McCarthy and Copland
May 5th, 2003 | by Joe |Here is an excerpt from the recently released secret transcripts from the McCarthy hearings. I found this one particularly funny since they are interviewing Aaron Copland - the composer of “Appliacian Spring” - one of the most profoundly American pieces of classical music from the 20th Century:
May 26, 1953, McCarthy and Cohn questioning classical music composer, professor, and conductor Aaron Copland about his associations with communists.
McCarthy: Have you ever been a communist sympathizer?
Copland: I am not sure I would be able to say what you mean by the word “sympathizer.”
McCarthy: Did you ever attend a communist meeting?
Copland: I am afraid I don’t know how you define a communist meeting…
Cohn: What was your view of the Hitler-Stalin pact - 1939 to 1941?
Copland: I don’t remember any specific view of it…
Cohn: Do you feel communists should be allowed to teach in our schools?
Copland: I haven’t given the matter such thought as to come up with an answer.
Cohn: In other words, as of today you don’t have any firm thought?
Copland: I would be inclined to allow the faculty of the university to decide that.
Now, just replace the word “communist” with the word “muslim” and you have the modern, present-day Ashcroft version.
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