The Barefoot Billionaire and Uncle Sam

Geffen’s appropriate reaction to the speeches of Pats Buchanan and Robertson at the Republican National Convention was: “They were talking about an America that was about being white, Christian, heterosexual male. Well, you know there are people who just don’t fit into that category.”

I think that it is safe to say that many of us found those speeches to be an affront to our humanity. However, after reading the entire article on Geffen, about his powerbrokering and the social agenda of him and his political connections, I would say to him, “You’re talking about an America that is about being intrusive, where citizens want their country to be regulated and systematically destroyed by a government bloated beyond recognition. Well, you know there are people who just don’t fit into that category.”

Those promoting legislation as the solution to every problem in America, feeling validated in their crusade by emotionalism or envy, may well end up shooting themselves in the foot. Though I found many of Geffen’s personal stances admirable, the adage “live by the sword, die by the sword” applies here.

When the day comes that the activist government advocated by Geffen and his brothers-in-arms casts its foreboding shadow onto their industry and rattles their cages, let’s hope for a little political consistency and understanding about ox-goring on their part--no blubbering about censorship, caps on the salaries of recording industry executives or whining about controls on concert ticket prices.

CANDACE PARRICK

Santa Monica