The American Spectator

There is an old saying you are likely familiar with. It roughly goes like this.

There are some basic types of people in this world. There are those who read history, those who write history, and those who make history. I spend my time with the latter. My slight variation on that old theme is simple and timely given your article. There are those who watch movies and those who make movies. Then there are those that movies are made about, or at least should be made about. My men are again, the latter — and so are many thousands of everyday Joes and Janes that keep this nation moving forward. As for Clooney and his crowd of self righteous friends — I respect and value, even protect their right to say what they will. And of course you understand that respecting a right is not to be mistaken for respecting a view put forward, in fact resulting from that same right.

I also have something else to say about the entire Hollywood bunch, namely that they are not deserving of the privilege of shining our boots. But since we are now mostly wearing rough out leather than does not require shining, perhaps we could find them a spot on latrine duty. Seems to me it might do them some good. It might surprise them to know we don’t spend even a spare second wondering if they like us, care about us or think whether or not we are on track. It would be nice if they did, but it’s simply not a requirement for success. Feel free to pass my thoughts to any and all of them the next time you have a chance contact at the local Starbucks out your way.

Finally, I have heard about your support of the troops and military families. I know about your visits with the families who have lost their loved ones, and your visits with the wounded. I know that you do more than talk, you participate, and I thank you for doing so.

p>Keep up the good work, and keep telling the truth. br> — T.S. Slemp , Lieutenant Colonel br> Deputy Commander, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) br> Fort Bragg, North Carolina /p>

I don’t know who you are, or even what paper the Spectator is or where it is located. A friend sent me a copy of your column about the Oscars in an e-mail. My husband and I live in Japan teaching the children of military members who are on rotating deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq.

I appreciate your column. It’s too bad so few in America will see it. Because the problem isn’t just in Hollywood. The problem is the complacency of almost all Americans, including those who claim to support our troops. Tell me, Mr. Stein, when was the last time you chose not to go to a movie because the star/director/producer/theme had anti-American values? When did you turn off your television set for the same reason? When did you stop buying products from the sponsors of them? And, more importantly, when did you tell them what you did?

You see, in America the only voice that everyone listens to is money. And until America speaks with money, no one is going to listen. Congressmen respond to an outpouring of phone calls and letters because they represent contributions for future campaigns. Companies respond to complaints in order to keep their profits. Hollywood will do whatever is politically correct (no matter what they really think) to get publicity which translates into money.

And the media, all of it, does react to an outpouring of sentiment by the people in order to make sales.