Nick Clooney out of jail, back home

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Nick Clooney out of jail, back home, resolved to continue advocacy for Sudanese people

Nick Clooney, apparently unscarred from his D.C. jail experience, is safe back home in Augusta and maintaining his signature good humor – as well as his resolve to continue to advocate for the Sudanese people.

Describing his experience as “fascinating” he also said he got home Friday evening “in time to walk the dog,” who didn’t seem at all to mind that his master now has an arrest record and has been fingerprinted — and even had his mug shot taken.

Clooney, his famous son George, and 15 like-minded protestors were arrested last Friday morning in a “civil disobedience” protest outside the Sudan Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Nick Clooney said the 17 protestors spent four hours in holding cells – the two women were put in a separate cell, but the 15 men – “deeply psychologically affected,” he joked – passed the time “doing a whole lot of storytelling.”

The group talked the whole time about a “two-pronged effort” – short and long term. The biggest challenge is the short-term – getting food to the embattled Sudanese people before the rainy season sets in in the next six weeks.

Clooney says the Sudanese government is “bombing its own people,” sending 250,000 Sudanese into the hills. There is humanitarian aid waiting at the border but it can’t get to people who will be starved to death if food can’t reach them before the rains set in, he says.

The longer term? That would be a change in Sudanese leadership.

The experience, being booked into the jail, was “no nonsense,” he said, noting that the police did everything they were supposed to do and did it right. The men had to give up their belts and shoelaces – a process he knew about but had never been subjected to.

Clooney was a popular, long-time television newsman and anchor in Cincinnati as well as a newspaper columnist and host of several national cable television shows. He and his wife, Nina, live in Augusta, as did his famous sister, Rosemary.

“The group of us talked non-stop,” he said. “Until George commented ‘Hey, we’ve been in here longer than Lindsey Lohan. . .”

When they were released and Nick headed for the airport and home, son George – again demonstrating that signature Clooney good humor, said, “Pop, the reason I did this was so you’d have a police record and have trouble getting your passport renewed so you won’t be bugging me about Italy.”

As for the elder Clooney, he was glad to be home in time to walk his dog. He and the family dog are a familiar sight in his Augusta neighborhood.

I thought this might be interesting with a different slant on theor cause.

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fluffy....I've copied the article in case the link can't be accessed


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George Clooney isn't helping Sudan

Clooney's well-meaning activism for the Nuba mountain people is rooted in a political culture that does not care for nuance


Nesrine Malik
guardian.co.uk, Monday 19 March 2012 12.48 GMT
Article history

The actor George Clooney was arrested at a planned protest for Sudan in Washington DC on 16 March. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
What does one immediately associate with Sudan? Darfur, allegations of genocide, a president indicted by the international criminal court and a mistreated south seceding from the north of the country. And now, George Clooney.

As Clooney and his cohorts were arrested for their protest outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington DC on Friday, the preoccupation seemed to be not with the suffering of the Nuba mountain people (the cause Clooney was advocating for), but with celebrity activism. Stars are hoist by their own petard, in that they bring their star factor, but little gravitas, and it is excruciating listening to Clooney's beauty pageant contestant responses to what is actually going on in Sudan. But he's an actor, not a political expert or an academic. He wants to save lives. But how much impact does the US have on the Sudanese government? Very little at best. International involvement that is all stick and no carrot can be counterproductive.

But let's be fair to Clooney, and look beyond the snide comments and the jokes. It is admirable that he is willing to dedicate his time, health and resources to an issue he feels strongly about. I don't doubt that he is earnest. But it has rubbed Sudanese – the most important interlocutors – up the wrong way. The eye-rolling offence that most Sudanese took at this latest incident doesn't mean that they are necessarily fans of the government in Khartoum, but that they have a deep-seated suspicion of US selective moral outrage.

As a Sudanese, I am concerned not because I would like foreigners to stay out of internal affairs, but because the view Clooney is presenting to the world is not an accurate one. This is not out of any deliberate manipulation on his part, but Clooney's campaign is rooted in a political culture that does not care for nuance.

It all really goes deeper than the criticism aimed at his Enough Project, the Save Darfur campaign, or the "genocide paparazzi" satellite monitoring scheme – all of which are symptomatic of an overarching failure in US foreign policy, which promotes a black-and-white understanding of some situations, often underscored by moral superiority. After all, "Arabs are genocidally massacring blacks in the Nuba mountains" is far sexier and easier to digest than "the people of the Nuba mountains sided with the Southern People's Liberation Movement during Sudan's decades-long civil war between north and south, and after the secession of the south last year, a disgruntled SPLM candidate for governor lost what he believed were rigged elections and then took arms against the government in Khartoum in co-operation with the residual Nuba SPLM cadre, whose grievances had still not been addressed".

Clooney stated that the situation in the Nuba mountains was a "man-made tragedy by the government in Khartoum to get these people to leave". It is nothing of the sort. Khartoum is responding to a rebellion in the region (where the SPLM's agitating role is problematic to say the least) with little strategy and mass clumsy bombings, rolling makeshift oil drums full of explosives out of planes. It is apathetic to civilian deaths and not concerned with wiping out inhabitants of the Nuba mountains. This does not make the situation any less desperate, but it is an event that cannot be addressed in isolation from the conditions and provocations that precipitated it.

Sudan Change Now, a Sudanese opposition movement, published a letter to Clooney today stating :

"Portraying the regional conflicts in the country as a simplified war of Arabs and Africans concerns us. It does not fully capture the historical and political aspects of the conflict considering that the Sudanese government is a dictatorship and does not reflect the sentiments of the majority of the people. The regional conflicts in Sudan are not simple and are highly political with a strong basis on economic gains such as oil and other resources."
Rob Crilly of the Telegraph is correct when he writes: "The problem is that his campaign stems from the same misguided analysis that brought us Kony 2012. It is an analysis that reduces Africa to simple notions of good versus evil, and suggests that outsiders hold the key to finding solutions". Sudan is a country where a plethora of issues – such as tribal grazing rights, water availability, diversity of ethnicities and border demarcations – contribute to conflict. The situation is inflamed by decades of entrenched centralisation on the part of successive governments in Khartoum that have alienated the peripheries. Rebellion flares up in and is doused regularly, with fundamental grievances never addressed.

The current government in Sudan is not a benign one, and it might appear churlish not to support an out-and-out condemnation of its actions. But identifying the true nature of the problem enables us to come up with the right solutions. I would urge Clooney to team up with and extend resources to partners in Sudan who can influence the situation internally. It is his best chance of fulfilling his wish of ending up on the "right side of history".

will they allow him?

I don't think this particular arrest will affect Nick Clooney's passport status. It was only civil disobedience, which is a forgivable sin.

it's me wrote:will they allow him?

I'm glad they see him as a possible partner in some negotiations

but I also think it wont be
really
allowed to


so
better for him
do something he is 'allowed' to

and those are his.... shows

I think George was just joking. It is true though Lyndsay seems to have done very little time. It is a great story for the grandkids I wonder how they felt about it. But it was for a good cause! We haven't seen any mugshots yet have we?

Copies of the mug shots may be selling on ebay ???
Has anyone checked that out yet ?
They could even raise some funding money that way.

I just want to say that Mr. Nick Clooney did a great job bringing attention to this problem! I know that having a clean record is very important to him and his family so doing something like this shows how much he cares. Thank you, Mr. Clooney! I pray that it pays off!

So strange I posted that story about Nick yesterday and other people commented on it and now its gone...the internet has been strange for me the last couple of days!

Merlin, your posted article is still there at top of page.
It's a different one to the one posted by macs though.

Are creepy things starting up ?

Sorry Merlin - the one you posted I made into a new thread in the news forum because i thought it was interesting enough to stand on its own. Not sure why macs posted it here again, but as far as I'm concerned we can never have too much Clooney on the forum.

Blimey Katiedot I thought I was delusional...I have been over to IMDB a bit the last couple of days!

Oh no Merlin....Keep away....Keep away

It's safer here....

oh my bad... looks like I missed Merlin's original post, so I doubleposted ... I apologise for it (we have enough going on on the forum right... didn't mean to make a fuss)

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Former Ch. 12 coworkers support Nick Clooney

03/27/12

How many years has it been since we’ve seen Nick Clooney anchor the Channel 12 news, and close his newscast by saying “For those you see, and those you don’t…?”

Well, many of Clooney’s former WKRC-TV coworkers who were “those you don’t” see back then have written an eloquent statement in support of Nick Clooney — who was arrested outside the Sudanese embassy two weeks ago — in thanks for the professional and life lessons he gave them that they still use today. The wrote:

“We took those principles with us to larger news organizations across the country and now we carry them in perpetuity, even in our private lives. It wasn’t surprising to any of us that the values Nick made sure were dear to us he also passed down to his son.”

I’ll paste the full statement written by former Channel 12 staffers Edie Magnus, Teri Gasper Smith and Lu Ann Reeb below, followed by a photo from a February reunion of Nick’s Channel 12 newsroom at the very bottom.

JOURNALISTS SUPPORT NICK CLOONEY

In the early 1980’s a group of young journalists at WKRC‐TV in Cincinnati OH had the opportunity to work with a man who is truly principled.

Nick Clooney was our news “anchor” – in every sense of that word. He grounded us in the values of honesty and fairness while keeping us from drifting off into sensationalism or silliness; he secured our passion to tell the most incisive, accurate, and compelling stories to be found in our city and beyond; and above all, he made sure we were all attached to the importance of giving a voice to those who could not speak up for themselves.

Nick ended each broadcast with the words, “For those you see, and those you don’t….” This referred in one sense to all the folks who put our news program together – including those who were not in front of the camera. But he was also talking in a larger sense about those who exist in places where the camera doesn’t even go. It was a nightly reminder that there ARE people we don’t see, people who have an important story to tell, who are suffering in silence or obscurity, and whose lives and fortunes we should never forget, even when we can’t see them.

We were fortunate to have told a fraction of those stories daily alongside Nick Clooney to the best of our collective abilities decades ago in Cincinnati. Then we took those principles with us to larger news organizations across the country and now we carry them in perpetuity, even in our private lives.

It wasn’t surprising to any of us that the values Nick made sure were dear to us he also passed down to his son.

And so it was with great pride that we watched Nick and George Clooney stand on the ground of the Sudanese embassy last week to protest the Khartoum government’s brutal treatment of its people. If any of you haven’t yet seen the documentary father and son made together, “Journey to Darfur” – find it, sit down with your family, and watch it. And then – do something.

Nick’s statement to reporters as he was being led off in handcuffs says it all: “If we are who we say we are, we should all be standing here together.”

This is the man we know and love – as constant as the sun.

Thank you, Nick, for once again reminding all of us about the people we don’t see. We are so proud of you. We, that group of young journalists who stood with you then, stand with you now. And we hope all the younger journalists across the land hear the message to help rally support – publicly and globally.

You continue to anchor all of us in what is most important ‐‐ those who know you and those who don’t.

Here’s the photo from the February Channel 12 reunion:

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The letter was signed by Edie Magnus, Lu Ann Reeb, Teri Gasper Keith, Deborah Dixon, George Ciccarone, Don North, Dennis Janson, Donn Burrows, Cecilia Turner, Grant Light, Karla Stanley, Vicki Yates, Ira Joe Fisher, Jerry Klein, Michael Benedic, Clay Wagenlander, Patricia McGreever, Harry Traynor and Toby Elder.

That is so nice! Showing Nick support like this. Wow a reunion I've never even gone to a school one let alone one for an old job. Guess they all really liked each other. LOL

yes
it seems exactly like that


MOLTO BELLO
not so usual, sadly

It is so good to see all those familiar faces that I knew on TV when I was growing up in Cincinnati, and how they have changed. They were a great team years ago, and they still are.

It's wonderful that Mr. Clooney has touched so many lives. And, in turn, they touch more lives. It's the "pay it forward" mentality for the intellectual who cares for humanity and the truth! Kudos, Mr. Clooney!

“For those you see, and those you don’t….”
those who know you and those who don’t

It was a nightly reminder that there ARE people we don’t see, people who have an important story to tell, who are suffering in silence or obscurity, and whose lives and fortunes we should never forget, even when we can’t see them.

Nick


It wasn’t surprising to any of us that the values Nick made sure were dear to us he also passed down to his son.

Cinderella wrote:It's wonderful that Mr. Clooney has touched so many lives. And, in turn, they touch more lives. It's the "pay it forward" mentality for the intellectual who cares for humanity and the truth! Kudos, Mr. Clooney!

very well said Cindy!!

Dexterdidit wrote:That is so nice! Showing Nick support like this. Wow a reunion I've never even gone to a school one let alone one for an old job. Guess they all really liked each other. LOL

it was more than just liking each other, Dex. They were like a close-knit family. Cincinnati is kind of like that: a metropolitan city with a small-town attitude. Nick Clooney was regarded as a kind, caring neighbor by the people of Cincinnati. I hate to see the day that Nick passes on (I don't like to think of it), because that will be such a sad, sad, day in this city.

it's me wrote: “For those you see, and those you don’t….”
those who know you and those who don’t

It was a nightly reminder that there ARE people we don’t see, people who have an important story to tell, who are suffering in silence or obscurity, and whose lives and fortunes we should never forget, even when we can’t see them.

Nick


It wasn’t surprising to any of us that the values Nick made sure were dear to us he also passed down to his son.

Yes sir, Nick Clooney raised George up right. Thanks for doing that, Nick and Nina!!

That's such a great article.

BTW, is anyone else tickled pink every time you see the header of this thread: "Nick Clooney out of jail"?

@Katiedot: Absolutely!

Just pickled tink!!! He has so much to be proud of for his many years of work. I agree that he will be so missed by so many that he has touched in his life.

Love your avatar, melbert!!

He's fixing us burgers MM!!!! I'll only have onions on mine if he does so we can both have onion breath together!!!!

Gee, that is so nice of him, melbert! I will have a well-done cheeseburger. I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Heinz-57 and French-fried potatoes, a Kosher dill pickle and cold draft beer. Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Shame on you MM! Now I can't get that song outta my head! So, now I'll make sure NO ONE can get it out of their head!!!

Ok, everyone, let's take this to the general chit chat thread shall we?

Sorry, Katie, I didn't mean to get off topic. But, I am glad that Nick's fomer colleagues had a reunion for him, just goes to show how folks are in Cincinnati.