Re: Madonna calls for peace at Los Angeles concert

["Dan Billings" <dib9@gwi.net>]

I never suggested that she wasn't entitled to express her opinion.  What I
suggested was that her expressing an unpopular opinion might have a negative
commercial reaction.  She is entitled to her opinion, but those that
disagree with her are entitled not to support her commercial expressions.
Stations that are going out of there way to play patriotic songs might want
to consider not playing an artists who seems top have a problem with people
who show patriotism at a time of national crisis.

She also went well beyond simply expressed support for peace.  In response
to people chanting USA, USA she urged the crowd, many of whom were waving
American flags, to think globally rather than locally, implying that there
is something wrong with patriotism at this time.

She also said that terrorism happens everyday, which must make the families
in New York feel better.  The statement also ignores the fact that terrorism
doesn't kill 5000 people everyday.  Or ever before in one single event.

Her statements urging the President to use restraint and that "violence
begets violence" implies a moral equivalency between terrorism and any
American military response to terrorism.

I also think Madonna has a hard time claiming the pacifist label when you
consider the violence in some of her videos.

I also share Donna's complaints about ant-immigrant, anti-Islamic talk.
Responsible hosts should speak out against callers who make such statements
and responsible stations should try to screen them out before they get on
the air.  I haven't heard many of those kind of callers on our local
stations.  People must be more reasonable in Maine.  ;-)

As for knee-jerk reactions, I am always amazed that the knee-jerk reaction
of people who have benefited the most from our country are often the first
to criticize it.  How long would Madonna gave lasted in a country run under
a system favored by the people who carried out the attack this week?

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine