Audience’s role

IN “Oliver Stone’s Ground Zero” [Aug. 8], Patrick Goldstein wrote, “I often get mail from conservatives saying they won’t see a movie starring Sean Penn because they don’t like his politics, which to me is just as narrow-minded as my saying I wouldn’t see a movie directed by Mel Gibson because he hates Jews. Artists are not necessarily nice people, but it’s their work that matters, not their politics or prejudices.”

What a dumb comment that is, the self-satisfaction that Goldstein obviously took in making it notwithstanding. I won’t do anything that would contribute to the success of Mel Gibson. I’m not sure he has any aspirations of doing so, but if the grand wizard of the KKK ever gets a film made, I’ll pass on that too. To do otherwise is a lousy, amoral way to lead a life, even if you do get to see a lot more movies.

Artists don’t have to be nice people, but they do have to be decent ones. How decent is up to each ticket buyer. As for Gibson, should he take his box-office returns and use them to give a greater voice to anti-Semitism, I don’t want to share in the blame. Making those judgments isn’t being narrow-minded. It’s called doing the right thing.

JEFF WEINSTOCK

Encino