Posted by
Playful Walrus on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 3:41:36 PM
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and their freedom of speech. Celebrities shouldn’t have to keep their opinions to themselves, but neither should they be considered experts with opinions more authoritative than our own unless they have relevant experience. Artists, of course, should be expected to express their perspectives, thoughts, and feelings through their art. We are free to support them or not.
The Los Angeles Times is running a few items dealing with celebrities and their public political involvements. Staff writer Tina Daunt brings us some remarkable thinking by musician John Mellencamp.
He thinks Barack Obama is too conservative, and every time John McCain plays his songs at a rally, the Republican nominee gets a call from a Mellencamp rep: Play the music if you want, but you better know what the lyrics mean.
According to Mellencamp, the words mean this: The government is corrupt, the war is unjust, the middle class is sunk, people are starving, racism is rampant, and those little pink houses? Couldn't we do better for the working poor?
People are starving? Have you looked around? Even our “poor” are obese. Only in places in the world where dictators and socialists reign is their starvation. Racism is rampant? Maybe, if you’re talking about all of the people voting for Obama because he is black. Mr. Mellencamp, you are free to spend your money buying gifts for the poor.
"I have felt that the government has betrayed most people in turning their back on the working class." He said, "Deregulation has destroyed so many things that worked so well, destroyed the airlines, destroyed trucking, destroyed, as we see now, Wall Street.”
Guess what? The more regulation and centralization of power, the more the few richest people will be able to control things. That isn’t good for the “working class”.
"We've got to have guidelines, and strict guidelines, that are enforced by the government. That's the government's job. Now, their idea of making law is 'We're allowed to tap your phone, we're allowed to enter your house without a search and seizure.' That's wrong."
So, Mr. Mellencamp – when was the last time your house was raided?
"After every song in Boston, 20,000 people were going, 'USA, USA.' I thought, man. I almost asked them to stop, stop doing that. I don't like it. I don't like hearing that chant."
Wow. This guy is ripe for teasing by David Zucker.
"If you're sick, you're on your own. If you lose your home, you're on your own. If you're out of a job, you're on your own."
What in the world is this guy talking about? We have so many government programs – which we shouldn’t - to deal with these issues. There are also charities and religious organizations and how about friends and family? How about planning, saving, and insuring? There's no place in the world where it is easier for anyone to succeed.
Please tell this guy was poorly misquoted.