Posted on 04/21/2003 1:25:29 PM PDT by Bob Eimiller
From Gene Simmons web site: Recently, because of the War in Iraq, our letters pages have become a forum for all sorts of views. A few of you have expressed concern and sometimes outrage at some of my responses. And, perhaps a word of explanation is in order.
First, and most important, I stand by my words.
......
I have said in this political climate, that I am ashamed of the behavior of people who call themselves either members of the Democratic Party (whose politics I usually support, incidentally) or as Liberals (funny, I always thought I was one). But, I will not hesitate to tell someone off. I believe in a form of politics that supercedes philosophical discussions. I believe in Pragmatism.
Pacifism is a beautiful word. No one wants war. Not you. Not I. But, the most passionate Pacifist is only relatively so. What I mean is, it's easy to be a Pacifist here in America. That's because Hussein and other menaces are far away. The closer a gun is pointed to your head, the less of a Pacifist you are...the more you're interested in stopping the guy pointing the gun to your head.
Granted. Saddam Hussein never pointed a gun to my head. I also never want to wait long enough for him to do so. PRE-EMPTIVE WAR is one of the realities we all have to face. There will never be another 9/11...and I could give a sh#t if there is or isn't a direct line to Hussein. He had to go. Period. That regime wouldn't think twice about giving an extremist a suitcase filled with a dirty bomb.
I am passionate about America. It has given me (and in my estimation, the world) everything I ever wanted... including the right to disagree, without winding up in a can of dog food. And, because of my passionate love of America, warts and all, I will stand up and defend her at the drop of a hat.
Is America always right? No. But for 100 years, it seems to me, it has gotten most of it right. The most powerful force the world has ever known is not conquering other countries. Previous world powers, had a colonial agenda. This included at various times in history: Rome, Greece, Nazi Germany, France, England, Communist Russia and Persia. There are more.
But, aside from the French complaining (don't they always?) about the influx of the AMERICAN CULTURE, I don't see America expanding its borders...All the countries in the world are free to rule themselves as they see fit...as long as they don't threaten anyone else.
So, the letter column has tended to veer towards your letters. I didn't push it there. You did. DON'T START SOMETHING, UNLESS YOU WANT TO FINISH IT. If you write letters and are willing to give...you better be willing to get.
Because I give as good as I get.
"America, love it or leave it?" I never subscribed to that ideal. It's actually UnAmerican. I DO believe in different opinions. But, I am also ashamed of any American especially, who gets up on stage in a different country to badmouth America, while American troops are dying in a desert country they would never want to live in.
Is that behavior giving aid and comfort to the enemy? You bet your fu#kin' a$$. In jail, when you misbehave, you get b#tch slapped, or you become someone's b#tch
In life, you should be held accountable for anything that comes out of your mouth, not just your a$$.
Yelling FIRE in a movie theater, is NOT freedom of speech.
The war, for the most part is over. The British and the Aussies, (God bless em both,) amid a murky political situation, stood alongside Americans and did what had to be done.
The Iraqi's are free.
I suggest anyone having a problem with this war go talk to the Iraqi's. Ask them if they prefer freedom (even at the price of, initially having what seems to be chaos), or if they prefer Saddam Hussein come back and reinstates the old ways.
I DARE anyone to say the Iraqi's were better off before, under Hussein.
And, after the war dies down, and people here in America go back to normalcy, there will be people who say that they are "non-violent." You don't want to get into fights. But, what that really means is, you don't want to pick on anybody.
Problem is, the bad guys don't always agree with you. You see, if you're against violence and some guy holds a gun to your head and asks you for your money, you better re-think your position. You better become VERY VIOLENT at that moment. Or, you're dead.
Being a Pacifist, is an ideal. I subscribe to it. I'm against violence. But, only CONCEPTUALLY, if you threaten my children, I wouldn't think twice about snapping your neck on the spot. I suspect most people would take my view.
You can tell by the length of this missive, that this issue has gotten under my skin. So, I'll try to recap my feelings, in brief. Get ready, 'cause here comes the truth:
America is the world's only hope for a bright future.
Yes. I mean that. Yes, I know you live in another country and your country is cool, too. But, America is the only Superpower. There are no others. And that means, the world is a better place. Because if Nazi Germany or Communist Russia were the only superpowers, we would all be either dead or forced to live under their regimes.
America is not interested in ruling your country. If you think it does, smoking crack may be your answer.
I wasn't born here. But, I have a love for this country and its people that knows no bounds. I will forever be grateful to America for going into World War II, when it had nothing to gain, in a country that was far away...and rescued my Mother from the Nazi German Concentration Camps.
She is alive and I am alive because of America.
And, if you have a problem with America, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME.
http://www.genesimmons.com/
I'm a conservative metal head. 36 years old, headbanged at Ozzy and the Crue, passed a bottle around with Hetfield and Burton (Metallica) once before Metallica turned into d!cks, moshed with Megadeth and Anthrax, and have used my Slayer "Decade of Aggression CD to drive a family of raccoons out of my chimney.
Among the metal faithful (those of us who have brains and know how to use them, anyway) are, by and large, of either conservative or libertarian persuasion. We have a survival-of-the-fittest mindset, which fits in perfectly with the rugged individualism our nation was built upon.
We work hard, and we play even harder.
They are ordinary guys. The makeup is for the show, but they are strong musicians and it's how they make their living. It's the same deal as ZZ Top. You've got to have some faith in your ability to go on stage like that. Their political views are as valid as the political views of the guy sitting on the next bar stool.
Ragging on Gene Simmons for being a promiscuous rock star. Then what about Uncle Ted Nugent? He wasn't just hunting for game meat, he bagged more than his quota of groupie-tail back in the day. And hell be the first one to tell you so.
And like Uncle Ted, Gene has a loathing for drugs. Ever heard what Mr Simmons has to say about that topic? He says that it is a poison that robs the user of all potential as a human being. Does that sound like the ravings of a self-destructive libertine to you?
Look, the way I see it, we're involved in a cultural war between those who hate America and want to turn her into an anemic, neo-euro-trahy nanny state, and we who love liberty and living our lives as we see fit. And when at war, you have to accept any help you can get.
/soapbox
If you actually read all the replies on this thread, you would have read about his personal experience.
If I were famous or had my own website my words would have more gravity? My opinion is worth as much as anyone on FR's is.
You are right. Your opinion is worth as much as anyone else's, but experience can give value to opinion.
If you have never flown a plane, your opinion on what to do when the prop stops turning doesn't have as much value as someone that has flown a plane. Would you agree?
I apologize for the spelling dart. It was unnecessary and a lowly tactic.
My original reason for debating with you was that you seemed to respond to the posting of his article as having no value because he was a celebrity, rather than on the merits of what it said.
I also think it is possible you were trying to make a point about how celebrities views should be given no weight, rather than us picking who has value based on whether they happen to agree with us personally. But you hadn't responded that way, so...........
How many thousands of times would he have had to say "no thanks" to not be promiscuous? Could you imagine saying to hottie after hottie "Sorry, but I think I'll just curl up with the latest John le Carré novel instead of partying with you. G'night!"
LOL!
Like Jimi Hendrix doing the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock in 1968?!!
The kind of person who believes that would more than likely support a socialist way of funding it. But I see what you're saying, definately. I don't know. I don't have the answer.
I do know this much: gathering at the feet of Gene Simmons ain't it. :-)
I was a huge Kiss fan when I was 12 and 13 ('75 and '76), when they released their best recording -- Kiss Alive. (By '77, I had progressed to Led Zeppelin).
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