My Right to Dissent (Barbra Barf Alert)

www.barbrastreisand.com ^

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My Right to Dissent
Posted on Feb. 26, 2003

Several tabloids have been calling celebrities who have been outspoken against the war “traitors” or “friends of Saddam.” As I have been grouped into this category, I feel that I need to say something in response to these outrageous accusations. Afterall, these celebrities are American citizens first, and we are thankful to live in this great country that allows us the right to express our opinions.

I, for one, am a patriotic American who loves this country. I love that we live in a democracy where we have freedom of speech, where every person enjoys the right and bears the responsibility to say what he or she believes, and where we enjoy the privilege of having public discussions and debates about the most controversial of issues.

To set the record straight, I think Saddam Hussein is a horrific dictator who should disarm. And I believe we should support the men and women who have been put in harm’s way. But I do not think war is the answer right now. I believe there are other ways to disarm Saddam that must be explored before we resort to that most serious of options – a costly, deadly war. And I am not alone – millions of Americans and people around the world feel the same way I do. Are we all “traitors”?

At specific times in our recent history, our leaders (including Eisenhower, Kennedy and Reagan) , have chosen successful policies of containment over war when our country was faced with weapons of mass destruction... Now is the time for our current president to show the same level of restraint as his predecessors.

P.S. It used to be in politics that there was a certain amount of class and eloquence. The debate was civilized even though there were strong disagreements over deeply important questions. But, as usual, the Republicans have resorted to name-calling and mean-spiritedness. It’s interesting how the actors that are criticized for their political activism always happen to be Democrats... The press does not criticize Republican actors Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Charlton Heston for expressing their strongly-held political opinions.

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Cause I enjoy reading Freeper responses to this bizarre woman.

[George W. Bush]

Barbra would well-advised to exercise her right to shut the hell up.

[UncleSamUSA]

Yes, the Constitution of the United States gives everyone the freedom to be a blathering, moronic, stupefyingly ignornant jerk.

Problem is, Babwa, you keep abusing the privilege.

[BlueLancer]

"Are we all “traitors”?"

Uh ... yes.

[backhoe]

I was going to drop out of "lurkin' & linking" mode long enough to write something acerbic about this self-obsessed, self-important, self-worshipping and ultimately irrelevant woman ( and her compatriot "stars..." ) but on second thought, it isn't worth the bother...

-30-

backhoe

[Moby Grape]

Barabra, you have a right to disent, no matter how utterly foolish, if not down right stupid, you appear as you do so....your high school education, and the ability to sing, have of course made you an "expert"....I can think of other Hollywood experts....Ted Danson told Congress that the oceans would be DEAD in 10 years....he said it 20 years ago....oh, if only the world would listen to the experts from Hollywood.

[Leisler]

"...we are thankful to live in this great country that allows us the right to express our opinions. "

It is not "allows", Frumpy. It is that many have served, fought and died. Your freedom to bloviate has been won by others, not you or your Hollywood friends, by others who paid and are paying now the price it costs.

P.s., yes, those clothes do make you look fat.

[Alas Babylon!]

The biggest problem with Hollywood celebrities is that the Hollywood media treats them like royalty. Unlike any reporter who would question, retort, and/or challenge statements made by politicians, Hollywood reporters dare not. Hollywood reporters live or die by ACCESS to these "stars". Ask the wrong questions and you get no ACCESS. Then your career as a Hollywood reporter is OVER. So these so-called "stars" rarely get challenged on their views. After a while, they start believing their own press, which is always agreeable and frankly, fawning.

Of course, these celebrities have a First Ammendment right to say whatever they wish. However, when they do so, than the public at large have every right to challenge their "facts" and opinions, and unfortunately, these voices are not heard very often, compared to the constant and vocal opinons of the "stars". Also, most of the well-known "stars" are multi-millionaires, who spread their money around to various leftist causes and politicians like candy. It's laughable that they think they stand for the common man, when in fact they are an elite, moneyed special interest, no less self-promoting than the "gun lobby", "big tobacco", or the oil companies.

[Greybird]

Everything before the postscript is a perfectly legitimate viewpoint, whether you agree with it or not, and does not deserve a "barf alert." Unless everyone who demurs from this war deserves such, and few are silly enough to go that far. Even around here.

Streisand, or whoever at her agent's office actually wrote this, is not eloquent -- far from it -- but the "traitor" smear of dissenters to this war is indeed far overdone, and she does have a valid complaint.

As for the postscript, she's quite blind to how Reagan and Heston have both been excoriated in the media for their politics in their capacity as being, or having been, actors. That's a serious mistake, and certainly not the first she's made. It's not "barf"-worthy, though.

[section9]

Look, as I always say, opinions are like a$$holes; everybody has one.

Babaloo has the right to hold her opinion without being called "treasonous". After all, Chamberlain and Deladier sold Czecheslovakia down the river at Munich, but no one ever accused them of being traitors to their respective countries.

Like Babs, however, they were monumentally foolish.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[knighthawk]

Taken from South Park:

Satan, Saddam, and the Succubus may SEEM evil, but this thing is pure evil. Barbera Streisand is the most evil thing in the universe, her unhuman vocal cords could make even a deaf man cry, and if the curcumstances are correct.. she can transform into a huge metal monster.

And here is a picture from Barbara's friend:

[Jagdgewehr]

The press does not criticize Republican actors Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Charlton Heston for expressing their strongly-held political opinions.

Yep. Charlton Heston has never been criticized for his NRA affiliation or pro-2nd amendment position. </sarcasm

[grb]

Please go to her website. Your right this doesn't deserve a barf alert on it's own, but put it in context with the rest of the rantings on her website and maybe you will understand the barf alert.

[OpusatFR]

What she's upset about and what all the Holyweird folk aren't getting is the concept that if you speak, you can be criticized.

Stating Heston and others were not criticized points up her belief that as long as what ~she~ thinks is right, no one else can have a countering opinion. She does not consider the leftwing propaganda machine against Heston and others criticism but merely the correct stance to be taken.

Her ego and the egos of all those on the left are so great and they are so mindless in their beliefs that dissent from their agenda is unthinkable.

They are unable to think any differently. It isn't possible.

[Bikers4Bush]

I hate that whore.

[Bikers4Bush]

Anything babs ever does or says automatically qualifies for a barf alert.

[Moby Grape]

Churchill said, "Appeasment, will not treason, often has the same effect." It is not entirely outside the bounds of reason to say that Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Babs have made statements that give aid and comfort to our enemies, and although not treason by letter of law, still has the same effect. It is entirely within the bounds of reason to assert that Babs says some very stupid things.

[Conspiracy Guy]

And I am not alone – millions of Americans and people around the world feel the same way I do. Are we all “traitors”?

Well actually, No. Only those of you who profess to be American are "Moronic Traitors". The other people or just morons.

[sport]

"P.S. It used to be in politics that there was a certain amount of class and eloquence. The debate was civilized even though there were strong disagreements over deeply important questions. But, as usual, the Republicans have resorted to name-calling and mean-spiritedness."

I think that if she checks her facts, she will find that it was the democrats that changed this.

But in the end, facts, truth, law, decency mean nothing to a democrat.

The only thing that matters is controlling your [and mine] life. In other words, raw political power.

[metesky]

Of course they have the right to express their opinions on anything, just as all Americans do. What they don't understand and hate is that we have the right to mock and deride them for those opinions.