his way of getting policy done?" added Penn, referencing a Trump insult that originated in Spy magazine. "Come on. We're better than that." The President's Committee on the Arts & the Humanities resigned on Aug. 18 in a letter that addressed Trump's comments that "both sides" were to blame for the violence that occurred at a white supremacy rally in Charlottesville: "The false equivalencies you push cannot stand." The first letter of every paragraph in the note spelled out "Resist." http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...mittee-1031527 Attached Images

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08-22-2017, 03:10 PM	#2
DadTheKing Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 21, 2016 Location: California Posts: 977	Kal Penn: "Blah blah, I am not racist. Blah blah, I am noble. Blah blah I hate Trump too." Typical coward. He should have quit immediately, but he hung on so he could quit like the drama queen he is. He has no honor. He was just a time bomb, biding his time so he could do the most damage to Trump he could when he quit. Good riddance. Hope the door hit him where the good lord split him when he left!