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logical attacks, and defenses as well, I believe, are political smokescreens
which confuse moral issues with money.
Ironically, while I was away another issue had moved onto the front
burner: Senator Dole's condemnation of Hollywood, and particularly of
Time Warner, for flooding the air and television waves, and the pop
culture in general, with lyrics that pollute mass culture. Once again, no
one was able to rationally question his assertions before this issue was
turned into yet another political football - with every politician's eye
on the election of 1996. Still, it seems paradoxical that the Republicans,
the party of big money, are trying to uphold, or rather bring back, what
minimal decency and civility is required to allow our society to continue
to function, while the Democrats, the party of the ordinary people, are
defending behavior that, ultimately, may do damage to the very people
they are out to defend.
The confusion between passing laws that allow freedom of speech
and responsibility for the consequences some of these expressions may
carry cannot be easily resolved. However, we ought to recognize that
we are muddling civil rights with civic duties, money with morals, and in
the process, hypocrisy has become the order of the day. That European
kids may follow our example, and thereby support the export of
"gangsta rap" and films fraught with violence and rape is a boon to our
GNP and balance of trade. But to condemn sexual violence has become
a moral cliche and to condone it an immoral one. Fortunately, this is
not all the country is about. Still, it does not enhance the image of
America which already has dropped as precipitously as the dollar.
E.K.
Stephen Spender
A Friend and
Early
Contributor
1909-1995
