Celebrities have speech rights too

Cathy Kropp -- Staff Column

Since when did the career path we chose dictate our Constitutional rights?

For months now, critics have been lambasting celebrities who are outspoken regarding the war with Iraq, notably those who are anti-war.

Critics call these celebrities who are against the war traitors and unpatriotic. But to me, a traitor is someone who doesn't care about the U.S.

But most of the celebrity quotes I have read have said just the opposite. They care about our country, and that is why they don't want us to continue the war against Iraq. There is a huge difference between not loving your country and questioning the government's tactics, especially when these decisions affect the lives of people all over the world.

To call these people unpatriotic because they are against the war is pretty hypocritical. Indeed, demanding that only certain individuals have the right to speak their minds is unpatriotic.

Another disturbing twist to this backlash against actors and musicians is the similarity between the events of the present day and those of the famous blacklisting of supposed communist sympathizers during the McCarthy era.

Today we hear long time activist and actor Martin Sheen state that NBC network, which airs the "West Wing" television show he stars in, has voiced its nervousness about his anti-war protests.

Actor Sean Penn made news recently when he said that his appearance on Larry King Live, in which he voiced his opposition to the war, cost him a movie role.

Most prominent of all the backlash is that which is aimed at the country music group the Dixie Chicks. Lead singer Natalie Maines spoke of her disapproval of President Bush at a recent concert. As a result, their songs were pulled from playlists across the nation.

This latest action seems more than a little suspicious given that a majority of the radio stations in this country are owned by Clear Channel Entertainment, whose current vice-chair, Tom Hicks, has had previous business dealings with President Bush. The company has also come under the spotlight lately for sponsoring pro-war rallies across the country.

The other aspect of the issue that angers me is the double standards that critics such as Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh hold. While they express their distaste for anti-war protests by celebrities, they do not comment on the pro-war celebrities such as director Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise. Could this be because they share the same opinions?

I believe that everyone, no matter what job they hold should be able to speak their minds. If we as Americans want to protect our right to free speech, we need to support it no matter who says it or whether or not we agree with them.

---

Cathy Kropp can be reached at [email protected]