[Vision2020] Eleven Reasons to Give Actors a Break

[Ted Moffett]

David and All:

The main point raised in Bob's post was the lack of actual military training 
and/or service in many of the top Bush administration leaders.  If 
actors/actresses are speaking on issues for which they are unqualified, 
which you suggest, should we not address the point Bob raised of the lack of 
military experience in governmental leaders, leaders who are more in need of 
real experience regarding the crucial decisions they must take on our behalf 
in our "democracy," than actors/actresses who are just exercising their free 
speech rights, though admittedly with far more exposure than most citizens 
due to their celebrity status?

Ted




>From: "David Douglas" <ddarrel_douglas@hotmail.com>
>To: escape@alt-escape.com, vision2020@moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Eleven Reasons to Give Actors a Break
>Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 21:47:52 -0800
>
>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
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE*  
>http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
>
>_____________________________________________________
>List services made available by First Step Internet, serving the 
>communities of the Palouse since 1994.                 http://www.fsr.net   
>                              mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ


_________________________________________________________________
The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE*  
http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail