RLGaming.com

I received this info in an email. This is a virtual petition that is being started. It's amazing the number of people jumping on this. Check out the MANY comments:

http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/hol ... tml?page=1

Well I just voiced my opinion . . . . . . .

While I support this war, I cannot in good conscience sign such a petition that would deny people of their American rights. Granted that celebrities have far more social and financial mobility than the rest of us, yet they are still Americans and have the right to speak their minds. The petition seems singularly against actors speaking for the American public as a whole; however, quickly skimming through the quotes, I did not read any statements from any actor or actress that suggested they were attempting to represent anyone else's opinion other than their own. Perhaps, I missed the quote that did; nevertheless, most celebrities seemed to be expressing their own personal views, which would appear to be moronic and ill-informed. Still, stupidity has never been a viable reason to censor anyone.

Finally, it is worth noting here that people do not speak for me, nor do they censor or overshadow my opinion. Hollywood celebs have their way of voicing thier concerns and we the general American voters have ours. With access to the Internet, I have written my state representative and signed petitions for and against a variety of politically charged issues over the years. Certainly, I have made my opinion clear when I've gone to the voting booth. And petitions? Well, it's too bad people spend so much time attacking celebrities instead of signing petitions for or against the war in order to insure that someone else is indeed not speaking for them. May the bird of liberty never lose a feather.

Vincent "Grifter" Palmieri

Sorry i have to diasagree with your interpretation of this petition Grif. Nowhere in the petition does it say we advocate that celebrities do not have a right to voice their opinion nor does it say we think their right should be infringed upon. It merely says we, the signers "stand against" their opinions and protests. This is the very essence of our free speech - the right to disagree - and we vehemently disagree with their point of view. And rather than let their opinion appear to be either unopposed or to be the majority view (by virtue of their strident voices and the fact that the liberal media delight in reporting the antiwar protests as indicative of an increasing opposition to the upcoming conflict) we are doing our small part to show there is a strong opposition to their views. Believe it or not, many people decide their opinions by seeing which way the wind blows rather than to base it on research of the facts or on principles. We also intend this to show those in our military and those who make the decisions that there is hopefully massive opposition to the views of these "celebrity pundits."

Nevertheless - whether you sign the petition or not - you have every right to your views and we do not question your patriotism.

On the other hand - If i get Alec Baldwin in my sights tonight in GR, i'll aerate his skull to release all that air under pressure.

Madrus....you beat me to the reply.... :lol:


Here's how I see things.....pretty simply:

Actors are essentially professional liars. They are paid to pretend, and feel, and say, things that are fictional. Yet society raises them to this god-like status and hangs on their every word. Very little fact comes from their rantings, yet much more to affect emotions. They talk of Iraqi babies starving to death, innocent citizens needlessly killed. I'm all about the right to free speach and thought, but the rantings of these "informed" liars borders treason. If they want to move to Iraq to be human shields for Hussain's army. Why don't we help them out and give them hand held GPS receiver/transmitters so we can pinpoint all of them for the first strikes of the war.

But in all seriousness, if I may, where are there facts? Yes, I agree innocent lives will be lost. War is a terrible thing. But have they so soon forgotten?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi ... rights.pdf



And I'm still waiting for Alec Baldwin to leave the country.

Just wanted to point out that the First Amendment prohibits ONLY the Congress (i.e. The Federal Government) from interfering with an individual's right to free speech. This has been extended by case law
to include the State & Local Governments as well.

Nothing prohibits a private citizen from screaming his point of view as loudly as another citizen.

And BTW - we had a full debate of this issue about a year and a half ago in congress. And GW Bush got an overwhelming vote of support for war at that time. The antiwar people had their opportunity to speak then. anyone who still proclaims the minority point of view only aids Saddam at this point and that increases the risk to our troops.

please do not construe this as an attack on you Grif - I respect you too much. it is just me venting over all those celebrities and antiwar protesters that just won't give their whining a rest.

As I had said last night on comms, you've got a good point Madrus. And, I would never assume that you mean any disrespect towards me. I guess my objection lies in the vehement remarks made by some people in this particular petition. Though as you say, I could sign the petition for the petition's sake and ignore the ignorant and cruel remarks made by some on the petition's list. But, something still seems to rub me the wrong way about it all. Their cruel attacks on these celebrities and protesters seems to be an attempt to not just circumvent the antiwar message, but directly censor the opinions of these individuals because of their social status. And, that seems, somehow, fundamentally wrong and against the first ammendment. Perhaps I just have an overdeveloped sense of awareness when it comes to these things, perhaps I'm being too sensitive or miscontstruing the issue entirely. Still, I cannot condone those comments made by adding my name to the list.

Not that anyone here has asked me to sign any such list, nor do I feel pressured to do so. But I felt swayed by those comments on the petition to express my opinion on them, and on them alone. I take issue with such uneducated, uncooth, unproductive, and inflamatory remarks that would appear to serve no good at all. I see that this war has the potential to be worse than Vietnam, that it could tear this country apart irrepairably. In these dark times, we must be civil lest we become as barbaric as those we would wage war against.

I support this war though I have mixed feelings about it. I do, at times, question the intentions of GW Bush and other interested parties. However, there is no discounting that Saddam Hussein is a madman and should be eliminated with extreme prejudice. To be sure, I strongly disagree with these celebrities who are so ill-informed and I have nothing against citizens screaming their opinion loudly. I'm against anyone who would deny anyone free speech, especially on such an important matter that clearly effects us all.

With my sincere respects to those engaged in this forum discussion, I shall now conclude my remarks. You are gentleman all, worthy of my respect and admiration. May conscience and principle guide us in these most difficult times.

Sincerely,

Vincent "Grifter" Palmieri
CMACG, WOF.

Let's see if I can get Grif to withdraw his respect remark at least about me...

Hey Raptor...
..!.., you (_O_)!!!

NO, not like that fag boy...I mean Roadblock! ;)

See, now is that not uncouth of me???

There now. Thinks are back to normal. We were acting like rational adults for waaaaaaayyyyyy too long.

I don't know what got in to me. :lol:

OMG! LOL.

F___ YOU ALL!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


Grif, no way to silence you here. I couldn't stand for it. I absolutely enjoy this type of educated discussion and sharing of viewpoints. I know if we were all stuck in a room talking about this, it would probably go on for days (or at least until the beer ran out).

As we call all see here, it's not about changing someone's mind or forcing them to believe the same way you do. It's the open exchange of ideas and thought provoking dialogue that makes this fun. And it's that same type of principle that makes this country great.


Brian, I'm still laughing about that hit and I can still see that expression on your face when you turned around to see me running you into the boards.

PRICELESS

sidenote: we have a nice roller hockey rink out in keller at bear creek park. We should get together sometime (when it warms up) and get some games going. I promise, no checking