Bruce Springsteen, commonly known as "the Boss" has had "enough" of Bush. I have never understood why anyone gives a horses' a** about what he or other people who have made millions in the entertainment industry think about politics. I know, I know--why should anyone care what I think either? But that's the point exactly! What makes their thoughts or feelings on who should be president (or any other matter) any more significant than anyone else's? Just because they sing, or act, or make jokes --does that mean they have any better insight into the issues of our times than Paul from Fresno? Or Pat from Ann Arbor? Taken as a whole, entertainers have never impressed me much, except possibly in their artistic endeavors. I happen to like some of Springsteen's songs and albums. But I don't see why the media has to slobber with ecstasy whenever he and other entertainers have something to say about politics or international affairs. Do you listen to your gardener instead of your physician when you have cancer? Doubtful --not if you want to get healthy.
So, who should you listen to? Well, I think you should listen to your own mind. I think you should make the decision of who to vote for (as you make any other important decision) by thinking it through on your own, using the evidence of your senses and the facts available. Don't let Springsteen or Jadakiss or any other overrated artist make your decision for you. Or use their celebrity status to manipulate you. I can live with honest, decent people deciding to vote for Kerry or Bush because they have examined the issues; identified their own priorities; read what the candidate stands for and made an informed decision. What gets to me is that people make life or death decisions because they really, really like this or that famous person and that is what the famous person thinks, so therefore it must be the right thing to think.
My daughter is going through a phase right now where she is very "into" rap songs and singers. I have sat and listened with her to some of her favorite songs and most of the time my response is, "Think! What is this song saying about women? Would you like someone to talk to you like that, or treat you like that?" She has a tendency to think these rappers are gods, as do her friends (and maybe I felt that way when I was was a kid). Art is precious precisely because it is able to speak to our innermost feelings. But to appreciate it, first we have to come to understand what our innermost feelings are telling us, and evaluate if our innermost feelings make any sense in the real world. You know what I'm talking about--when someone "feels" they should be able to make a choice and not have to deal with any consequences of that choice. Or when they "feel" that they shouldn't be subject to reality ("I want ----, and I want it NOW!). I see many patients whose lives are totally screwed up because they accept these innermost feelings without question and behave accordingly. This kind of behavior is not limited to teenagers.
There are times when it is appropriate and even necessary to act on feelings. And there are times when listening to Bruce Springsteen (when he is singing, for example) is a pleasant experience. But don't let anyone boss you into voting for their candidate. Think! Or not. The choice is yours.
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