<div dir="ltr" style=""><div>Peter O'Toole 81 and Joan Fontaine 96 also passed away over the weekend.</div><div>Roger<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div style="padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px; border-left-color: rgb(119, 119, 119); border-left-width: 3px; border-left-style: solid;">-----Original Message-----<br />Subject: [Vision2020] 'Billy Jack' actor-writer Tom Laughlin dies at 82<br />From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen@moscow.com><br />To: "Moscow Vision 2020" <vision2020@moscow.com><br />Date: 12/16/13 15:17:20<br /><br />
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Courtesy of CNN at:</div>
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<div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/15/showbiz/billy-jack-tom-laughlin-obit/">http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/15/showbiz/billy-jack-tom-laughlin-obit/</a></span></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><h1 style="margin: 15px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; width: 600px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">'Billy Jack' actor-writer Tom Laughlin dies at 82</strong></h1></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> <strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Los Angeles (CNN)</strong><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-- Tom Laughlin, the actor who wrote and starred in the "Billy Jack" films of the 1970s, died Thursday, his family confirmed Sunday. He was 82.</span> </div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Laughlin's Billy Jack character was a heroic Native American ex-Army Green Beret who used his karate skills to fight racism and oppression.</span></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The second of the series -- titled "Billy Jack" -- was a low-budget independent film that became a box-office blockbuster in 1971. Laughlin's vigilante character defends a counterculture "Freedom School" from townspeople who harass and discriminate against the Native American students.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The film was criticized by those who saw its central theme as a message that violence was an answer to injustice.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Laughlin resorted to renting theaters himself to show the film after Hollywood studios refused to distribute it.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Billy Jack character first appeared in "The Born Losers" in 1967, fighting a motorcycle gang. Laughlin co-wrote and directed the film.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Laughlin later attempted a political career, putting his name on presidential primary ballots in 1992, 2004 and 2008.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Laughlin's acting career began with TV and film roles in the 1950s, including a "lover boy" role in Sandra Dee's 1959 beach movie "Gidget."</span></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">His wife of 60 years, Delores Taylor, also acted in his "Billy Jack" films.</span></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Laughlin died near his Thousand Oaks, California, home Thursday, his family said.</span></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He is survived by his wife, three children and five grandchildren.</span></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Photo of Tom Laughlin as 'Billy Jack', circa 1971.</span></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><img name="8A2BC0E4-18FD-47CA-AB35-62BE7AD76E6E" width="640" height="360" id="8A2BC0E4-18FD-47CA-AB35-62BE7AD76E6E" alt="131215174231-tom-laughlin-story-top.jpg" src="cid:8A2BC0E4-18FD-47CA-AB35-62BE7AD76E6E"></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> <div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; line-height: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">STORY HIGHLIGHTS</strong></div>
<ul class="cnn_bulletbin cnnStryHghLght" style="list-style: none; margin: 9px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; line-height: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<li style='background-position: 0px 5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 9px 7px; border: 0px currentColor; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 14px; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: url("http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/global/red_bull.gif"); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-color: transparent;'>The Billy Jack character was a Native American ex-Green Beret vigilante</li>
<li style='background-position: 0px 5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 9px 7px; border: 0px currentColor; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 14px; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: url("http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/global/red_bull.gif"); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-color: transparent;'>The low-budget "Billy Jack" became a box-office blockbuster in 1971</li>
<li style='background-position: 0px 5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 9px 7px; border: 0px currentColor; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 14px; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: url("http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/global/red_bull.gif"); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-color: transparent;'>The film was criticized for its message that violence was an answer to injustice</li>
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">"One Tin Soldier" (theme song)</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="http://www.tomandrodna.com/Songs/One_Tin_Soldier.mp3">http://www.tomandrodna.com/Songs/One_Tin_Soldier.mp3</a></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Rest well, Mr. Laughlin.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> <br /><div>Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</div>
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<div>"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</div>
<div><a href="http://www.MoscowCares.com">http://www.MoscowCares.com</a></div>
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<div>Tom Hansen</div>
<div>Moscow, Idaho</div>
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<div>"<span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">There's room at the top they are telling you still</span><span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"> </span> </div>
<span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">But first you must learn how to smile as you kill </span><br style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">If you want to be like the folks on the hill."</span> </div>
<div><font size="3"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><br /></span></font></div>
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<font size="3"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">- John Lennon<br /></span></font><div> </div> </div>
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