Can Fame Stop a War?
L O S A N G E L E S, Dec. 11 -- Celebrities have mobilized against a possible war in Iraq, urging President Bush to avoid military action.
More than 100 entertainers signed a letter to Bush, which says a war with Iraq would "increase the likelihood of terrorist attacks, damage the economy and undermine our moral standing in the world."
Actress and political activist Janeane Garofalo, who appeared this morning on ABCNEWS' Good Morning America, said: "I am a citizen who believes that this talk of war and pre-emptive strikes … is making Americans less secure. Just allow the weapons inspectors on the ground to do their job … without corrupting the process."
Garofalo says she's not worried about being portrayed as unpatriotic because of her anti-war views.
"Patriotism is love for your country," she said. "When somebody's accusing you of being anti-American, that's a bully tactic somebody uses … to get people to shut up and comply. Whether it impacts my career — who cares?"
Tony Shalhoub, star of the ABC detective show Monk, is another actor-turned-activist worried about the impact of an attack on Iraq.
"This notion of pre-emptive war is setting a precedent … and we must ask ourselves, where does this end?" he said. "Where is the next pre-emptive strike?"
Shaloub, Martin Sheen and Mike Farrell were among nearly a dozen performers who got together to draw attention to their cause.
Farrell, who's co-starred in the television series M-A-S-H and Providence, said Hollywood was speaking out to show average citizens that it was OK to voice dissent. He also said he did not believe that Bush had proven Iraq is a danger to America.
"It is inappropriate for the administration to trump up a case in which we are ballyhooed into war," Farrell said.
Among those signing the letter were Academy Award winners Kim Basinger, Helen Hunt, Olympia Dukakis, Susan Sarandon and director Jonathan Demme.
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Other names included former X-Files stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny; The West Wing cast members Sheen, Janel Moloney, Bradley Whitford and Lily Tomlin; CSI: Crime Scene Investigation actors Marg Helgenberger and Robert David Hall; and Ocean's Eleven co-stars Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Elliott Gould and Carl Reiner.
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