Fame and freedom

As America wages war, many are vocally expressing their opposition to the Bush administration's policies. Many protesters are the clichéd, life-long, left-leaning political activists. Others are moderate Americans from the heartland who suddenly feel doubtful that our government is doing the right thing. \nHowever, none of the groups vocal about the war have caused as much controversy than the celebrity-pundits. From rocker Sheryl Crow to actor Martin Sheen, famous people are coming out of the woodwork in order to express their views on an Iraqi invasion. Most of these celebrities have been met with derision and incredulity. But, the question remains: should these celebrity-pundits be allowed to speak their political minds, or should they stick to the entertainment business?\nAny person who shows an interest in global or local politics should be commended for it. Right now, Americans are more apathetic toward the government than ever before. Many do not read newspapers. Those that do sometimes do not read past the first few paragraphs. It seems contradictory to me that we should openly criticize those that do take the time to be politically aware just because of their celebrity status.\nIn a Jan. 27 interview with the Washington Post, anti-war actress and comedian Janeane Garofalo said, referring to talk shows, that " … they have actors on so they can marginalize the movement." "It's much easier to toss it off as some bizarre, unintelligent special-interest group. If you're an actor who is pro-war, you're a hero. If you're an actor who's against the war, you're suspect. You must have a weird angle or you just hate George Bush," the stand-up comic said.\nLiberal celebrities aren't the only ones with opinions on the invasion of Iraq. Country music legend Charlie Daniels openly shows his support of the Bush administration, often using some "strong" language to show his distaste for protesters. "They're wastes of … protoplasm," claims Daniels in his "Open Letter to the Hollywood Bunch." Other, less-vocal celebrities -- like actor Dennis Hopper, talk-show host Joan Rivers and cellist Yo-Yo Ma -- support Bush's decision. Country singer Tobey Keith even wrote a pro-America song called "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue."\nBoth Daniels and Keith have written pro-America, "love it or leave it," songs. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Indiana native John Mellencamp continues to be a politically charged musician with his anti-Bush tune, "To Washington." Even seminal rappers the Beastie Boys came out of semi-retirement to release "In a World Gone Mad … " via their Web site. While none of these aforementioned songs are likely to make it to top 40 hit list, the idea behind them still remains. To quote the Beastie Boys' song: "Well I'm not pro Bush and I'm not pro Saddam/ We need these fools to remain calm."\nIt's almost cliché that a celebrity has a specific cause. Many fight for a reason that is close to their hearts. Now, I will admit that I doubt the political expertise of many celebrity-pundits, but I also doubt the political expertise of the American voters. I don't believe we should be led around by the hand by anti-war activist actor George Clooney. If he does have an opinion, he has every right to say it, no matter how stupid we think it is. Just because someone is famous doesn't make that person "better" than someone else. Being famous does, however, give the celebrity a venue to express his beliefs that the average citizen does not. Sadly, in our country, sometimes celebrities are more revered than elected officials. If a person well-educated in a cause wants to use that position, then he has every right to.