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Letters to the Editor From: Chad Henson I would like to clarify something for the visitors of this website. I received via email the rebuttal from your website about outspoken celebrities, which everyone assumed was written by "B, Frank." My conservative friend often sends me political forwards in an attempt to pull me out of my rather apathetic stance on politics (do not misunderstand, I vote, but I am centrist on most issues, which my liberal and Nothing wrong with being a centrist but you must understand the following things: 1. "The center" moves over time. It is a relative position. Sometimes "the center" is more left, sometimes more right. It moves around which is what keeps that position fresh. I think most Americans are actually centrists no matter what political party they claim. 2. Your friends and I have taken a stand and identified themselves with a party or parties. (As a Goldwater Republican, I identify with both the Republican and Libertarian parties.) As such we want our friends to share our convictions. Take it as a compliment that your friends want you to join them. After all, they think they found a good deal and want to share it with you! 3. Your liberal and conservative friends don't really find it annoying. They just don't understand why you don't see things they consider so obvious. conservative friends find annoying). Personally, I do not see why there is such a fuss over celebrities voicing their opinions. If their views were not somewhat mainstream, then there would not be such an out pour of both support and anger over their actions (e.g. "Shut Up and Sing" by Laura Ingraham). The problem you have is that they disagree with you. No, you are wrong. It is not the fact that they disagree with me. I really don't care if anyone agrees or disagrees with me. What I hate about what the "celebrities" did is the crassness and the timing. Mostly the timing. I tend to be very cynical about people's motives when money is involved. I tend to ignore what people say and watch where the money goes. Many of the celebrities got more air time than they could have ever done upon their own talents. The money was with being anti-war, anti-Bush and anti-everything. I think some of these people suffered a little downturn in business, especially the Dixie-Chicks whose customers overwhelming voted for President Bush. In general I think, over time, they all made more money because of the increased exposure. Not from me, however. The thing that angered me was the timing. What do you think would have happened to these guys if they voiced pro-Nazi opinions during World War II? While our guys were in the fight? Pro-Nazi people and literature was very common in the United States before our entry into the War. In fact, there were Pro-Nazi celebrities. As soon as we entered the War this stopped and even the pro-Nazi celebrities got down to the business of survival. As a student and practitioner of law for over two decades, I was somewhat appalled by a comment made post script "Prior to the war it was free speech but now that they are protesting while our people in uniform are dying, well that is something else." No, Mr. Editor, it is not "something else." If there is one thing I know, it is our Constitution and how it applies in American life. And if there is one thing I cannot comprehend, it is comments such as that. Nowhere in our Constitution does it say that freedom of speech ends when war begins, and I thought we had learned our lesson about restricting freedom of speech with the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. (And by the way, though I certainly am not a pacifist, and I usually do not share the views of the celebrities that are mentioned, I believe I am right in saying that they protest the war because they DO NOT want Americans dying under any circumstances. I mean, whether you agree or disagree, let's not confuse the issue here. Oh God, you're a lawyer! That explains why you can't tell the difference between the law and common sense. Let me give it to you between your closed eyes. Pretend you are a soldier fighting a war. Pretend your favorite country singer, someone who reminds you of home, your family and all the good things you left behind to go fight in a hell hole for your country is protesting the war loudly and with great venom. This will cause emotional turbulence in you. (Yes, it will!) If you know anything about warfare, which I assume you don't, you would know that turbulence could spill over into the soldier's work. That spill over could get him killed. Prove to me that the Dixie Chicks didn't get some of their fans killed. I don't think you can and while I can't either I can prove that they made a tough job harder and gave a little more edge to the Grim Reaper. You don't want Americans dying under ANY circumstances. As an educated man, you can't possibly mean that. It is a self destructive stance that leads to anarchy. Do you not want people to defend themselves? What would you have done in World War II? If we had not entered the War back then there would be no United States today and you would be speaking German. Lots of little conflicts add up. Have you ever heard of "The Death of One Thousand Cuts"? Go read your history. While you are at it, read about the fall of the Roman Empire. That is what you are asking for with such a silly stance. Getting back to my original intentions, I checked your site and read the email written by a man named Ryan, who "encouraged the author of this letter to send it to the mainstream news sources." As it happens, the article has been circulated by a number of websites, and it was written by Cindy Osborne, not B, Frank. Now whether or not it was printed in a newspaper could be discovered with a google search, which I suggest the Editor do. We must be in the habit of giving credit where credit is due. I hope that I could be of some service. Hey, thanks! I would prefer providing credit where credit is due. The job of reference checker is open if you want it. It pays twice the amount I am paid. Unfortunately, twice zero.... The Editor
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