Sean Penn in Baghdad: Image Gives Way To Substance
by Norman Solomon
Dissident Voice
December 20,
2002
When they
realized that Sean Penn had arrived in Baghdad unannounced, the Western journalists
in the city were taken aback. But they ultimately seemed more surprised by the
great distance between media images and the man they actually met.
Quite a few
other famous actors in the United States have expressed strong opposition to
the impending war against Iraq. But so far, only one has traveled there so that
actions and words could speak loudly together.
What Sean Penn
said is still resonating.
After
accompanying Penn to Baghdad and joining him on a wide range of visits --
including with UNICEF workers, Iraqi officials, patients in hospitals and young
children in schools -- I sat with Penn as he wrote on a pad at a restaurant
inside the Al-Rashid Hotel. Hours later, he was reading his words aloud at a
news conference overflowing with reporters, photographers and TV crews from all
over the world.
"I am a
citizen of the United States of America," he began. "I believe in the
Constitution of the United States, and the American people. Ours is a
government designed to function ‘of’-‘by’-and-‘for’ the people. I am one of
those people, and a privileged one."
Penn spoke
quietly, with evident sincerity. This was the time for a kind of summing up.
For the most part during his three-day visit, Penn had gone out of his way to
avoid the cameras, saying that he would share his thoughts at a press
conference just prior to leaving Baghdad.
Now, as he
continued with his statement, the room was still. Penn said that he was
"privileged to have lived a life under our Constitution that has allowed
me to dream and prosper." And he continued: "In response to these
privileges I feel, both as an American and as a human being, the obligation to
accept some level of personal responsibility for the policies of my government,
both those I support and any that I may not. Simply put, if there is a war or
continued sanctions against Iraq, the blood of Americans and Iraqis will be on
our hands."
And then, Sean
Penn added: "My trip here is to personally record the human face of the
Iraqi people so that their blood -- along with that of American soldiers --
would not be invisible on my own hands. I sit with you here today in the hopes
that any of us present may contribute in any way to a peaceful resolution to
the conflict at hand."
At a time when
fame is so routinely seen as an end in itself, or as a way to accumulate more
wealth and power, Penn has become conspicuous for his willingness to take some
real risks on behalf of peace. Predictably, the vilification began immediately
from jingoistic media outlets like Fox News Channel and the New York Post.
Distortion is a big business.
When our country
appears to be on the verge of war, stepping out of line is always hazardous.
All kinds of specious accusations fly. Whether you travel to Baghdad or hold an
anti-war sign on main street back home, some people will accuse you of serving
the propaganda interests of the foreign foe. But the only way to prevent your
actions from being misconstrued is to do nothing. The only way to avoid the
danger of having your words distorted is to keep your mouth shut.
In the
functional category of "use it or lose it," the First Amendment
remains just a partially realized promise. To the extent that it can be
fulfilled, democracy becomes actual rather than theoretical. But that requires
a multiplicity of voices. And when the drumbeat of war threatens to drown out
all those refusing to harmonize with it, the imperative of dissent becomes
paramount.
Sean Penn has
described the challenge well: "I would hope that all Americans will embrace
information available to them outside conventional channels." And,
speaking personally, he expressed the desire "to find my own voice on
matters of conscience."
Norman Solomon's latest book is The Habits of Highly Deceptive Media. His syndicated column focuses on media and politics. Email: mediabeat@igc.org