Sean, They’re Not Cowed Upstairs
by Richard Oxman

Original title: ROSEBUSH Now Playing

Of course, Sean Penn made a good speech upon receiving the 2006 Creative Coalition Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award on December 18th. It was so admirable that Counterpunch posted it on December 19th. You can read it at http://www.counterpunch.org/penn12192006.html and then get back to me here. I think that’s the best approach.

One of my favorite lines is his one about the original title for “Start the Revolution Without Me”…from which he derives the title of the speech (”Georgie, There’s a Crowd Downstairs”). You’ll see, it leads to all sorts of goodies within the text. A text which has a basic message which is difficult to argue with, content which no one in his right mind and heart in the best of all possible places would ever consider questioning.

That’s all to praise Mr. Penn, which he most certainly deserves.

HOWEVER, let’s get down to the fact that those SP would bring down…bring downstairs so that the crowd could have their way with them…are not going to be impacted negatively (the way in which he wants) either by the speech itself or by its contribution to the cumulative criticism of Bush & Co.

There are many reasons. But permit me to cite just one. On the principle that readers can’t hardly handle more than that these days. Almost aren’t worth the heartbeats to delineate a long list…since they’re not made of what it takes to…actually take the kind of action SP hints at, dances around about very eloquently.

I’m talking about Charlie Rose. Sean’s “friend.”

S begins his speech by thanking Mr. Rose.

Am I out of my mind, or is CR part and parcel of the whole Machine that Sean would pull down? A Phenomenon inextricably connected to all White Houses. Apologist –when push comes to shove (downstairs)– for all the powers that be…that make it possible for the abominations SP protests against…to be possible. Oiling.

Helping to keep the crowd downstairs.

If Sean Penn wants anyone Upstairs to shake in their bloody boots, he’s going to have to call a spade a spade. Not a Bush a Bush. But a Rose a Rose.

For in the time of Louis XVI everyone had to part company with cautious friends.

The Creative Coalition –bless their embrace of SP– is too safe for one and all as it stands. With or without Christopher Reeve. You simply can’t stand on the shoulders of CR#1 –as Sean says he’s doing at the end of his speech– and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with CR#2 at the same time.

Richard Oxman of Los Gatos, California –reachable at rmoxman@yahoo.com– trusts that his First Amendment blah blah here will get posted by many sites, including that of Counterpunch. His most updated versions of pieces are always at www.oxtogrind.org.