Pubdate: Wed, 24 Mar 2004
Source: Waukesha Freeman (WI)
Copyright: 2004 The Waukesha Freeman
Contact:  http://www.freemanol.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/770
Author: Randy Vizyak

O'REILLY'S COLUMN WAS 'LUDACRIS'

I got a good laugh from Bill O'Reilly's March 9 editorial, "This Bud's not 
for you."

O'Reilly chastised Anheuser-Busch for hiring rap singer Ludacris to push 
their beer because Ludacris is a bad example for children. What promotional 
method does O'Reilly suggest Anheuser-Busch use to sell their products to 
children? Last I heard you had to be a legal adult to drink beer.

O'Reilly said, "Does Anheuser-Busch realize that millions of children 
digest the garbage Ludacris puts out?" Well, if 13-year-olds shouldn't be 
digesting Ludacris' rap music, then maybe they shouldn't be digesting a six 
pack of Budweiser either, right?

O'Reilly also said, "Ludacris puts out rap that celebrates illegal activity 
(such as selling narcotics)." Granted, selling beer to adults is legal 
whereas selling marijuana is not. But American history shows that beer was 
illegal from 1920 to 1933. Marijuana was legal until 1937 and opium and 
coca products were legal until 1914. This was the prohibition era. Many who 
want our irrational drug laws reformed draw no logical or moral distinction 
between alcohol and marijuana.

O'Reilly also said, "Hiring a person like Ludacris to push beer is 
reprehensible to me." But if we stop and think for a moment, who is being 
"ludicrous' here - Ludacris or O'Reilly?

Randy Vizyak, Mukwonago
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom