Former star of the television series 'MASH, Mike Farrell. - Yahneake Sterling photo

Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

A splash of the now almost customary Calabash rain did not put a damper on actor and activist Mike Farrell, as he carried the second day of the 2007 Calabash International Literary Festival past the noon hour. And when the star of the television series MASH finished reading and sat to speak with the festival's founder, author Colin Channer, in the 'Chatterbox' session on Saturday afternoon, the rain had passed at Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth.

Matters almost immediately turned to the United States, with Farrell saying that he lives in a country north of Jamaica and south of Canada where everyone is supposedly happy, has a car, is never hungry, has enough money because they all have a job and there is a pill available for all illnesses. However, he said it is a myth, because "people are sick; people are hungry".

Fork in the road

After he spoke about living in a country which he likes, as opposed to liking what it does, Channer asked where was the fork in the road. "There is a fork in every road," Farrell said. "Where was the original fork?" Channer asked.

Farrell said, "With the constitution that was written by white, landowning men and it has been made to appear that it was not written for white, land owning men," to applause from the near full house under the tents at Jakes. When asked if he believed that a change of government would bring a change of direction, Farrell said yes. "I believe in the inevitability of the triumph of the human spirit," he said. However, he said that in the United States, people have lost their sense of power. "They see demonstrations of racism and sexism on television every day," he said.

"They cheat themselves of the possibilities of real change," he said.

"Do you watch television?" Channer asked, to which Farrell said no. "Not even re-runs of MASH?" Channer asked, to laughter from the audience.

Farrell said the movie, which aired before the television series, came out in 1968-69 and was seen by those who opposed the (Vietnam) war as the ultimate anti-war statement. When asked if a revival of the television series set in contemporary Baghdad would have an audience, Farrell said yes.

However, "The people on TV would never do it. They are so afraid of the powers that be and the reaction of the far right." When asked what he thought would happen in Iraq, Farrell said, "We are going to finally work up the courage to get the troops home and let the people of Iraq work out their situation." That would happen through the help of the international community and Arab nations as protectors.

The discussions went back to Farrell and MASH and an approach that was made to him, then Channer said "homosexuality is illegal in Jamaica". (Homosexuality itself is not illegal in Jamaica, but buggery is).

Crying shame

"It is a crying shame that people are not allowed to express their God-given sexuality," Farrell said, to which Channer said, "I agree with you." "The homophobes try to link paedophilia with homosexuality all the time. It is not true," Farrell said.

"There are people who behave differently from us and that inspires fear in us. Out of that fear we pass laws that tell them what they are doing is wrong," he said. "It is contemptuous of the difference in human life."

"Homosexuality has been a part of human relationships as far back as we can remember," Farrell said, adding that "to condemn it is to deny a part of ourselves".

Farrell said, "We are all brothers and sisters and if some of our brothers love brothers instead of sisters and some of our sisters love sisters" then that is a part of a common humanity and to deny that is to blaspheme against whatever God you believe in. Farrell likened the situation with what a friend said about the death penalty, that it is to say God made a mistake.