When you are smarter than ordinary Americans (and Ms. Streep undoubtedly is), it is inconceivable to you that lesser intellects don’t melt down in awe over every opinion you might voice. Even those that fall outside your particular area of expertise.

Well, I don’t want to demean Mr. Chayefsky speech (I don’t know much about him, except, of course, as a very good script writer), but to defend Jews (as I do, until today, not being one) at that time, at that place, was not very difficult. I would like very much to see someone doing the same thing today, with “Ms. Streep” instead of “Ms. Redgrave”.
Suffice to see the reaction of the press to THE FACES of Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn during her speech…