Courage in Cinema: Unfiltered Jon Voight Stands Tall

[Music] [Applause] [Music] hello everyone and welcome to another episode of common sense with Dr Ben Carson I'm your host Ben Carson and uh you know I talk about common sense a lot because it's not common anymore uh you look at our political system you look at our educational system you look at what's going on in sports you look at what's going on in entertainment uh really has gotten to be sort of an oxymoron common sense in America but we have to bring it back and that means each one of us has to be involved and my guest today is the epitome of common sense and I want you to see if you can guess who he might be uh he's won all kinds of uh a Awards an Academy Award the uh British Academy film award several Golden Globe awards um the national medal of Arts uh he's been involved in numerous films that you might know of like coming home this one's G to give them away Midnight Cowboy and uh Mission Impossible Enemy of the State Pearl Harbor Glory Road uh the National Treasure film series it goes on and on just about everything Hollywood and by now you know that I'm talked about John White uh one of the most serious actors and most famous actors in the history of Hollywood John welcome to the program and thank you so much for being with us today it's very good to see you Ben always and uh I I want to ask you who were some of the inspirational figures for you in the film industry oh well I I I grew up uh I'm an older fell 1938 and uh my dad was a golf professional and he's uh and he loved movies and uh so we paid attention I I at the age of five when I was in kindergarten my father started taking his three boys I'm the middle uh one year younger than my older brother Barry and one year older than my younger brother who West Voit and changed his name to Chip Taylor when he became a a singer songwriter and uh and he wrote some famous songs didn't he yeah yeah he wrote he wrote wild thing he wrote Angel of the Morning he wrote some nice songs he's great great you know he's in the Hall of Fame the songwriters Hall of Fame so uh but anyway we saw these wonderful movies When We Were Young my dad took us to everything and that was a time when even the adult movies were not dangerous to kids uh so uh so we we grew up on some great you know in a great time of the movie industry the Golden Age they call it and I think it still stands as the uh the ultimate in film making in many ways of course we've had a lot of techn technological changes and we've had very talented people throughout the decades but we still go back and refer to that that golden age uh because of the I think of because of the the moral uh aners of of the people involved at that time and uh there used to be something called the seill of good practice uh which me that there was supposed to be some moral lesson or some good that came out of the movie you know I I I think I'm I give myself credit for the one who discovered this I'll tell you something when I looked at the films back then and I knew that the fellas who were the Moguls at that time there were these fellas who came from Europe uh and uh and established this business they became the heads of these they set up these Studios and they were all Jewish guys uh and in as far as I can see as you know going through my life you know reading a little bit of the Bible and and stuff I came to an understanding that the that the um at the end end of every session or chapter in the Bible uh they had to have a a positive ending if you look at the Jewish Bible if you look at Isaiah for instance the prophet Isaiah and you come to the end well they could have ended it on a very sour note but they came back and repeated uh the positive aspect some little hope for the future and I think that that was the the uh that was really the base of what we know as the Hollywood ending the happy ending do you you know what I'm saying to finish it out gives people hope at the end and give them a happy ending and uh and I'm very grateful for that and we've kind of lost that in a way do you see no we have definitely lost that but what were what were some of the the most significant and memorable roles for you my roles the roles I played or yeah oh well I've you know doctor I've been so many very many as I got you as you get older you know you look back in a different way at your career and and you know um I I was very fortunate I I can look back and say boy I was really fortunate I worked with wonderful people and I was uh although I turned down things that that were very good you know uh and I pursued things and lost pieces that I thought I could play uh you turned on the captain's role on Jaws didn't you no I did not no that's a that's a myth I I I was never offered that um I think that's a that was you know that's a great movie and and uh Robert Shaw was was terrific in that part and I was not as old as Robert at that time I was a younger fellow but but there but Stephen Spielberg offered me a role in one of his pictures that was not one of his great victories but but uh I turned it down because it was a repeat of character in Midnight Cowboy and I didn't want to repeat that and uh and then it got out that John voy had turned down a m movie with Steven Spielberg and then it kind of passed from one film to another you so got a reputation from turning but I didn't turned down anything that was important with Stephen but I did turn down Love Story kind of famously uh it came as a as a the benefit of some of the successes I had and they asked me to do love story and and I said to them uh no no I can't do this part I said uh I just mess it up for you and they said why and I said because I I'd make it too complicated and and that's the truth I just playing this very nice fell who is you know sincere good good guy it required a movie star and I was really a character actor in you know in in some way and uh and the fellow who played played it awfully well so I think some people might argue with you about that well I don't know it it was but it was you know you you do different things I pursued uh One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and didn't get it and Jack got it and he was brilliant of course it couldn't have been better and uh and I pursued Schindler's List too uh and Liam's Liam did his he was brilliant too so I I didn't uh I wouldn't have been better than those fellas so I U but I had good taste in pursuing those you know well those piece you you youve recently gotten involved in the new Reagan movie yeah um playing one of the Russian characters and you actually did a pretty good job with that action I must admit but uh I wanted to to ask you did you did you know Ronald Reen no I did not no I did not and I when I was a young fellow I was in the 60s I was caught up in on the left and it was just a beginning of of the left you know uh and there was a lot of U you know I the left the 60s were really a crazy time and we were really invaded by a lot of very bad philosophy in that time and uh and yet some of the characters in it were very charismatic and interesting uh like Abby Hoffman and you know people like that you know the Chicago 7 and uh and Jane Fonda was out here in in California and uh very interesting people and sincere people but uh as you we get a little distance on it we realize we were being manipulated U was an interesting thing that the that all of those marches against the war were were organized by the Communist Party of the United States which is and and we all knew it it was almost like the Communist part is just an organization you know but we didn't assign any any evil to to any of that you know absolutely well of course if you read the uh Congressional Record from January 10th 1963 you bet Congressman herong read into the record the 45 goals of Communism in America this was over 6 years ago and yet you you just tick down that list you know infiltrate the public schools and gain control of them and teach your union so you can indoctrinate the kids gain control of Hollywood and the news media so that you can manipulate the minds of the American people and you've probably to some degree seen that change because there wasn't indeed I wonder I I want to recommend this book I I had a copy of it and then I asked you you know through Andrew your your friend to get me another copy I needed it because I was going to be talking about this very subject you know and uh and I recommend this book it's a tremendous U contribution to this time right now well thank you I mean perilous fight the perilous fight folks uh overcoming our culture war on the American family and it's written by Ben Dr Ben Carson and his wife Candi and it's a terrific book I wanted to just make clear that that uh that this book has all the information that we really deeply need right now uh to point us in the direction toward getting out of this morass we're in you know some people think that uh it's inevitable that decline is inevitable but you know I think America is different than all those other countries who have succumbed to the Marxist ideology and a lot of it has to do with the fact that we believe that our rights come from our creator right from God and there's a moral code that has guided us for a very long time we're in the process of trying to throw God out right now and as a result of that uh you see a rather rapid decline but I don't think it's too late by any stretch of the imagination well I think the I think the fight is on and I think this complet this time right now is very key to uh you know to that that what you speak of that future that we have is on the line and uh and it and and I and I know there are many Heroes out there who are you you among them prominent among them uh that are giving us guidance and giving us hope and uh encouraging all the the worthy Warriors who are when I say Warriors I mean people who are really taking on the battle uh for in in all the different areas like people like the mothers who go and and battle for their the safety of their children in the schools against the the teachers unions and the you know and the people who are uh manipulating their the education of the children these days and uh there are all sorts of good people out there so uh so I'm I I I share that hope with you that we can get by this but this is a key time I think this election I guess the the biggest problem is that some people are not courageous you know they they believe the right things and they have the right aspirations but they're not willing to take a stand and I don't believe that you can remain the land of the free if you're not also the home of the brave you got to be willing to stand up for what you believe that in in terms in terms of that I I I I'm always deep deeply moved by the like the Pledge of Allegiance pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all how how magnificent is that you know in God we trust there's so many different reminders of the path we we have been on and the blessing that we've been given through the founding principles and founding people the amazing founding people that fought this Revolution and put themselves on the line by signing the Declaration of Independence I mean those there's we have a history of the brave for sure and then we have this beautiful song this star spangle Banner that has also also all these wonderful reminders of who we are very eloquently put by Francis Scott Key and that whole thing about that song coming forth uh at that time with in the history of Fort McKenry at a time when Madison James Madison was the president and it was the War of 1812 30 Years After the Revolution very inspirational if you know the story you know oh it's amazing but most people probably don't really know the story they don't know what's behind they sing those words and they don't really understand what we're talking about right and and that's why I think that's why I mentioned it so you know I say go look at that it's very very inspiring our whole history is very inspiring and we we've been and that history that very history has been attacked by the KGB and their plans the in the schools they don't teach this stuff any longer and uh so we have to bring all that back you know the the uh like the the idea that they don't uh allow God in schools this came from the KGB that's how they they that was one of their first uh you know first pieces of the menu was to get God out of the schools so they could move in they want to be God they want you to depend completely on them and it's also interesting that we're talking about this uh you know the people who are running for president on the other side of the aisle democ Democrat people are connected to socialism both the person who's running for president and the person who's running for vice president they're deeply connected to socialism as as was Obama he's connected to this you know communist you know uh this fellow who was mentored him when he was a child and his grandparents were connected to the communist party of the United States I mean it's it you start putting the pieces together it's very um it's all connected very Insidious the way that they have done things and the the way that they have dumbed down the population this always occurs before socialism takes over you have to D the people down to the point where you can just tell them what's going on and they don't believe their own eyes and ears they accept what you tell them we're getting to that place you know there's a there was a we're get there's so many things I that come into my mind as as you speak there was this fellow Yuri bezmenov who was a a Defector from the Soviet Union who was a spy and I went to school on him to play the role in Reagan uh and uh in the middle of of the uh of the 80s he came out and told us everything that was going on and the plans and for the Soviet Union for how to take down America and replicated all the things you talked about in your book uh of the uh the the menu that the KGB had and he and he he backed up it all and I wrote down something that he had said let me read this to you if I could uh he said you know uh they they called it you know different names but it was a subversion you know and uh they said what it basically means this is Yuri bz basmanov saying what it basically means is to change the perception of reality of every American to such an extent that despite the abundance of information no one is a able to come to sensible conclusions in the interest of Defending themselves their families the community and their country they're not able to think straight and that's what they've accomplished so when people say to me what's wrong with this group or that group whatever it is whether it's people in Hollywood people in the Press whatever I said well they've been programmed and they've been they have no way of Defending themselves because propaganda works it's a scientific thing that they developed in the Soviet Union with all the work that they did with with Korea with with h Vietnam with the Eastern Europe they refined this they and and all toward taking down the big guy which is the United States of America well it's particularly think that the media is involved the way that they are because well this was one of the take over the media yeah they don't realize that the first thing that Communists and marxists do is they control the media they're digging their own grave and they don't even seem to realize it right I I guess that's why uh Vladimir Lenin called them useful idiots you need people like that in order to fundamentally change in society and that's what's what's happening with us I'm not given up yet by any stretch of the imagination I I think we can find God we can find our way through it if we remember the things that made us into a great nation yeah I agree I agree with with that uh doctor I also um it was interesting I I came across this in in the in the pursuit of history of our history I came across this moment when Ben Franklin stood in front of the con Constitutional Convention they were having a lot of difficulty because everybody had their own uh personal desires and local local needs and stuff and uh and they worked about four or five weeks I think and they came to no conclusions about how to create a government and he stepped up and he said and he was the older fell I he was 81 years old at that time yeah I was four years I'm four years his senior but uh uh he said gentlemen is is isn't it strange that we come to this point where everyone is you know bargaining for their local positions and this and that and the egos are getting involved and we're having this chaos uh and no with no uh end in sight at this moment and we've done so much work we've looked at all of the possibilities of governments throughout history and uh not only in this and and and we we've sought what has has happened in uh the rest of the world looking for the proper and we haven't sought the the advice of our or or of our uh the Father of Lights who who helped us through the the Revolutionary War that we were in when we needed so desperately some some help we prayed daily for guidance at that time and he responded are we now to throw him out we need to go back to to make our connection and to plead for help from our creator and to do that regularly so we can see straight and that's this is very bad interpretation of the eloquence of Ben Franklin but that's essentially what he was saying and uh and and they kned down and they prayed and they and they said he said let's start every session with prayer with a plea for understanding and being on the right track and uh from the Holy Father and and that was interesting they they then went on to put together our constitution but remember but remember when Franklin came out of that building he was asked by a woman sir what do we have here a monarchy or Republic and he famously said repu if we can keep it that's it yeah and how close are we to losing it when when a party uses the Department of Justice to go after their political rival the the hope that I have is the heroes that are taking it on I mean there are people who are in every part of the this battle uh like for instance the government covering up so so much information and there are people who are daily going to courts to try to get this information that they know they have as on record and uh finding out the truth of so many things uh Expose and then exposing that and in the meantime the the people on the other side are trying to cover up everything and attack the people who are bringing forth the truth so so we're you know but there are people taking on the battle I and and and we have the we still have the ballot at this moment um although the ballot has has been attacked as well with all of the uh the the tricks that they're playing to to put people on the roles that don't belong there so they so we're fighting that battle too and there are guys out in front of that battle so we'll see how we go but but one what I want to say to to the people listening is that God is still in his seat and uh and that's the that's the U that's the hope we all have and uh the advice of Ben Franklin holds to us too pray in the morning every [Music] morning we have a a question from uh one of our viewers uh from Hope Texas have you have you experienced is that lovely hope Texas wonderful means there's there's Hope Arkansas also um she wants to know have you experienced hardship due to steadying up for your beliefs in the m movie industry what advice would you give to younger Generations interested in making America a better place well it's a that's a nice question obviously the person who's asking it is a person of sound mind and Common Sense uh the uh have I had experienced that yes I've had uh you know people they don't consider me for certain jobs because of it and they talk uh negatively about me among themselves certain groups of people here in Hollywood so and and those people have gained access to the the power tools in in this uh Society um as evidenced by some of the bad U you know points of view in films that have come out you know the negativity that we're talking about that that is part of the major plan to take down this country they're participant in it but uh also I think that there are many many people uh in in the Hollywood area uh that are rooting for me and grateful for me speaking out uh because it's hard to do that here without losing work and that's a big thing I don't recommend people run around uh frtiz uh the it it is it's a danger out here you want to protect yourself and you want to you know be smart one of the things that I do is I don't really talk politics when I'm working if someone asks me about something you know I'll I'll respond to it but I but I uh I don't you know I I focus on the work and and I and I look forward to the day when we can be open about the things we feel uh and have a free Society the land of the free it's it's who we are and uh and we've we've been attacked and we're we we've got to get back to that but anyway I have you know I have a great regard for the artists in in this uh Community there are great artists here today as there always have been uh but there is there's been this poison inserted in into our society as a whole that we're talk talking about you know and they're victims of it when there's a wonderful line in in the great movie Casablanca which is one of the great movies and and and uh Humphrey Bogart is is speaking with uh this the Great British actor and he's uh and he says well he says what what you what brings you to Casablanca Ricky and uh H burer says I come for the water I came for the water and he says but there's no water here it's the middle of a desert and he says I was misinformed that's what he says and I say to the people here I said they were misinformed and and it goes to Jesus on the cross saying father forgive them for they know not what they do they've been taken away you know know uh and uh we're got to we've got to rescue all of us you know do the best we can to rescue ourselves so you would say uh your advice for them would be not to provoke people right but to be willing to stand up for what you believe when at yes live it yes if you're asked yes say what you feel and uh and you live what you feel now what I always tell people is you've been told since the time you were a little child that there are two things you should never speak about in public politics and religion and I say right now those are the two things you need to talk about you need to address because those are the areas that are being attacked uh to destroy our society and evil flourishes and darkness it does not like the light shined on it it doesn't want to be talked about um we need to talk about it we need to talk about who we are and the fact that we are not enemies you saw that in the book w n we are not enemies we are friends and colleagues and neighbors who've been manipulated into thinking that we're enemies just because we don't agree about everything but if two people agree about everything one of them isn't necessary we just need to learn how to talk to each other and to find out those things that we have in common and work on them and to improve our society and to learn from our mistakes as well as from our child well you couldn't get better advice than that folks I mean that's a wonderful way of describing our our needs at this time when you think of scho schools education and you think that there's a party line and it is like a party line that's exactly what it is it invented by the so uh that people can't say what they really feel well this is crazy how are you g to get to know anybody if you don't know what they allow them to express themselves and that's where the courage comes in and that's why Ronald Reagan said you know if you don't protect your freedoms you're never more than one generation away from right and I think he was looking forward and to the fure future and seeing what we're facing now but our Founders were smart enough to put the real solution in the hands of the people which is the vote but you have to use the vote appropriately you can't just look for the name that looks familiar you got to know who these people are got to do your job as a as a voter you have to do your job you have to look around sift and talk talk to other people and find that information and look things up and and uh and the things I've talked aled about you know ter terms of the influence of this of this so socialist aspect socialism is dangerous it goes right into communism it becomes tyranny it becomes misery you don't have to look very far to see that do all you have to do is look to our South Venezuela which used to be a beautiful country exactly and it turned over like that and uh it's a very good example of what's happening right now in the United States I was in a restaurant the other day and this man came over to me an older man uh he was he was about 20 years younger than I but he was an old man and he said uh and he came over and he his you could tell he was with heavy heart and he came over and he said John can I just speak with you he I I'm from Russia I I came here in 85 and uh and I see what's happening here is exactly what happened in 1917 in our in our country I feel sick from this I see it in front of me right that's what's he's accurate he's seeing this takeover you know the battle is on and uh and to think that they've taken over the press to such an extent that every everything is translated into something that is against America that is helping them take take down our country and we're not able to stop it amazing you know you're you're right on target we have a section in uh on American Corner sound called my American story where we interview people who came from socialist areas and they they tell us about the warnings and the things that we should be looking for and why we should be concerned and why we have to be active because we are heading straight there and I just want to thank you for being a voice of reason uh for being a voice of Courage for being a patriot uh because that encourages other people and uh I think there are more of us who think the right way and who love our country than there are who want to fundamentally change us but we just have to be willing to work together to think logically throw away this stuff like I'm not voting for that person because I don't like them he got good policy but I don't like them do you like your children do you like your grandchildren do you like the people who are going to be affected by all these policies you got to think big you got to look at the big picture not look at little idiosyncrasies right I happen to know the fellow we're talking about you know we both know him and uh and we're both impressed with him he's got great instincts he's a he's a person who loves this country he loves what we're talking about all the things we're talking about he's he's in he understands and if you look at the things that he's accomplished just as accomplishments it's quite amazing what he's done and and he's been and he's been constantly under attack during the creation of all of these triumphs that he's part of uh but because he won't because he won't get in the bed with the purveyors of the deep state with people who are trying to control things there's on both sides of the aisle there are such people he will not get in bed with them and they know that he is an existential threat to them therefore they have to characterize him as the one who is the danger but uh when people start thinking for themselves I think they will see who the real danger is and what they need to do to protect and preserve the most incredible nation that has ever existed for those who are coming after us wonderfully said I I you know thank God for you and all those people out there are listening to you we have the hope to change this thing and it's coming right up in front of us now absolutely we're going to we're going we're going to win I do know that can you tell people where they can uh watch the Reagan movie well it's in theaters today it's in theaters all over the country today just look in the uh you know look at the listings for your area find out where the where the picture is playing and go see it you you'll you get a lift and it's a delightful movie it's delightful well it's an instructive movie maybe but it's a a great story that will give us uh the the hope that we can accomplish all the things we need to do at this time he he he fought the Battle quite beautifully with great grace with great humor and there's a love story in it his his wife Nancy was uh his partner in many ways and that love story is very moving in the picture and I talking about that I just want to say thanks to candy and uh and your wonderful Rel relationship with your wife uh that produced this beautiful book oh well thank you so much thank you for everything you've done and thank you all for joining us today and remember to rate US review us we like those five star reviews tell your friends about us because we've got to spread Common Sense around and remember the Cornerstone principles Faith Liberty Community and life