Subject - Populations
Author name - Malcolm Rogers
Date - 3-3-2003
To Robert Luke:
You said: "Protestors speak like they are the majority when really they may make up a fraction of 1% of the population." Not in England, official estimates said that at least one person from 1,250,000 (yes, that is at least one and a quarter MILLION) households walked on the march in London. This does not include the rest of the UK. Nor the rest of the world.
Subject - celebrities
Author name - LOR
Date - 5-3-2003
In my opinion, any person in the media has a certain responsibility before they open there mouths. Yes they are citizens, who have a right, however, since they are in this position that the average person do not have access to, there is a greater responsibility. Like it or not, celebrities do realize they influence a portion of the population, that is why Marketing/Add companies use them. A large portion of the population actually believe that actors, etc, etc, really know what aspirin helps, and that this sneaker will make you a track star. That is why there are used for big big bucks. And please do not tell me the celebrities dont realize this, or use it. So when you get to issues of life and death, war and peace, they have a duty to think before they speak. They need to explain better what is there opinion versus what is fact. I watch West Wing faithfully, but do I think Martin Sheen would make a good president? No. Mike Farell is repeating sound bites as if he personally went to Iraq and witnessed the inspectors. Yes they have every right to speak there mind, but they need to make it clear what is fact, what is a best guess, what is just a fond hope. The job does matter, we should hold a clergy/person to a higher standard or morality since they choose that field. We should expect a law enforcement person to obey the laws, far better than a computer specialist or a bag boy. The fact that it might not happen, doesnt make it right. That law enforcers might be as bad or worse, does not make it right. You want to enforce the law and get paid to do it and have power, you damn well need to be a shining example to us all, or you should be punished harsher that a non law enforcement person. You want to make several million dollars for acting, singing, playing basic ball, and directing the minds of people through advertisements, than you need to think about what you are saying before you say it. This is my opinion.
Subject - Celebrity protestors
Author name - Robert Luke
Date - 5-3-2003
LOR what are you suggesting? We modify the constitution so that "Hollywood" does not have access to free speech?
I think they have the right to express their opinions even if they have easier access to the public than the majority of people. I think an individual who builds houses for a living has the right to build his own, even though he possesses more knowledge of construction than the average person. I also do not consider Hollywood to be part of the media, I dont equate actors to journalists. I'm not alone either, at least according to the latest CNN Gallup pole (scientific pole) the majority of the population doesn't really care what celebrities have to say about matters political. As it is just to be a celebrity everyone knows your opinions to begin with, who you spend your time with, what your favorite food is, what your favorite color is, whats the highest grade level you completed in school, how many pets you have, whos your most recent love interest, whats the real color of your hair, how many face lifts have you had, are those breasts real? Its not suprising that we will also know what their opinions are on any pressing political issues.
Subject - Robert Luke rsp celeb.
Author name - LOR
Date - 6-3-2003
No, I agree that they have a right to voice opinions. However they need to be more careful. CNN pole is not scientific they announce that I wish I could remember the woman actress, who spoke against the war, but it was fantastic, she used her own words. She was clear, well-versed when asked questions. Thats all I ask. MIke Farell and Martin Sean repeated sound bites from the democratic congress, I mean just about word for word. I first heard it on CSpan coverage of the house. The pole from CNN does not reflect the publics response to items marketed by big names versus no names. A homebuilder building their own home or an accountant doing their own taxes, does not give them access to thousands of homes to push their opinion.
Subject - Polls something to consider.
Author name - LOR
Date - 6-3-2003
Many times polls are mentioned and depending on a persons position, the poll is used or ignored. I did see the poll, stating 45 % of America believes Saddam had something to do with 9/11. So as a New Yorker I did a small poll. While at work I ask 150 people (over 2 days)
" Do you think Saddam or Iraq military had anything to do with the attack on 9/11" Out of 150 people only 10 said "maybe" 5 said yes, and 85 said no. The cross section was construction workers, clerical staff, nurses, a doctor, architects, engineers, food stand person, students, deli owner a few cleaners. What does this prove. Absolutely nothing, just something interesting, but those are the numbers of all New Yorkers.
Subject - LOR re: Polls
Author name - despondent
Date - 6-3-2003
On the other hand "Democracy is beautiful" Bush did his own poll (or had it done for him) among the nine Supreme Court Justices. The result 5-4 in favour of Bush... Any other poll such as hundreds of thousands of US citizens marching in the streets are meaningless to him, or as Donald Rumsfeld put it, "Millions did not protest."
