] I do mind when anybody who doesn't have a child, doesn't
] have a child at war, or isn't or won't be in harm's way
] themselves, is encouraging that there's "no shame in not
] voting" "if you don't know what you're talking about"
] (Mr. Stone) without mentioning the shame of not knowing
] what your talking about, and encouraging people to know.
] You guys are talented young guys but alas, primarily
] young guys. It's all well to joke about me or whomever
] you choose. Not so well, to encourage irresponsibility
] that will ultimately lead to the disembowelment,
] mutilation, exploitation, and death of innocent people
] throughout the world. The vote matters to them. No one's
] ignorance, indcluding a couple of hip cross-dressers, is
] an excuse.

This is an interesting and misguided attack. From a response interview on salon (http://www.salon.com/ent/col/fix/2004/10/11/mon/index.html):

% On Sunday, Parker and Stone responded during an interview with
% Salon's Heather Havrilesky. According to Stone, "when you read it,
% the letter comes from such a high place of arrogance, you know,
% [deep, serious voice] 'You guys are young guys! If you don't have
% children, you can't say anything about anything!' And the whole
% voting thing. All we ever said was that we thought that uninformed
% people should not vote -- on either side of the political
% spectrum. It doesn't matter who you're gonna vote for. If you
% really don't know who you're gonna vote for, or are uninformed, or
% haven't really thought about it? Just stay home. Don't let people
% fucking shame you into going to the polls."
%
% Added Parker: "If you have absolutely no idea, fuck it."
%
% "If you really don't know or you're just going vote for George
% Bush because he's already in office, or you're gonna vote for John
% Kerry because he's on the cover of Rolling Stone, don't do that,"
% Stone said. "That's lame. Just stay home. That's all we ever said."

I can't really disagree. I know one or two people who don't follow politics, actively, and don't plan to vote. What I find odd about Sean Penn's attack, in particular, is that his PS really seems to emphasize the point that Trey and Matt are making. He suggests that becoming educated is the key to overcoming ignorance as to the import of the election -- by that very metric, for the people who /can't/ just go take a guided tour of Iraq, and can't be bothered to keep up at all, why should they vote? I could badger my non-voting friends into voting, and I'll kick myself if Pennsylvania falls to Bush by a vote or two, but that's not within the goals of our republic, votes through shame.

DRUDGE REPORT 2004®