Hurray for Hollywood?

Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,

That he which hath no stomach to this fight,

Let him depart; his passport shall be made

And crowns for convoy put into his purse:

We would not die in that man's company

That fears his fellowship to die with us. - Henry V, St. Crispins Day Speech

In the last twenty years, ten Americans have been awarded the Medal of Honor for acts of bravery in places like Mogadishu, Kunar Province, Ramadi, and Baghdad. This award is given to members of the United States armed forces who distinguish themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.” Out those ten, nine paid the ultimate price as a result of their selfless acts of bravery. Yet, how many of us know the names of these heroes? How many of us recognize the names of Gary Gordon, Randy Shughart, Salvatore Giunta, Robert James Miller, Jared C. Monte, Michael P. Murphy, Jason Dunham, Ross A. McGinnis, Michael A. Monsoor, or Paul R. Smith? These are men who put country and comrades ahead of themselves and yet, are unknown to the overwhelming majority of their fellow Americans.   

How many of us, on the other hand, recognize the names of recent Academy Award winners; people like Sean Penn, Heath Ledger, Penelope Cruz, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Bridges. How many Americans have a greater knowledge of who in Hollywood is cheating on whom or who won American Idol last year but have no idea of the sacrifices of the men and women who are laying down their lives for us? Ironically, the average American, those of us who hold the members of our military in such high esteem, knows so little about them and their ongoing sacrifices in our names. And yet, we are well versed in a media culture populated by Leftists who hold these values, our values, in contempt.

When I first heard the news that Major Richard “Dick” Winters, the focus of the HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers”, died it occurred to me what a rarity that program was in this day. It was honest, it was brutal in its realism but, most of all, it allowed the viewer to see the men of Company “E”, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne as they were: real people and not political pawns in some Leftist piece of agit-prop. These men, like the ten brave souls I listed above, were heroes and deserve to be remembered as such and it is sad that “Band of Brothers” stands as such an anomaly in American media. How much hope can we have that those who serve our country, those who have died for us, will not be forgotten when the arbiters of entertainment, the gatekeepers of cool, look upon what they fought for as morally bankrupt and worthless?

Let’s consider what some of our “cultural icons” have said about the country that Major Winters fought for:

"I like America to some extent." -- Michael Moore

 

 "When I see an American flag flying, it's a joke." – director Robert Altman

 

 

"We f****** deserve to get bombed. Bring it on." -- Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders

 

"Let's get rid of all the economic (expletive) this country represents! Bring it on, I hope the Muslims win!" -- Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders

 

"I believe (Rumsfeld) thinks this is a war that can be won, but there is no such thing anymore. We can't beat anyone anymore." -- George Clooney

 

"(W)hen Communist U.S.S.R. was a superpower, the world was better off." -- Janeane Garofalo

 

“Over time, however, the endless war in Iraq began to play a role in natural selection. Only idiots signed up; only idiots died. Back home, the average I.Q. soared." – Ted Rall

 

"America has an almost obscene infatuation with itself." -- Norman Mailer

 

"Don't fear the terrorists. They're mothers and fathers." – Rosie O’Donnell

 

"There is no terrorist threat. Yes, there have been horrific acts of terrorism and, yes, there will be acts of terrorism again. But that doesn't mean that there's some kind of massive terrorist threat." – Michael Moore.

Sadly, our entertainment community is comprised of more men and women who would cozy up to tyrants rather than overthrow them, people like Sean Penn and Danny Glover, who see more to admire in the likes of Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro than in any of those heroes who laid down their lives so that Hollywood can continue to populated with America-hating buffoons.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be entertained or putting actors and musicians on a pedestal for their talents, but what’s at issue is an elite class that celebrates nihilism. A Leftist media, both entertainment and journalistic, that questions the core values and traditions of our nation so much that the sacrifices of those who die to defend it are of little value to them. They do not celebrate the heroes of this nation, they ignore them or they disparage them, they ridicule them.

Major Richard Winters is quoted as saying,

'Wars don't make men and women great. But it sometimes takes wars to bring out the greatness in men and women.”

Go here to read about the greatness of Gary Gordon, Randy Shughart, Salvatore Giunta, Robert James Miller, Jared C. Monte, Michael P. Murphy, Jason Dunham, Ross A. McGinnis, Michael A. Monsoor, and Paul R. Smith.