America: Where you can afford freedom of speech if you don't have anything
to lose.

Natalie Maines, lead singer of the popular American band "The Dixie Chicks,"
made a statement to a European audience that started a chain reaction that
is still unfolding. Ms.Maines said that she was ashamed that George Bush was
from Texas. As a result country music stations across the nation started
getting calls from angry viewers calling for a boycott of the Dixie Chicks'
music. News programs started showing angry Dixie Chicks fans vowing to never
listen to them again, and people demanding their money back for concert
tickets.

Michael Moore the director that everyone loved for the well-publicized
documentary "Bowling for Columbine, " was heckled for making an anti-war
statement at the 2003 Academy Awards Show. The film won the Academy Award
for best documentary. Again, angry viewers were shown protesting their
disgust at what Mr. Moore had to say. People are starting to boycott Mr.
Moore's work.

Sean Penn, an actor who is well-known for his dedicated antiwar work in the
Middle East, got on a plane after 9-11 and went to Afghanistan to voice his
antiwar sentiment. As of this writing, Mr.Penn has lost at least one job
because of his beliefs.

Sean Penn, Natalie Maines, Michael Moore and many other celebrities were
added to a list that was published in the most recent edition of People
Magazine. The list was composed of celebrities that possibly oppose
America's action in Iraq. Some journalists are comparing the list to the
blacklist of the 1940s that targeted possible members of the Communist
Party.

The blacklist started in Hollywood in the 1940s. In May of 1947 the House
Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) came to Hollywood and began secretly
interviewing industry conservatives. Jack Warner reportedly gave a long list
of writers he suspected of being communists.

In September, 43 witnesses were subpoenaed. There were 19 unfriendly
witnesses and 24 friendly witnesses. The unfriendly witnesses were writers
and directors suspected of being members of the Communist Party. On Oct. 20
the hearings started. Of the 19 unfriendly witnesses, 10 refused to answer
any questions. They only cited their First Amendment rites. From then on
they were known as the Hollywood 10. The HUAC hearings ended on October 30.

On Nov. 5 the American Legion threatened to boycott films that had any
communist involvement. The Screen Actors Guild voted on Nov. 17 to make its
officers take a pledge that they were not communists. The board met and gave
the order on November 21.

On Nov. 25 the ten were cited for contempt of Congress. Fifty Industry
leaders met in New York at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. They adopted a
resolution, known as the Waldorf Statement. The statement said that the
studios would no longer knowingly employ any communist and that they
deplored the actions of the 10. This was the official beginning of the
blacklist. Within the next few days all studio-employed members of the
Hollywood 10 were fired. The Supreme Court refused to hear the Ten's appeal.
In 1950 they went to prison and all served one-year sentences.

From the original Hollywood 10 the list began to grow. Paranoia spread,
friends began informing on one another. The list grew. Before it was over,
hundreds of actors, writers, and directors were forced either to work under
false names or to leave the country.

HUAC never uncovered any Communist plots. Neal Gabler, author of " An Empire
of Their Own, " said, "The committee went after Hollywood early because they
knew it had such high visibility. Getting Hollywood was the spearhead for
getting everyone else. It's where the headlines were."

Think about it. The three steps of the blacklist were: boycott threats;
creation of the list; and finally, boycotts and exile. We have already seen
boycott treats of the Dixie Chicks' music and Michael Moore's work. A list
has been created by People Magazine that names celebrities who oppose the
war. At least one actor has lost a job and the Dixie Chicks and Mr.Moore's
work are being boycotted. Others will probably follow.

I'm no fan of country music, and I really don't care what the lead singer of
the Dixie Chicks thinks about George Bush. I didn't see "Bowling for
Columbine," and I don't remember seeing any of Sean Penn's movies. The point
is that if you voice your opinion, and it happens to oppose the war or our
president, you are considered anti-American. It seems that Americans have
forgotten what it means to be an American. That this is supposed to be the
land of the free, where you have a Constitutional rite to freedom of speech.
That is no longer the case. It seems that, in this time of war, people only
have a right to freedom of speech if what they say conforms to the
mainstream's ideology or mob mentality.

If freedom of speech is taken away, this is no longer America. The American
thing to do is say what you believe regardless of the consequences. If you
don't believe me you should read some Thomas Jefferson, or some other
writings by our founding fathers. Read the Constitution and the Declaration
of Independence. Compare the ideas in those writings to the America of
today, or to what America will be if these repressive control-freaks have
their way. Remember the Inquisitions? America, don't allow yourself to be
scared back into the "Nuke fearing, got to get them before they get us,
every one is a suspect," mentality of the cold war.

Peace,

Enaud

More info at:

http://www.angelfire.com/poetry/neoamerica/

PS: Send this to everyone you know.


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