Dear Mr. Josephson.
I read with great interest your gracious commentaries about my father, Charlton Heston, who as you know passed away peacefully in the arms of his family on April 5th. As always, your thoughtful and insightful commentary is a great solace at such times, and I'm flattered that you recalled our exchange several years ago when my father announced he had Alzheimer's.
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It was a long and difficult struggle these last six years, but not once during that time did I hear him complain, say "Why me?" or have any concern other than for the well-being of his wife and family. That's real courage in my book. As I said in my eulogy (I'll send you a copy if you like), delivered at St. Matthews Parish church to three hundred of his friends, family and colleagues -- good folks from across all walks of life (and the entire political spectrum, from Rob Reiner to Nancy Reagan) who defined his life by their very presence: "He was the finest man I have ever known. He was the finest man I will ever know."

Kindest regards,
Fraser C. Heston

This is an important issue to discuss. How easy it is to make enemies out of those who hold different opinions. Inner peace and world peace both yearn for this understanding. Thank you for the conversation.

Although I agree with you about respecting and admiring activism, no matter whether you agree with it or not, I do not and will not respect those who falsely accuse our President and Vice President of starting the war for immoral reasons, or worse, for complicity in the 9/11 attacks. When they use their public forum and celebrity to spout such rubbish, I refuse to pay money to view their films and TV shows. When they whine about that, like Tim Robbins, then I am more convinced that my decision is correct.

P.S. When Ronald Reagan and Charlton Heston were Democrats in the 40's and 50's, that party was most responsible for continuing racism and segregation, particularly in the South.

Having respect for someone you disagree with has part of the core of good character. We run into people we don't agree with constantly. These people could be co-workers, friends and family. If everyone respected each other regardless of our different views, there would be no wars, discrimination, segregation, etc. One has to draw the line between what is bad and what is different. The beginning of a better world starts within you.

Thank you, Mr. Josephson.

I certainly agree with the theme of this commentary that one must not agree with another's positions to respect them. And it is generally admirable that some people in the spotlight of our culture take the time and effort to get "involved" and try to make a difference. However, my concern is that we the people tend too often to view celebrities as leaders, and there is a vast difference between the two. Celebrities have a forum because of their position. But being a true "leader" involves much more. Thank you Michael for being a true leader with Character Counts.

I appreciate someone with a different viewpoint. I do scorn celebrities or anybody else that uses the media to further lies. The World Trade Centers were brought down by terrorists with airplanes full of innocent people - not by the U.S. Government. Sean Penn is a big supporter of Hugo Chavez stating that he is a model for treating people right. Chavez is a thug and a dictator whose people suffer horribly. Do not give celebrities a free pass because they are celebrities - they must not be allowed to lie to people by using the press.

Respecting someone with whom I strongly disagree can be a struggle. Sometimes I find myself believing that respect should be earned and deserved. However, disagreeing is part of human nature. Each of us is different; we all have our challenges and our strengths. When I remember this, I can usually find a quality that I respect in that person. This first step leads me to accept the whole person, warts and all. By our very nature of being human, each of us deserves respect. This is what raises the value of our lives and enhances the quality of the world in which we live. Respecting our freedom of speech requires a characteristic that Robert Frost penned eloquently: Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.

Thanks for your service.

Many of the comments above forget that the cost of freedom of speech is that to maintain it for your views you must also be willing to defend it for opposing views. Remember the Nazi march in Illinois? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that their right to march had to be protected in order to guarantee that anti-Nazi protestors could also gather. In these days of extremist beliefs - both conservative and liberal - many seem to expect that only speech supporting their views should be allowed. Sorry, but freedom just doesn’t work that way. (You know what we call countries with “freedom” like that? China. Or Korea, or Liberia, or...)

Now, I was not a fan of Charlton Heston's politics, but he typically expressed them in a well thought out fashion. He did not support violence in support of his views, he just thought there were certain things about which he should speak out. He deserves respect for the MANNER in which he expressed his beliefs, and because he was stupid in what he chose to support. To deny someone this respect just because you disagree with their opinion is not only ignorant, but dangerous.

The difference between Heston and celebrities like Sean Penn (supporting Hugo Chavez) is that Penn does not offer concrete reasons for his views. He only makes general statements with little support. He even fails to see that “shut down” and “did not re-up their license” are synonyms. Penn deserves no respect because of the MANNER in which he expresses his views...and because he is stupid. (Michael did shortchange his Sean Penn research...) But I will say this about Hugo Chavez: He has always opposed the Iraq War – so I guess even a stupid actor and a homicidal dictator can be right some of the time.

Bottom line: don’t allow a person’s views to determine whether you respect them or not. Take a closer look and you will find many people on your side of the fence who are not worthy of your respect. I don’t think Charlton Heston falls into this category. It’s not only what they advocate, but how they encourage reaching that end. Think about this the next time someone bombs a Muslim temple...

I want to comment on the praise I see given to Oprah. I understand she is a wealthy figure in the media and is recognized for all her work; however, I have a certain disdain for celebrities who MUST have their name written on everything; who INSIST on being recognized for what they offer. This goes against the character principle. It is one thing to give effortlessly, but it is another to boast and expect adulation in return. I know there are many donors to worthy causes that prefer to be listed on the credits as anonymous, and that to me is more worthy of respect. Their anonymous support reflects true humility, genuineness, and character. The fact that these anonymous donors forgo praise from the public is enough to draw the public's attention to the cause itself, the receivers of goodwill. And isn't this supposed to be more important anyway? Isn't the purpose to draw attention to a need so the public would be encouraged to participate and create change for the betterment of others?

You don't have to agree with Sean Penn, but at least he gets off his behind and does something about what he feels is right or wrong. Most Americans squander their freedom of speech just complaining and moaning, but never really doing anything else. I'd be afraid to live in a country where I didn't disagree with someone.