Muzzled?

The Wichita Eagle ^ | May 20, 2003 | L. Kelly

[RAT Patrol]

	Posted on Tue, May. 20, 2003
	OUR VIEW: MUZZLED? Stars' dissent isn't crushed; it makes news If celebrities are going to cast themselves as entertainers and activists, then they should accept that some people who don't support their political views and activities will decide they're not all that entertaining anymore. That's how the marketplace works. The U.S. Constitution guarantees -- even encourages -- our right to speak out, to criticize the government, to harangue elected officials, to denounce policy. It does not guarantee that anyone will agree with you, or take you seriously, or reward you for it. In fact, it guarantees other Americans' right to criticize, harangue and denounce you. Actor and longtime activist Danny Glover is the latest to complain about this pretty nifty system of action and consequences. Mr. Glover and MCI, the phone company for which he does commercials, have become targets of a boycott because he has spoken out against the Iraq war and the United States' "strong campaign of destabilization" against Cuba. He claims he is the victim of "rabid nationalism" that is attempting "to crush any kinds of dissent." Oh, please. Crushing dissent is what Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein did and what Cuban dictator Fidel Castro is still doing. Mr. Glover hasn't landed in prison, been tortured or otherwise harmed. In fact, thanks to calls for a boycott, Mr. Glover's comments made national news and reached a wider audience. Thanks to Americans' obsession with celebrities, he joins the ranks of Dixie Chick Natalie Maines and actors Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, Janeane Garofalo, Mike Farrell and other celebrities who have grabbed the spotlight for themselves and their causes by railing about how they are being "muzzled." Tim Robbins has emerged as a poster boy for this phenomenon; after the Baseball Hall of Fame canceled an event out of fear that he and Ms. Sarandon would turn it into an anti-war rally, the couple was invited to an alternative celebration in New York City and asked to discuss the flap on an HBO show, and Mr. Robbins' speech to the National Press Club about how his free-speech rights were trampled was carried live on C-SPAN and rebroadcast several times. So much for being censored. Instead of whining about being victims, celebrities should be glad that no one throws rotten tomatoes anymore. For the board, L. Kelly

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© 2003 The Wichita Eagle and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.kansas.com

[David Isaac]

Hear, here

[wita]

I'll second that. These second class celebs know very well that their precious rights, are intact, moreover they have special rights by the very nature of their stature as "stars", ie. they have a floor and a platform none of the "working families" of america have due to their star status and they can stand on that floor or platform anytime they desire, and some media type will spread the word nation wide. If they would like an example of muzzle, I'm sure I can come up with one that will convince them what that word really means.

What is really going on is a deception, designed to convince the sheep of the country that it is just more of the same like election 2000 President Bush is an unelected President blah blah blah, and the wool is being pulled over the eyes of the sheep, blah blah baa, and everyone has special rights, baa baa baa. More french whine and cheese IMHO, but what the hell do I know compared to shawn penn, and the other excuses for people with too much time and money on their hands.

[canalabamian]

He claims he is the victim of "rabid nationalism" that is attempting "to crush any kinds of dissent."

If these jack/jennyasses were true believers they'd embrace the fact that mainstream America is wailing on them, and wear it like a badge of (dis)honor. Just goes to show that not only are they wrong, and stupid, but also insufficiently committed (sp).

[Sam Cree]

What about the right of the rest of us to express our "dissent" from the stars' statements?

It doesn't seem they wish the right of free speech to extend to everyone.

[J Schweinbagel]

Mr. Glover hasn't landed in prison, been tortured or otherwise harmed.

But he did co-star in "Gone Fishin'", one of the 100 worst movies of all time according to the Internet Movie Database: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0119214

[FierceDraka]

Celebrities are generally shallow dunderheads who got where they are on the basis of looks alone, and their talent at lying. Er, I mean "acting".

[Scenic Sounds]

What about the right of the rest of us to express our "dissent" from the stars' statements?

It doesn't seem they wish the right of free speech to extend to everyone.

You're RIGHT. Sometimes I THINK why don't they LET me go ON the TV and say WHAT I think? UNFAIR!!

[FourPeas]

Common sense from Kansas Bump.

[lowbridge]

Mr. Glover hasn't landed in prison, been tortured or otherwise harmed.

But he did co-star in "Gone Fishin'", one of the 100 worst movies of all time according to the Internet Movie Database: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0119214

Maybe we should sue him for torture.

[cake_crumb]

"Thanks to Americans' obsession with celebrities, he joins the ranks of Dixie Chick Natalie Maines and actors Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Martin Sheen, Janeane Garofalo, Mike Farrell and other celebrities who have grabbed the spotlight for themselves and their causes by railing about how they are being 'muzzled.' "

They're not being muzzled and they know it. The buying public simply refuses to buy their services anymore because we dispise their public support and incitement of the enemy to continue murdering innocent civilians. They're milking their views in an effort to find alternative sources of income and reinforcement of their egos.

So, to all the Hollyweenies throwing tantrums about how your 1st Amendment right is being stomped on: it's not your government doing it stupid. It's the public. Many of us used to be fans of many of you. Now we despise you. We REALLY despise you. With every civilian murdered while you continue inciting the enemy, we despise you all the more.

[cake_crumb]

"It doesn't seem they wish the right of free speech to extend to everyone."

Which makes THEM the fascists, doesn't it?

[Sam Cree]

Yeah, exactly!

[Seeking the truth]

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