[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 93 (Thursday, June 8, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H5744-H5745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THOSE IN A CREATIVE MEDIUM AND OF AMERICA'S 
                           ELECTED OFFICIALS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gilchrest). Under a previous order of 
the House, the gentleman from California [Mr. Miller] is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, last week when Senator Bob 
Dole made his statements about Hollywood, it was unfortunate that they 
were made in the context of a presidential campaign, because his 
remarks were immediately analyzed and seemingly split into two camps, 
deciding whether or not it was an attack on Hollywood, justified or 
unjustified, and whether or not Hollywood should defend itself, 
justified or unjustified, and that seemed to end the debate. You could 
take sides on whether or not that attack had taken place or not.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it would be a very fundamental mistake for 
Hollywood or anyone else in this country to believe that because that 
speech appeared in a political context and was analyzed mainly by 
political analysis and analysts, pundits who deal with the political 
people in this country, to believe that his remarks do not represent a 
concern in this country about the level of violence in the media, in 
all of its different forms, in music, in films, TV, and a concern that 
is one that is shared by millions of American families, and a concern 
for many of us in public life.
  Mr. Speaker, I would hope that the issue would not get down to the 
issue of censorship, or picking our favorite stars, or deciding who 
bankrolled the good movie versus the bad movie, but I would hope that 
we would have the possibility of having a national conversation in this 
country about the future of our children, about the impact of the media 
on our children, on our families, on ourselves, because none of us are 
immune from this.
  It is not just young, impressionable children who absorb the hours 
and hours of violence that are now portrayed on TV, in the movie 
theaters, and in our music. It happens to all of us. It makes 
statements about our society. I think we have to have this discussion. 
I do not think you can end this discussion by denying the power of this 
media, all of a sudden saying we have no impact, or suggesting that it 
is the only reason, or the cause of many things that we do not like in 
our society, because it is not. These are all multifaceted problems.
  I think we should do it with an understanding that this is a country 
that loves its movies, love its moviemakers, its songwriters and its 
performers. We recognize the creativity, we recognize the agility, the 
ability, the fascination that they can create.
  We also, in loving them, recognize that they are powerful; that music 
can pick up our spirits, it can lower our spirits. It can excite us, it 
can soothe us. A film is designed to invoke emotions, to create a 
result, to get a response. When you listen to the great filmmakers of 
our time discuss how they put movies together, what they were thinking 
about, why they picked to do it this way, why music was added in this 
fashion, why this scenery, why this color, why black and white, why 
this, why that, why that lighting, it is all designed to move people in 
the viewing of that medium, designed to get a reaction, to get a 
response, to create an atmosphere, and they successfully do it. they 
have been doing it as long as the movies have been around.
  You listen to them discuss that, and you appreciate that they 
understand the power of their medium, the power to move a Nation, the 
power to move a Nation's children, to excite us, to fascinate us. They 
know they can do that if you give them an hour and a half of your time, 
if you give them 2 hours, if you give them a subject. It does not 
matter if it is fantasy or animation, it does not matter if it is in a 
historical context or a completely fictional context, they know they 
can do that. That is the tribute, the genius.
  The same is true with songwriters. They know they can move a Nation 
to its feet. They know they can move romance, where romance maybe was 
not. We have to recognize that. However, [[Page H5745]] they have also 
got to recognize that when it becomes unpleasant and the outcomes are 
not what we desire, in some instances, or what some of us do not desire 
in a pluralistic society, they cannot run away and say ``Oh, we could 
not be responsible for that, because after all, it is just a movie.'' 
No, you cannot take that genius and understand and know what you have 
created, and then deny it the next moment, to suggest it has none of 
the impacts for which you designed it in this movie, but it could not 
have any impacts over here.
  In summary, Mr. Speaker, I would just hope that we would not let this 
get down to who is getting the advantage and not getting the advantage 
in presidential politics, but we would bring this as a national 
conversation about the future of our children. I hope to have more to 
say on this to their body, to my constituents and to others, but I 
think we need this conversation without jumping to a conclusion, but 
understanding the responsibilities, the powers, and the obligations 
that go with this medium and with those of us in public office.


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