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Martin Sheen, who plays the president of the United States on the hit television show ‘The West Wing’, has voiced concerns over Iraq.
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As the drums of war beat louder and louder in Washington, DC, peace activists are moving to up the volume of protest against a potential war in Iraq. That volume was kicked a few notches higher recently with the release of a Princeton Survey Research Associates poll commissioned by the Knight Ridder group of U.S. newspapers in which nearly 60 percent of respondents objected to the idea of unilateral U.S. military action in Iraq.
The poll represents a growing tide of grassroots dissent in America that has been, as of late, augmented by the voices of various popular entertainers who feel compelled to use their positions of influence to voice concerns that might otherwise be muffled in the mainstream media.
Acclaimed actor Sean Penn is one such celebrity. Having been criticized in the media for his recent trip to Iraq in which he toured parts of the country and met with Tariq Aziz, Penn went on Larry King Live on Saturday to address some of his concerns.
Although Penn remains neutral with reference to the issue of support for armed conflict in Iraq, he is adamant about stirring debate before marching off to war. “We as citizens have to take stock of our consciences on these issues,” he told King.
Penn went on to note that protest against a war in Iraq is “a human cry of American citizens saying, ‘Pay attention to this.’”
Penn has not been alone
Legendary film director Martin Scorsese (his latest film is Gangs of New York, starring Leonardo DiCaprio) has had choice words as of late concerning Iraq as well. Speaking recently to the BBC, as reported by the Contra Costa Times on January 12, Scorsese said, “One hopes that this kind of war can be done diplomatically, with intelligence rather than wiping out a lot of innocent civilians.”
Other actors to get in on the debate include Michael Farrell, Susan Sarandon, David Duchovny and Matt Damon who, along with other notables, are signatories to an open letter to the American administration released back in December which said in part: “War talk in Washington is alarming and unnecessary,” as reported by CNN.
At a press conference at which the letter was presented, actor Martin Sheen of the popular NBC series The West Wing voiced his personal concerns on the Iraq issue. Speaking to CNN Sheen said, “We're not trying to sell anything. We're just trying to arouse a true patriotism, not just in our industry, but yours and others. And that is we love our country enough to risk its wrath by calling attention to its dark spots, to the area that it's blind to that will eventually cause a great sickness in our culture.”
Popular musicians have also been vocal about Iraq and the War on Terror. In a recent exclusive interviewwith Islam Online, controversial rapper Paris expressed his skepticism over the War on Terror and the push for an invasion of Iraq. Michael Stipe of the rock group R.E.M. has also been vocal on the Iraq issue. And on January 31, a host of popular music and poetry acts including Chuck D. of the rap group Public Enemy, singer Ani DiFranco and spoken word artist Saul Williams will do a benefit concert for the anti-war coalition Not In Our Namein Berkeley, California.
Not In Our Name will sponsor a march on January 18 in Washington, DC to protest war in Iraq.
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