Not the politics, but the ignorance.
I met Matthew Modine in 2006. Not being the starstruck type, the fact that he was attending Soldier Ride had been of only passing interest me. I even suspect he heard me unknowingly walking behind him while I asked aloud, "What [movie] would I know him from?" and responded that I'd never watched Full Metal Jacket, so I wasn't quite sure who he was.
But then I heard his heartfelt words of patriotism, and saw the obvious rapport he had with the wounded soldiers with whom he'd ridden, his honest admiration for their sacrifice and spirit. I was impressed. Later when he was told of my work with Valour-IT, he gifted me with a signed copy of Full Metal Jacket Diary. I became a fan.
Then I read this today:
[Refusing release as a POW] has earned McCain endless accolades, but Modine thinks that McCain's rejection of the release offer is yet another example of McCain's shortcomings. "And he wasn't even a good prisoner of war," said Modine. "He should have left as soon as he could. That's what you're supposed to do as a prisoner of war: Leave when you can. It defeats the enemy. It makes them look bad and it weakens them."
Heh. He is Hollywood, after all; I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to find his grasp on certain concepts rather tenuous.
Sigh...
