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Re: Over-The-Rhine Digest V3 #1064
> On Thu, 13 Dec 2001, Kelvin Bailey wrote:
>
> > I pretty much feel this way about most
> musicians/actors who espouse
> > political causes.
> >
> > Kelvin
>
> but why? why is it bad for someone in the
> public eye to support something
> publicly?
>
> is it their method, or the idea that they do it
> at all?
>
> i think it's good that they do try - it makes a
> certain segment of the
> population aware of things they might not
> otherwise know about.
>
> for example: how many regular people knew how
> bad slavery was in africa
> still today? or how bad the exploitation of
> children who are taken to
> europe as 'children/dependents' of unscrupulous
> people? or how bad things
> were in afghanistan for women? or about fgm,
> refugee trafficing etc? who
> hears about the chinese AIDS epedemic, or the
> child rapes in africa?
>
> a lot of people wouldn't have known about fgm
> if not for the model a few
> years ago who spoke out in reader's digest
> about it happening. the stuff
> in afghanistan wouldn't have been heard quite
> so strongly before the
> buddha statues were destroyed. the plight of
> child trafficing wouldn't
> have been brought to the eye of parliament in
> britain if not for the death
> of one victoria climbe, and now people are
> horrified.
>
> and it goes on. if popular people want to
> support a cause, good for them.
> the world is made up of people and not all of
> them read papers outside
> their respective country.
>
> the only way i learn about stuff like this is i
> read the bbc and other
> papers like it - but not everyone can or will.
>
> people in the world will act when they know
> enough. and if some famous
> person talking about it will make them think,
> and act - good.
>
> but i don't think you're saying famous type
> people shouldn't support
> stuff, jst not with the bad emotional pleas.
>
> i think... maybe emotional pleas can be ok, but
> i think the effect wears
> off quickly - more quickly than something that
> affects their thinking
> proccess.
>
> the end.
>
> rhys
I have to add the landmine issue that Bruce
Cockburn and others are behind, as well as Bono's
tremendous efforts to wipe out debt in
third-world countries. I seriously doubt that
these issues would have gotten half the attention
they have without the star power -- especially
the debt. The press accounts that I read about
Bono were very flattering -- he wasn't just
someone who was using his celebrity; he was
actually talking thoughtfully and articulating
things that world leaders weren't expecting.
Jeff McCloud
teamccloud at yahoo_com
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