Many Hollywood celebrities have recently been under attack by media sources and the public for simply verbalizing their anti-war opinions.

While actors in Hollywood often get ahead of themselves when it comes to world issues, some also believe that just because they make millions of dollars then for some odd reason, everyone in America cares that much more about what they have to say.

In reality, I'm really not interested in most celebrity opinions since some of them are off the wall. But as much as I might not care what they have to say, or even agree with them, they have just as much right as I do to express their own opinion, no matter how crazy some of them may be. Funny how the First Amendment works.

It isn't illegal to be anti-war, let alone voice your opinion about a conflict. Celebrities and the general public who choose this side shouldn't have to worry that they could be blacklisted. Or in the case of some artists in the music industry, have their music banned from the radio because they don't support President Bush. On a tour in Europe, a member of the Dixie Chicks vocalized her disgust for Bush and the war, leading to many radio stations boycotting the group's music.

Filmmaker Michael Moore has also been attacked for his very verbal stance against Bush and the war. Some angry folks have gone as far as creating a Web site, www.revoketheoscar.com, to try to rally support against Moore in hopes of having his Oscar, which he won for Best Documentary for his film "Bowling For Columbine," revoked.

Calling him anti-American, the Web site creators say Moore fabricated facts and events and staged scenes in the film. The creators of the Web site have also accused Moore of editing a speech actor Charlton Heston gave to make him sound arrogant, although Heston didn't need Moore's help.

There's also another Web site, www.hollywoodhalfwits.com, dedicated to the cause of exposing celebrity idiots who are allegedly anti-American. Some of the articles on the Web site are pretty humorous because some of the featured celebrities really are "half-wits," cough, Mel Gibson.

One article on the half-wits Web site is solely about how the success in Iraq proves Bush is smarter than his critics. Now someone please tell me why we would need a whole story dedicated to revealing why Bush is smarter than those who were opposed to the war? I would hope we would not need a war to prove the competency of our leader, although at times, his is questionable.

Furthermore, it will take years before we know whether the war and a new Iraqi government is a success since creating a democratic government doesn't exactly happen in one day.

While our government might be working in Iraq to create the freedoms we enjoy, at times it doesn't seem like in our own country we are living in a democracy when people are encouraged to boycott musicians or movies with actors who are anti-war. As much as I don't agree with what many celebrities have to say, being anti-war or anti-Bush doesn't make you anti-American.

I personally am not a Bush supporter, and in no way does that make me anti-American. However, I do support our troops and also believe Saddam Hussein needed to be removed from power because he has had a negative impact on his people. In this case, war was the solution simply because he would not relinquish power voluntarily. I don't think any clear-thinking individual is really pro-war if there is a feasible solution to be used, not even Bush. But for Iraq, this seemed to be the only way and in the end, I think good can come from this war for the Iraqi people.

The rise of intolerance toward anti-war and anti-Bush celebrities, and those in general, brings to mind the "red scare" during the 1940s and 1950s. At that time, many celebrities were accused of being Communists and were often blacklisted simply because they attended a meeting of the Communist Party or were a friend of a friend who did. Last time I checked, being a Communist in the United States was not against the law, but back then it could ruin reputations and people could, and often did, lose their jobs.

Philosopher George Santayana once said "those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it."

This seems likely to be the road taken as actors and other citizens face severe backlash for voicing their opinion. If we forget the past, there's a good chance it could be repeated. If those who are anti-war have to live in fear of persecution, than this truly is not a free country and we risk the chance of experiencing again what people did during the "Red Scare" when many were blacklisted.

This country was founded on the idea that its citizens can live freely without fear of persecution for their beliefs, that they can voice their opinions and not be persecuted by the government or anyone for that matter.

I love this country just as much as the next person and the great thing about the United States is that I can say I don't support Bush and not be thrown in jail for it. Sometimes, I think a lot of Americans forget that.

Allison Lucy is a State News intern. Reach her at lucyalli@msu.edu.