It’s been my opinion for a while now that the Hollywood folks are completely out of touch with the way of thinking of the majority of people in
this great country. It seems like the
“stars,” as they like to be called, use every opportunity to
bash our president and belittle the brave Americans in our
military who are protecting us from a cruel, yet cowardly, enemy.
I’ve got news for the beautiful people – the real stars are
fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. And if it wasn’t for
the brave men and women in uniform, the Hollywood types wouldn’t
have the freedoms they enjoy today. Including making statements
which in my opinion are bordering on treason.
A fellow named Ben Stein is a columnist based in Los Angeles and
for years it was his job to cover news relating to the lives of
those in the entertainment industry. After our country was
attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, Stein had a revelation – he came to
the conclusion that the really important people in this country
are the ones who are risking their lives to protect it.
In a recent column, Stein said he didn’t bother to watch the
Oscars but his wife did and she made an interesting, yet not
surprising, observation. “There was not one word of tribute, not
one breath, to our fighting men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan
or to their families or their widows or orphans,” wrote Stein.
“There were pitifully dishonest calls for peace – as if the
people we are fighting were interested in any peace for us but the
peace of the grave.”
Stein went on to say that Hollywood doesn’t think of itself as
part of America. “To Hollywood, the war to save freedom from
Islamic terrorists is happening to someone else,” he said. “It
does not concern them except insofar as it offers occasion to mock
or criticize George Bush. They live in dreamland and cannot be
gracious enough to thank the men and women who pay with their
lives for the stars’ ability to live in dreamland and this is
shameful.”
Right on, Mr. Stein! I couldn’t agree more.
Unfortunately, it isn’t just the people in Hollywood who seem to
have forgotten Sept. 11, 2001, and this totally baffles me. On
that horrible day our country was savagely attack by a handful of
scum who succeeded in killing nearly 3,000 of our fellow citizens
– including women, children, and people of all colors. Race
means nothing to them; if you’re an American, they want you dead
and it’s as simple as that.
The events of 911, just like Pearl Harbor, has plunged us into a
war – a war we did not start. And if someone, by chance,
doesn’t think this is a real war; go tell it to a family who has
lost a loved one in combat – a brave soldier, making the supreme
sacrifice to protect the rest of us.
Perhaps the reason some people don’t think we are at war is
because nearly five years have past since we were attacked. Gee, I
wonder why that is? Could the reason be that it is because we
immediately retaliated against the enemy and put him on the run?
It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
Fact is, the enemy went from ruling a country to living in a hole
in the ground.
The people in Hollywood today could take a lesson on patriotism
from those actors and actresses who lived during World War II.
When this country went to war back then, many entertainers were
quick to join the military. Remember Lee Marvin? He took a bullet
in the back while hitting the beach on Saipan with the 5th
Marine Division. Then there’s James Arness, television’s
Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke, he took a bullet in the
knee during the Anzio invasion – his limp on Gunsmoke
wasn’t fake.
Actor Henry Fonda served in the Navy and won the Bronze star for
valor. Jack Palance had to have extensive facial reconstruction
after a terrible crash in a B-17. He played the ranch foreman
named “Curly” in the movie City Slickers.
Steve McQueen served in the Marines and Tyrone Power was a
Marine Corps pilot in the South Pacific. I’ve only named a few
of the actors who served in World War II, there were many more.
I wonder how many actors rushed to join our all-volunteer military
after this country was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001? But like the
rest of us, their freedom will be protected by the faithful
guardians of this nation – the members of our armed forces –
the real “stars.”
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