Nominated 20 times for enemy and five Golden Globes with his portrayal of lou grant on Mary Tyler Moore shoe one oh and the only actor to play the same actor in a comedy and drama winning more than any other male performer in addition to his acting career serving two terms as the Screen Actors Guild and also a voice actor as Carl Fredrickson in the movie up. A long time political activist speaking out from autism and is active in many charitable organizations including Autism Speaks and defenders of wildlife is never shied away from criticizing policy even getting him into trouble. To be active on twitter criticizing our current president to defend our constitution this lefty is unapologetic on the urgent need for our deteriorating democracy. Please join me to give a warm welcome to ed asner b17. [applause] i am honored to be here. Quite a turnout. You are here to take part in the grouchy historian that i am a part of. I dont know where the hell my partner is. The thin man finishes. He comes in and out like tinkerbell. But everything i say is import with him and my name here is my daughter and grandkids and we loved this in the words. It is a pretty neck. Sometimes i want to strangle it. Most of the time i want to caress it. Do we want to do questions now . I will take any questions you may have right now. Hello from kansas city kansas. I saw you were in town so i wanted to say hi. When did you start your homework on this . We worked on it last year and with guns blazing this year i hope you are entertained as well they are developing microphones all the time. [laughter] it is an honor to meet you because it seems the politics is cyclical going through a ears like george w. Bush then eight years of relative hope. Would you say the election of donald trump has been the best thing for george w. Bush . [laughter] b17 talk about the math crusaders. My god he made him look good. I absolutely agree. So what we go through now looks like something totally different growing that will look out the window so you feel optimistic about where we can end up . With the governors victories i see we revealed a trend. It isnt just donald trump and in a way we have to think him because he pushed the cart over the edge for his Republican Congress for a long time three houses stacked against us with the Supreme Court the executives and congress. So if we can reverse congress we will come out looking good. Thank you speak up. Im tired of waiting. Dont grumble. I am the grouch. As much as trump concerns me in the United States that seems to be a worldwide phenomenon and it seems to be affecting the full planet. And the czech republic. I think right now britain is biting their tongue or biting their nails. But a lot of that is donald open the door. And people get tired of systems. And to be accepted as a norm b17. [applause] this country is so brainwashed to be pushed against communism but symbolism has to pay the price nobody has the brains or the patient to deal with the fair hearing although confronted with the majority of european states. And that was socialist it. When they pulled their heads out of the sand if thats what you call that that remains to be seen i certainly hope that is progress for us socialism on more fair and equal terms. What words of wisdom could you offer to somebody who wants to fight to reason with crazy . You say there is a family values or to support pet ophelia how we stand if they wont listen to reason . Preaching the constitution dont look for the man on the white horse. You are the man with a woman on the white horse. You are the groundbreaker. It is up to us individually to come forward and be amazed but using our constitution as our weapon. They use the constitution as their policy for many years. Lets show them that we own that. It depends on the individual. We are here to make them a standout, a star, we will do it. Thank you tee17. You mention the constitution that brings with horrible Mass Shootings see a reasonable discussion . Those that are never heard from again i never heard anything about bob stocks or silencers a wellkept secret of congress in terms of weapons of mass distraction destruction i think the right has taken the Second Amendment to modify that to their tastes i wanted to take dad home. But we let them. See the Second Amendment as we read it and we interpret that. And then to signify the militia more guns are owned in this country than anywhere by far and those guns take lives in mass martyrs by far. We have to show the Second Amendment was written that we have to have a gun to kill a deer but is not fine white out his nextdoor neighbor the louder and stronger we make that noise the Second Amendment was created from shays rebellion. Shay was marching with a force of 4000 men while the constitution was being written they were on their way to Springfield Massachusetts to take over the armory which held a lot of weapons George Washington and i dont remember if it was hamilton was very agitated about it they wanted to stop them and they did that verification is not sufficient to this day. So lets go back to demand clarification of the Second Amendment. Tell the nra to go to hell. [applause] there are gross mom misinterpretations. Going back is look at the electoral college. [applause] after he lost by almost 3 million votes bring back democracy to the United States of america. [applause] been i can know you are here to sell books that can you talk about the Mary Tyler Moore show . What did that do for young wome women . I remember watching that as a young girl thinking i could not wait to graduate from college to have my own apartment instead of getting married. Did you understand that . For what was happening at that time . I was always shocked and amazed, i choked on my own thoughts what a pacesetter that show was for women i never thought we were pacesetters the show was originally written to be a divorce. But they changed to her breaking off her engagement which made the whole show. I was always amazed when womens rights became focused on our show i remember toward the end of the series was out all night with a man. You may have missed that. They mentioned it on mod and they said not mary. [laughter] so that is the image she created and it worked. Look at the vigilantes and i have been guilty myself you cant but that on me but you can try. There is a flurry of emotion and men are learning as well. Now i can go without some female to tell me slow down. We have to get used to it just as much as the women. Eventually to bottom out but you love women. I am disturbed from the rights of separation of church and state. What are your thoughts . Go back to your constitution. Founded by those john adams was the only one that they were all deist and certainly they did not follow that even jello pursuit. Which grows and the more god is kept out of that the more judicious decisions. My question is i have frustration dealing with people who cannot understand socialism and communism. Some of those changes would interfere with freedom and creativity. I talked to a norwegian friend who said he found more freedom in norway than here. Do you have any comments . Communism was regarded as a dictatorship of the proletariat. I dont think socialism has been regarded as that even though hitlers party was the National Socialist party. I think mussolinis party was also employed but i would hope some tb entrepreneur would make a special explaining what socialism is the positives and the drawbacks and let it stand on its own. And they could benefit from the education b17. You have done a lot of homework but are there other sources or anyone else that you draw inspiration . And those that were disenfranchised to be militarized over many decades that sharp and accurate perception of the founders and the framers and what constituted the beginning should be looked at and digested. That the majority were lawyers there were a large number of bankrupts. George washington he made good money charging high interest i think washington d. C. Was eventually settled and im sure he made a few bucks there. He was good on slaves but madison was the best. Jefferson was the worst. I am sure adams had a clean date on slavery but it pays to examine these people. There is a play on broadway called hamilton. If you read the resource material he had brilliant input with a class act. And when he was bumped off by ehrenberg he was planning to introduce a bill. We will see. I cannot emphasize enough all children of the enlightenment. They all read montesquieu and i forget who else. But even more interesting is that they lead the framers. They have someone proud of and we should investigate them even more. Preaching to the choir with this book. So have you had discussions or converted people to the other side . No. I do not enter the lions den. Although fear does play a part i never feel armed enough to throw down the gauntlet to challenge. There is always something i am missing or something more that i need to know so i dont seek those challenges. But with the larger scene of politics, we to start engaging and testing the waters to see if they are scalded or not and we can make progress slowly bit by bit if we can find the volunteers to do that. I know particular areas but not impeachment b17. You have been an activist just starting to get into politics do you have advice for the Younger Generation . How we can get involved . Here is a fact, we have been in existence 240 years. There has only been 21 years that we have not been at war. Twentyone out of 240. There has to be some break supplied and the word passed on. There has been a tremendous emphasis to honor the veteran. I am a veteran. So what . My did not get shot at. I was doing the korean war in france. But when we look closely we have been at peace anwr and war to suck up the poor disadvantaged youth of this country promising education for cheap. If there is room to join. I think we have to go back to eisenhower to rid ourselves of the militaryindustrial complex because all that does is create niche and worship with the warmonger. Isis and al qaeda i see them as monsters but we have done more to kiss off the middle east than anybody. The british started in modern times the russians tried it know we try it and still lack success. When will we learn by example to stay out . With a religious dictatorship. So who are we, as challenged as we are economically looking at the growing spread of the next class of rumors if you want to challenge that then maybe we will not be funding the black or brown kids to go to school and return the blue caller economy back to this country so people can start making money again. And they can to send their kids to college if that is what is paid out to the defense department. Sideways into scholastic benefits with collegiate assistance to poor welfare assistance and college. We have the money. Lets learn how to spend it b1 b17. [applause] how long do we keep going . As long as there are questions i will answer. It is a pleasure. I am an educator of young people and this past election created conversations of anger and fear. What advice you have for me to higher the kids that i teach to trust and make change in our society . I am hard of hearing and i had a hard time to hear you. I teach children but this election created conversations of anger. What advice you give me to be passionate about moving forward . He was defeated by almost a million votes. You dont need anymore encouragement you can march as the majority. You are in the majority. [applause] dont take no for an answer. So use your power even though men hold the office. You will gain respect by doing so. Im over here. Over here. Speaking of winning by 3 million votes there was a documentary called getting over it talking about election integrity. But states like georgia who have no paper trail but they had an amazing election. Are you still on that cause . Im having a hard time. Because the secretary of state trying to muddy the waters. So check out the vote fraud. But he is full of crab. And then we can go on with our business. Trying this for years in ohio in michigan and then try to realign the blocks. They just have to mess up and march. [applause] i just read recently that the west coast is now aligned perfectly to fight the government they have the muscle to do so. And that is something to open your mouth about so be sure to support that when it happens because it will happen. With Mary Tyler Moore you had a long career so what is your most proud of having achieved . Failing to close my mouth 17 b17 how do you see a way forward for the unions . I did not hear the question. That part is socialism. I started off as a nonunion worker i worked in the open shop planned in kansas city that was my first real job. I did not like it. But then i joined a union plant in chicago. It was a union shop. But the difference of the development was night and day. And that made me a union man forever. But with all the scandal that has happened and it is a good force. And then to infiltrate those whitecollar workers all over the place. To recognize the value it is up to us to police the dirty unions and uplift the clean one and praise them to keep them alive. They are a central part of democracy. [applause]