Cusack: Bush photo ban one of 'most cowardly political acts'
When the Bush administration began enforcing a controversial policy banning photographs of military caskets returning from Iraq, the move provoked outrage -- and now, a film -- from actor John Cusack, who calls the media ban "one of the most cowardly political acts" of his lifetime.John Cusack just defied human reason -- he got cooler.And Pedwidget...that whole "actors don't have a say" thing is so tired...and it's completely illogical. In our democracy, any citizen has an absolute right to speak their minds (and a duty to stand up for their country when its basic tenants come under attack...you know, like a true American patriot?)...so, given that the actors in question are almost always US citizens, it's well within their bounds to do so. And the reason corrupt politicians (and their lapdogs like Bill O'Reilly) are so afraid of Hollywood -- and seek to undermine them by marginalizing their credibility -- is that movie stars (or pop stars, rock stars, etc) get attention in this country...and that country-wide focus can make them a threat to the status quo if they use that attention to spread different ideas than what the news media/government wants. The only way to undermine them is to pull out that ever-so-tired "shut up and sing/dance/act" routine. I would love it if more artists spoke their minds on these topics -- think of the open discourse it would create.And really...when it comes down to it...only a mental midget with an inability to form a cogent, substantive position stoops to that argument. Why not address the heart of what Cusack is saying as a concerned citizen? And, ha, I bet you don't feel that way about Reagan or the current governor of CA.
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