On a night dedicated to honoring performances, America got a glimpse of a handful of acts worthy of applause — or booing, as the case may be. While the orchestra broke into the acceptance speech of Adrien Brody, who picked up the best-actor award, which was completely free of political messages, it was a loud mixture of hissing and clapping that erupted when director Michael Moore took advantage of his stage time to launch into a tirade about President Bush and U.S.-led action in Iraq.

Moore had been warned against doing that. Everyone at the ceremony had been warned against doing that. The red carpet was replaced by tighter security and censorship replaced free speech. Moore went against that advice, however, and immediately began spouting off about the nation’s “fictitious president” and his “fictitious war.”

When the booing ensued, it was clearly an act of free speech at its best. Damning the regulations and ignoring the hisses, Moore said his piece and demanded peace — and he did it all in a matter of seconds, a triumph for an awards show that normally goes long past its time slot.

Why shouldn’t Moore have spoken up about his beliefs? Well, it was rude to the Academy Awards producers, to be sure. It was unexpected and it caught the audience off guard. But it was well worth it to hear what he had to say, and not because of what he was saying, but because he had the nerve to go off in a very public forum, despite the warning of getting a slap on the hand if he mentioned politics.

We love our celebrities because they have the ability to express themselves in ways we cannot. They can spread messages to millions with simple gestures, such as Susan Sarandon’s subtle flick of the peace symbol, a message that said a lot without a single spoken word.

The curse is hitting Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks as well. She told an audience in London she was ashamed Bush was from her state, Texas, and has since faced the wrath of angry country music fans who have dragged her name through the mud and demanded the Dixie Chicks be taken off the airwaves. The band, which will be in Ames this May, is even facing the added challenge of former fans protesting their concerts.

We say all we want is to have celebrities express themselves. So why do we turn on them when they have political views that do not align with our own? We demand to know everything about their personal lives, yet are more than willing to burn their work and damn their names when we hear that we are politically not in the same boat.

Boo Michael Moore and Natalie Maines if you disagree with them. Ignore them if you do not care what they say. But do not write off their freedom of speech simply because they are celebrities. Our celebrities are still Americans, and Americans are still privileged enough to speak out, even if it is against America.

Editorial Board: Cavan Reagan, Amber Billings, Ayrel Clark, Charlie Weaver, Katie List