I think Ms. Alleyne, in her April 18 column, finds herself onthe wrong side of the very argument she's making.
She's worried about preserving freedom of speech, but what sheseems to suggest is that others' rights must be suppressed so thatcertain left-wing celebrities can express their opinions.
To begin with, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins have been ininterviews all over TV. Why? What movies are they promoting? Theyhave been frequent talk show guests lately for no other reason thantheir radical views.
While the left-leaning media is doing what they can to givethese celebrities a hand up, there's only so far they can go.
You see, Good Morning America, Lipton Tea and even the BaseballHall of Fame are interested in appealing to consumers. They have abottom line to worry about. And, as miserable as it makes liberalslike Sarandon, Robbins and Alleyne, THEIR VIEWS ARE NOT POPULAR.They do not represent the majority of public opinion.
What Ms. Alleyne describes is not "blacklisting." These peopleare not being suppressed by "the man." They are being silenced, ineffect, by consumers who express THEIR freedom of speech with thealmighty boycott.
Meanwhile, thanks to the rights all Americans enjoy, Americancelebrities can start Websites, publish pamphlets or simply shoutfrom the rooftops every ignorant idea they want to express.
Just because they aren't being given free reign of the airwavesdoesn't mean they're being suppressed. If that were true, then Icould condemn The Helmsman for robbing me of my Constitutionalrights if they don't publish this letter.
Mitchell Stevens
Senior
History Major
