RE: Madonna calls for peace at Los Angeles concert

["Paul Hopfgarten" <hopfgapr@sprynet.com>]

Secondary follow-up:

No question some people go off the deep end (both extremes, and I've never
been a fan of the Farwells of the world), but most Americans are good people
that are demanding that this worst of tragedies, a real act of war, be
answered.

I'll also say that people like Hillary Clinton and Maxine Waters have
actually suprised me. Still wouldn't vote for them for dog catcher, but
clearly they (and virtually all American elected officials) understand the
need for unity in the face of real (if difficult to pin down) enemy.

I've got to believe that everyone has to believe this deed must not go
unpunished.

I think that's what bothers me about Madonna's statement. I'd love to ask
her the same question I posted here a short while ago....when is Military
Action appropriate....because I (sadly) believe there are a few in this
nation that think it's NEVER an option. (Defending Democracy is a costly
action, and that's simply an unfortunate act. THERE IS NO UTOPIA PEOPLE!)

As far as those religions that are pacifist in nature, #1 I'd like to see
them try to practice their religion in Iran or Iraq or China or in a
Bin-Laden led nation. It's easy to be pacifist in a Democracy.

AND...I don't think the pacifist religions have exactly been knocking down
the door to decry any US response to this weeks horrific actions.

Like it or not,at the base line (in my opinion) the Bin-Ladens et al are
anti-semites, and when the layers of BS are removed, it's their hatred of
Israel and Judaism that really at the crux of the issue. (PS: I'm Catholic)

-Paul Hopfgarten
-Derry NH

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org
> [mailto:owner-boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org]On Behalf Of Donna
> Halper
> Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2001 9:10 PM
> To: boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org
> Subject: Re: Madonna calls for peace at Los Angeles concert
>
>
>
> >Dan B wrote--
> >I wonder if Madonna will find herself dropped from playlists due
> to comments
> >made at her concert in Los Angeles last night.  I'll resist the
> temptation to
> >offer my take on her words, but I do remember a lot of stations
> dropping Cat
> >Stevens for comments her made.
>
> At the risk of watching the list veer back into politics, last time I
> checked, this is still a free country.  Not everyone wants war.
> There have
> always been pacificists, and there have always been religions
> like Quakers
> and Jehovah's Witnesses who do not believe in war under any
> circumstances.  I read Madonna's comments, and beyond the fact that we in
> the media should never ask athletes or musicians for opinions on the
> problems of society (not because they are stupid, but because it's not
> supposed to be their area of expertise), I don't see how what she
> said was
> so awful.  Too many of us have knee-jerk reactions after a
> tragedy.  I'm as
> patriotic as the next person, but when I heard some of the anti-immigrant
> comments being made on Howie Carr's show today (I don't know if
> he was live
> or if it was a re-broadcast, but the name-calling and demonising
> of Arabs,
> liberals, Clinton, and various other people did not serve any useful
> purpose as far as I could tell.  On the 700 Club, two days ago, Jerry
> Falwell said we should blame feminists, gay people, and the ACLU, so I
> suppose there will be a long line of people to blame before the week is
> over...), it made me nervous.  What happened in New York and
> Washington was
> horrible, and somebody should pay for it.  But encouraging the
> audience to
> hate entire groups of people doesn't give me a warm feeling at all.  So
> Madonna said she is opposed to war.  Okay fine.  Now, let's talk
> about all
> of the talk shows that are encouraging looney-tune callers to vent their
> rage on whoever.  I commend David Brudnoy, with whom I do not
> always agree,
> for at least having some real genuine experts who could shed some
> light on
> various sides of the issue, rather than just name-calling.  As
> for Madonna,
> she oughta stick to making disco records, but at a time like this, calls
> for peace don't bother me as much as some of the vile rhetoric I am
> beginning to hear...
>