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I'd never do such a thing. I don't watch West Wing, though i'd have started if the rumor about adding Robert Duvall to the cast had come true. In any case, Martin Sheen has a right to his views, and he shouldn't lose his job because of them. If NBC cans him, or silences him, I'll be as outraged as anybody. How's that any better than what happened to Dr. Laura? Disagree with him--heaven knows I do--but leave him alone.

In any case, Martin Sheen has a right to his views, and he shouldn't lose his job because of them.

It happens all the time. Al Campanis, Jimmy the Greek, Trent Lott, to name a few.

It would be nice to see a few prominent liberals taken down for their views, instead of just offering our own up for offending them. Maybe it would stop the cycle, and we could all express our views without fear.

I'd never do such a thing. I don't watch West Wing, though i'd have started if the rumor about adding Robert Duvall to the cast had come true. In any case, Martin Sheen has a right to his views, and he shouldn't lose his job because of them. If NBC cans him, or silences him, I'll be as outraged as anybody. How's that any better than what happened to Dr. Laura? Disagree with him--heaven knows I do--but leave him alone.

It's a fine line and I can understand your concern, but Mr. Sheen has chosen to shove his political views in all our faces by abusing his special access to the media, access that you or I could never dream of having. Not to mention, he does it with his character's persona.

I happen to have very strong political views (why else would I be here?). However, I don't make a habit of making a big issue of my politics at work, and I surely don't parade them in front of clients. If I start hammering away at clients with political opinions and offend them to the point where they take their business elsewhere, I'm not going to keep my job very long, and there are probably very few people who would disagree with my company letting me go for chasing customers away like this.

This is exactly what Martin Sheen is doing - getting into his customers' faces and bellowing out loud that unless we agree with him, we're stupid, unenlightened, racist murderers. By using his President Bartlett character to promote his message, he's even using company resources to insult and bully the client. If this guy is going to cost his boss (NBC) money by driving away the business, I think NBC would be remiss if they DIDN'T let their concerns be known.

Martin Sheen is in a business that produces nothing and his very employment depends on his appeal to the public. Unless he's not as smart as he thinks he is, he should know this. His employment is at the mercy of the public. We should have no more concern about his continued employment than he does about ours, especially because his employment is dependent upon how the public views him, a fact he should also know. He has no more expectation to be employed if he pisses of his employers, US, than I would if I pissed off my boss.

The only reason the producers give a damn about his views, is because his views affect the show's ratings. They would not be suppressing his right to free speech. They would be ridding themselves of a person whose off-stage image/antics decreases his on-stage worth.

Martin Sheen has a right to his views, and he shouldn't lose his job because of them.

More importantly the company has a right to make a profit. If sheen's antics start to repel viewers and consequently advertisers, the company has every right, no an obligation to sack him.

I want to see the West Wing hire former Senator Fred Thomson to run against president Sheen. If they let the conservative view be expressed fairly their ratings would soar. Clearly when people see fairness and balance they tune in. I would.

Martin Sheen has a right to his views, and he shouldn't lose his job because of them

If your job is based on the the public market forces (viewers) and you take an extremely unpopular stance that infuriates said public market forces ... expect your career to come to a screeching halt.

Case in point : The Dixie chicklets.