[Vision2020] Eleven Reasons to Give Actors a Break

[David Douglas]

Bob and Visionaries,

While not disputing anyone's freedom to say what they want, I am curious 
what the term black-listing really means.  This letter used it last, but I 
don't think its the first time it's been used here.  My questions are:  Who, 
when, and by whom?  I want names....

Maybe the term needs to be defined a bit more clearly, for me at least, 
because unless the government is actively taking away the civil rights of 
our actor/experts, I'm not sure what the problem is.


"Blacklisting" seems more like one of those words that is pre-emptive rather 
than descriptive.  It does more to put their ideological conterparts on the 
defensive than it does to describe anyone's situation (kind of like 
describing anything said by anyone from an opposing viewpoint as 
"chilling").  There might be a genuine case to be made but I think such 
terms lightly used tend to appeal to emotion and not to fact.

And in the end can someone tell me how bad blacklisting really is?  If 
blacklisting means that one suffers flack, criticism, and loss of economic 
opportunity, how many visionaries avoid products by people whos politics 
they don't care for?  When was the last time KUOI played a John Ashcroft 
song (not that I'm requesting it)?

As for suffering those indignities, they have put themselves in a arena 
where their public has the freedom to be appalled by statements and actions 
that genuinely are appalling to some people.

Our actor/expert/prophets are trading on their ability to be pretty  and to 
pretend well with others, in order to be heard regarding things they are 
much less trained in.  That's fine, but they need to be prepared for the 
public consequences of their public actions.

As I said, perhaps I'm mistaken and would be glad to be set straight,
But in the main the the government not doing anything a la Tailgunner 
Joe--which is not to say that it is not doing everything correctly.  And if 
the government is leaving us alone in this regard, do you want this same 
government which is liable (in some peoples minds) to go House Unamerican 
Activies any time now, to "remedy" the free decisions of free people.

Cheers,
David Douglas

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