Censoring Hollywood backers

     Presidential candidate Al Gore and his running mate Joe Lieberman recently issued a warning to the entertainment industry to cease marketing violent movies, recordings and video games.
     In a recent interview, Gore said he would give Hollywood officials six months to “clean up their act.” If Hollywood does not and the Gore-Lieberman ticket wins the November election, the current vice president said he would encourage the Federal Trade Commission to exercise its power to prohibit false and deceptive advertising.
     Gore’s wife, Tipper, is already famous for efforts to censor music as a founder of the Parents’ Music Resource Center (PMRC). The fact that Tipper is that close to the White House should keep people awake at night. It should be no surprise that Gore himself is willing to use censorship under the guise of helping the children.
     Gore and Lieberman should censor themselves. They are the ones using dirty words and committing violent acts. No word in the English language is more foul than censorship. There is no act more reprehensible than restrictions on art or entertainment that restricts what people can see or hear.
     Once again, those seeking office would throw up a smoke screen in an effort to avoid the real issues. Rather than deal with issues like campaign finance reform or big businesses abusing the common man, the Gore/Lieberman ticket attacks a non-issue to steal some Republican votes. Lieberman warned entertainment industry leaders that they would “invite legal restrictions on their freedom” if concerns about children’s access to media violence were not addressed.
     It was just a few weeks ago that Gore and Lieberman were in Los Angeles rubbing elbows with the very same Hollywood types they now want to censor. This action is a betrayal worthy of Shakespeare and further proves that credibility in politics is at an all-time low.
     This election is already starting to take on the appearance of an auction. The fact that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans want third party candidates in the debates speaks volumes
     Because of these types of antics from both parties, the grumbling for a third party becomes even louder. As long as the Republican and Democratic parties avoid issues and act like they are identical cousins played by Patty Duke, the American population is not being served as its forefathers had envisioned.
     The call for a ban on violent media is hypocritical on so many fronts. Our country has a violent background. We average a war every 20 years, could it be that we are a violent society and that’s why those programs are so popular?
     Hollywood has become a favorite scapegoat to blame society’s problems on. School shootings? It has to be someone’s fault.
     The most effective way to show defiance for such blatant government interference is to vote. Not voting allows the status quo to do what they wish even if it means restricting our freedoms, again.