Kevin Parrott has a long post related to survey of comic book creators regarding the war in Iraq. It’s generally good (though there are places, while I agree with the sentiment, I think he’s rhetorically unfair to the folks he’s skewering). But this one section, in response to a Kurt Busiek comment about “economic punishment” of creators who express unpopular opinions, is worth highlighting.
Kurt goes on:
“Here in the US, where a lot of this kind of thing is going on, we’re supposed to value free speech and free-flowing discussion. The appropriate response to someone who disagrees with you is disagreement, not sanctions — if someone gets up and says something I don’t like, I’ll argue with him, rather than trying to silence him. I think democracies work best when the voice of the people can be heard freely, when different ideas are vigorously supported or critiqued, not suppressed. Nonetheless, these people exist, so I suppose creators have to think about economic backlash from people who would rather that speech they don’t like didn’t exist.”
See, that’s the thing, Kurt. There is no free-flowing discussion available when it comes to actors, musicians, writers, and comic book creators. There’s no back and forth to speak of. THERE’S NO WAY FOR YOU TO HEAR THE REBUTTAL. When I buy a CD, and the songs on it are all telling me anyone supporting the action taken in Iraq is a subliterate fascist warmongering pig, just what the hell am I supposed to do? Learn to play a musical instrument, get myself a recording contract with a label, and produce my own album of songs expressing an opposing viewpoint? BULLSHIT. I can’t do that, and you (along with anyone else reciting the ‘economic punishment’ chant) know it. If I pay to see a movie, and the main bad guy is a stereotyped subliterate fascist warmongering pig supporting the President’s decision and cheering when Iraqi kids get killed, what the hell am I supposed to do then? Raise millions of dollars, form my own production company, write a script, hire actors and a crew, and film my own movie about how unfairly the movie I paid to see earlier portrayed war supporters? BULLSHIT. If I buy a comic, and the villain group is a subliterate fascist warmongering pig Zionist cabal trying to take over the world by supporting US involvement in Iraq and brainwashing the mindless American sheep to go along with it, what then? Learn to pencil and ink, front the money to self-publish, all in reaction to the stupid collection of paranoid scribbles I just read? BULLSHIT. I have no other way to react to any of this besides leaving the product on a store shelf, or not paying for the movie ticket – AND YOU KNOW IT. Right now, the only way I can rebut your statement above is by writing this post, and are you ever going to read it? NO. So where’s the free-flowing discussion? There isn’t any. It’s all one side – yours.
The post, as a whole, is worth reading.
I believe people should be able to say what they want, and others should be fine with it. However those people can also voice their thoughts by choosing what to buy and who to buy that from. I hope though that people use this logicaly. For instance changing the name of french fries I believe is just plain dumb.
Being able to express your opinion without legal repercussions is fundamental. That applies both to people who voice “unpopular” opinions, and those who disagee — and those who express their opinions on soap boxes, in songs, or in interviews, and those who purchase their products.
Yes, one would hope, of course, that this sort of “great power” would be used with “great responsibility.”
That brings a good point, with rights come responsibilities. I think this is a central issue with gun control also. We have the right to guns, but if so then we must keep them safe and away from others that may misuse them. Now we have all of these accidents, kids shooting themselves, and then of course the violent crimes. If people can not take care of the guns, perhaps they should lose that right? Americans need to understand this concept, along with freedom. I think people do not realize that having a democracy as we have is a right that we have fought hard to obtain and keep these rights.
The question is, do you use the irresponsiblity of some to take the right away from all?
http://usgohome.free.fr/actions/dignitaires_US.htm
sorry ! it’s in french but for the first country,this is not a problems
plus cons qu’un américain,tu meurs