Winston Perry Bullard (September 2, 1942 – October 15, 1998), was a Democratic politician and lawyer in

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

. Bullard was born in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

and attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. After serving in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

, he obtained his law degree from the

University of Michigan Law School The University of Michigan Law School (branded as Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparati ...

. He then ran successfully for the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2020 ...

in 1972. He continued to hold his 53rd district seat, representing

Ann Arbor Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

, until 1993. Bullard was known for his strongly liberal stances and his passion for defending and expanding personal civil liberties. He was one of a few members of the

Democratic Socialists of America The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a political organization in the United States and the country's largest Socialism, socialist organization. Sitting on the Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left of the politic ...

to be elected to public office. According to the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

, Bullard was part of a group of young liberal representatives who, during the 1970s, were known as the "Kiddie Caucus"; other members included David Hollister of Lansing and Morris Hood of

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. Early in his tenure, Bullard was the subject of criticism after he was photographed using

marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...

at the second annual Hash Bash, a rally promoting less restrictive marijuana laws. Bullard told reporters who surrounded him as he smoked that "there's nothing wrong with it." Bullard eventually came to chair the state house Judiciary Committee. He sponsored the Open Meetings Act, the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, and blocked legislation that would have revived the death penalty and loosened requirements for police wiretaps. A decorated naval veteran of the Vietnam War, in which he served in 1966–67, he later renounced his 13 medals at an antiwar rally. During the 1990s, after retiring from the state legislature, Bullard ran unsuccessfully for a state judgeship. Bullard and his wife moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida in 1996, but both returned to Michigan in 1998. Bullard died in Canton Township, Michigan on October 15, 1998.

References

External links

* Perry Bullard information a
The Political Graveyard
* Associated Press,

" ''Michigan Daily'', 19 Oct. 1998. * Extensive biographical feature in Dave Dempsey
"Perry Bullard: Liberal Lawmaker, 1972-1992,"
''Michigan Historical Review'', 22 Mar. 2003. *
African Activist Archive Project: online material by and about anti-apartheid work of Perry Bullard as a state legislator in the 1970s and 1980s
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bullard, Perry 1942 births 1998 deaths Harvard University alumni Lawyers from Cleveland Members of the Democratic Socialists of America from Michigan Members of the Michigan House of Representatives Politicians from Ann Arbor, Michigan Politicians from Cleveland University of Michigan Law School alumni Michigan socialists 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century members of the Michigan Legislature

See also

References

External links