Stop the Politics at the Awards Show
The politicization of the Academy Awards is getting really boring. First there is the pair who implore President Clinton to let in all the immigrants with AIDS, but they didn’t offer to pay to care for these additional people.
Then there is Richard Gere’s request for us to send our thoughts to the premier of China about the Tibet issue. Next is Liza Minnelli’s song proclaiming Hillary Clinton as leading the way for “Ladies’ Day.” Add some obtuse hit against our government’s Panama policy.
Elizabeth Taylor’s acceptance speech for her humanitarian award for work on behalf of AIDS victims was appropriate because she didn’t blast government policy, simply focused on personal action.
Spare me all this unrelated pontification during the Academy Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should set strict guidelines for its presenters and honor artistic achievement without offensive lecturing from unqualified preachers.
MARY SNAER
Lake Arrowhead
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