Actor and anti-war activist Mike Farrell has been an outspoken opponant of the Iraq war and an opponant of the death penalty. He was questioned regarding the death toll of the recent wars as well as the issues surrounding 9/11.
Farrell spoke at the Inland Valley chapter of DEATH PENALTY FOCUS in October 2008 at Pitzer College in Claremont California. (Farrell is listed as the president on the board of directors of DEATH PENALTY FOCUS, a non profit organization founded in 1988 and headquartered in San Francisco).
There were nearly 200 people in attendance, with Mike signing his book JUST CALL ME MIKE afterwards.
Farrell agreed to talk on video despite not knowing what the questions would be. This is in stark contrast to some republicans, who exert strict control over their surroundings and have even been known to physically attack those who ask them questions on video, such as the case when Stewart Howe of WE ARE CHANGE L.A. questioned David Frum.
When asked about a possible government conspiracy, Farrell noted that he'd "looked into it some", but was unaware of Martin Sheen's latest comments regarding 9/11. He concluded with his belief that conspiracy advocates only serve to undercut the public's ''belief in the system''. Theologan Dr. David Ray Griffin, who taught at the Claremont Colleges where Farrell appeared, has written several books on 9/11 discrediting the federal government's version of events.
Here is a video of the exchange.
Q.: Mike, you talk about state killing and legalized homicide. We hear a lot about the 4000 plus American soldiers that have died in iraq but we don't hear anything about, like for example John Hopkins two years ago estimated 600,000 plus Iraqi civilians that have been slaughtered in Iraq. Is that not genocide, and why do you think that does not get more attention in the mainstream media?
FARRELL: It's not technically genocide; it is however approaching genocide,.. you have to have an intention to actually commit genocide. the intention is not.. although the horrific results of our policies are what they are, the intention is not to.. be that as it may, what we've done as far as i'm concerned is a human rights violation of the first order. and i think the people who are the architects of this policy ought to be taken into the human rights court on charges of war crimes.
..and the fact that we have not heard much about it is because of course, those numbers are disputed by the authorities, in spite of the fact that john hopkins and somke very reputable people have gotten behind the numbers. which i think put them now, as i understand it at over a million.
Q.: "Right".
FARRELL: "So the fact is, it's an inexcusable result of an illegal innapropriate and unnecessary war, and it has dragged us through the mire, while it has destroyed a civilization, destroyed a people and destroyed what was a proper- if not properly, a functioning community that did not deserve to be trampled upon.
Q.: "Right. My second question, a lot of your colleagues in the entertainment industry, Ed Asner,
Ed Begley, Martin (Sheen) and Charlie Sheen, Rosie O'Donnell, have cast serious doubt on the official government version of 9/11, the events of September 11, 2001, and even talked about government complicity in the events of 9/11. Do you have a position on that, and what do you think should be done about it. Have you studied the issue at all, that they talk about?"
FARRELL: "I've looked into it some, I don't believe Martin (Sheen) has joined... Rosie, I've talked to someone that was asking about it. No I don't believe that 9/11 was a conspiracy.. clearly it was a conspiracy, but I don't believe it was one that the United States government was involved in.
I think it was a tragedy, I think it was an assault, and i think it was something we have to find a way to deal with in a more intelligent and a more thoughtful and a more effective way than we have. I don't join with those that think it was a conspiracy in which the united States government was involved.
Q.: So you don't think it warrants a new, impartial investigation?
MIKE FARRELL: Well you know an investigation was done; whether or not it was an appropriate one should be looked into. i think these questions, can always use more investigation. and an impartial investigation is always a good idea. although there are those who would argue that the investigation that was done was impartial. I'm not sure i would accept that but uh,.. the the issue will never be resolved to some people's satisfaction.
Like many of these issues that come up. there are some people that would impute, uh,
responsibility to authorities in any number of cases where I would question the reason for the accusation. And this is one of them. I don't think there's any good.. any value to us in.. except that it continues to undercut people's belief in the system. I think the people in control of the system are the problem, not.. not the system itself. And I think we need to change those at the helm and then reinvigorate the system.
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