And I Don't Even Like Meryl Streep that Much

I think I will never get used to our new America. Here's an example.

A week ago Sunday, Meryl Streep gave this speech at the Golden Globe Awards. She first talked about how the three words of the award-giving organization's name, the Hollywood Foreign Press, all seem to be unpopular with some Americans these days, and wondered why that should be.

But then she reproofed Donald Trump, without using his name specifically, for belittling New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski by imitating his disability. (Somehow, Trump supporters try to make an argument that Trump was not imitating Kovaleski when he obviously was, as shown clearly on video.)

And now they (as well as Trump on Twitter) have trained their attacks on Streep. She's a grown up and she can take it, but I just don't understand this vindictiveness toward people who dare to disagree with Trump.

Here are two examples of the attack, both mild, I'm sure, compared to what has probably landed in Streep's personal inbox:


When did Streep say her opinions are more important than others'? No, she was just giving a short speech, taking an opportunity to say something that was important to her. And what's with the bad caricature that looks more like the Witch of the West, done up as Queen Victoria, than Meryl Streep?

Then there was the letter from today's Star Tribune, by Tom Wierzbicki of Crosby, Minn.:

Meryl Streep

She blathers (probably scripted), and media drools in adulation

I find it very disconcerting that the entire news media keeps running and commenting on the words Meryl Streep spoke during the Golden Globes.

Who wrote those words for her? After all, her whole life has been one of just reading and acting out the words creative thinkers have written for her. She has been good at it, but how can someone who has never had a thought of her own criticize others who have?

I recently sat through 20 minutes of movie previews her industry has created. It appalls me that she is involved in a business that is creating ugly, very violent films filled with sexual innuendo that my grandchildren will be watching.

How can she possibly be given such a stage at an award show to say anything negative about anyone else? And, worse, our news media repeats it, repeats it and repeats it.

It is so sad that people like her constantly beat the drum about CEO pay. The same CEOs we want to create jobs, be successful and give us bonus checks while “stars” make hundreds of millions creating entertainment.

Why do liberals constantly berate CEOs but not movie stars or athletes?

What a sad country we have become and our news media makes it worse. Repeating what others say and not giving us the facts.

It appears a couple hundred million Americans agree with me. Although I did not vote for Donald Trump, I pray he does great for our country and do not wish to berate him like so many “deplorables” do before he is even given the chance.

All Streep did was say it was wrong to make fun of a person with a disability, and this is the response? He impugns her intelligence by saying she can only read what others write for her and then blames her for every film ever made in Hollywood. He assumes facts not in evidence (that she is the same as "people like her" who speak against paying a lot to job-creating CEOs).

All in all, it's a very strange letter that bounces from one topic to another. Wierzbicki doesn't seem to mind that his grandchildren will soon have a president who makes fun of disabled people and bragged about sexual assault, but whatever.

It's the new America.