James Arness

[beowulf]

we recently lost one of our great old western actors , Mr. James Arness . was rather surprised that no one mentioned his passing ! I grew up watching gunsmoke , and later on how the west was won ! he was a fine actor and a more than decent human being , and will I`m sure be missed by his fans !

[Watauga]

                            Yes we are losing our heroes as they ride into the sunset.
      But they have left us the fine film and video work they did for the generations to follow. 

[Dogshirt]

I hadn't heard of his passing. Actually, I thought he had gone some years ago. So much
for what the media THINKS is important!

[Bulldog lady]

Hats off and gun salute to one of a dying breed - may the great spirit welcome him - he will be missed       They just don't make'um like they used to, and ain't makin an good new ones, may he join the Duke at the rondy in the sky 

[Dogshirt]

It seems he died in June, but I heard nothing about it.

[crazell]

Sorry to hear it My and me used to watch it together,fond memories!! He will be missed..

[beowulf]

it`s weird , did`nt know about this myself until recently ! I get the paper every day and there was no mention of his passing . last year when his brother ( peter graves ) passed there was just a paragraph or so and a picture ,but al qaeda  scum get full page write ups when they kill them ! guess mr. arness and mr. graves just were`nt left wing loons and therefore the media did`nt think they deserved to be recognized for their lifes work !

[FlintlockBob]

Thanks for the info. I also had heard nothing about his passing. We are loosing all the good role models & heroes and are getting nasty gangster rappers, ect. to take their places. Where are we headed. Also Bulldog lady you have it right. The DUKE will be there to meet him. I miss them, but we do have their movies as Watauga has said to carry us on. Take care...

[Hanshi]

I read and cut the obit about his death for my scrapbook.  i'd visited his website sometime prior to his death.  He wasn't forgotten by us codgers.

[mongrel]

In honor of Mr. Arness, and in tribute to many of our other role models in days gone by....

Arness is featured in this video, immediately after the portrait of John Wayne -- fitting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31aETl1BESU

[capbuster]

I knew bout his death, but was not a member of this forum at the time.  James Arness was a true American legend and someone you could look up to.  In all of his tv series, Gunsmoke, you never heard a cuss word that I can recall, even toward the end when tv started getting so liberal.  Had values and stuck with them.  He was also wounded in WWll at Anzio.  True American Hero, these wonderful veterans are leaving us entirely to fast.  I don't like the term "role model", as used today, but he was one who did what had to be done and then forgot about it.

[Dogshirt]

" I don't like the term "role model", as used today, but he was one who did what had to be done and then forgot about it."

That's what a "Role model" is supposed to do, not do what NEEDS to be done and then use it to draw attention to yourself.

[FlintlockBob]

Dogshirt I don't know of any other word to use other than "role model". This is the term used by all. If you have a better term, please let me know, I would like to use it. Thank you. Take care...

[FlintlockBob]

Capbuster, do you have a better term that I could use? I do believe that they were all a strong influence on us & we are better for it. Thank you. Take care...

[mongrel]

Personally, I think the term "role model" works fine. It describes exactly what we mean when we refer to the influence (good or bad) an individual has on us, by the power of his or her example.

Yes, the term is misused and overused in many ways, today, but that doesn't make it in the least bit less valid. If it were to do so then I couldn't refer to myself as one of "the people" or as a "worker" without the fear of offending persons opposed to the doctrines of Marx, because Marx made ample use of those terms and his followers today continue to do so. However, that doesn't make them any less true, accurate, or honorable terms for someone like myself.

John Wayne, James Arness, Fess Parker, Roy Rogers, and others of that stature were very much role models, and our nation needs more like them. Whether or not the majority of athletes and celebrities in our country today ought to be regarded as role models, given the very publicly degraded nature of the lifestyles of many of them, is debatable, but the problem there is our national fixation on sports, fame, and wealth, not the simple term "role model" itself. If we were more careful and selective about who we applied the term to, and why, to say someone is a "role model" would be an unquestioned badge of honor instead of making some of us uneasy about who our kids and grandkids are looking up to.