Actress Sharon Lawrence: Arts advocacy at the 2000 Democratic Convention

In-Depth Coverage of the Democratic National Convention

(CNN) -- Actress Sharon Lawrence may be best known for her portrayal of the headstrong district attorney married to Detective Andy Sipowicz on ABC's award-winning drama,"NYPD Blue." She received the Screen Actor's Guild Award and three Emmy nominations for her work on that show. Lawrence is dedicated to non-profit work for such causes as Alzheimer’s, Big Sisters, Women in Film and the Special Olympics and is a member of the bi-partisan Creative Coalition, which focuses on children's education, arts advocacy and first amendment issues.

Chat Moderator: Welcome to the Allpolitics chat room.

Sharon Lawrence: Thank you, nice to be here.

Chat Moderator: Why are you involved in the Creative Coalition?

Sharon Lawrence: The Creative Coalition is an advocacy group. It's non-partisan and was developed ten years ago by entertainment professionals who wanted to get more education on the issues so that when we are asked to speak, as we oftentimes are because of our visibility, we have the awareness and the clarity that allows us to be responsible.

Chat Moderator: Does Hollywood have a stake in the outcome of this election?

Sharon Lawrence: I think Hollywood’s stake is the same as that of any other group of citizens. Because the issues in this campaign deal with education and health-care, there is a concern that the coalition is supporting that is looking to raise more funding and appropriation for arts education in the public school system. That's one of our platforms, because many studies have shown the correlation between advanced skills and scores in math and sciences and those students who participate in music programs.

[Arts education] is especially important in inner-city schools because, overwhelmingly, students of all ages who participate not only excel academically, but their attendance is increased, their drug use is down and their participation in community activities grows in a significant way.

This administration and the Democrats, in general, are our hope to increase funding and thus effectiveness.

Question from Allie: If Ms. Lawrence is so bi-partisan, why is she only speaking at the Democratic National Convention?

Question from BK: Did anyone from your organization attend the Republican Convention? If so, who?

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Presidential Race 2000 The conventions

Sharon Lawrence: Firstly, the coalition is bi-partisan. As an individual, I am a registered Democrat and am supporting the Democratic candidacy. However, the coalition educates all of its members equally. They had a definite presence at the Republican Convention. I wasn't there because I was working.

However, this organization, as a group, is educating all of us. We speak for ourselves, but the platforms we are advancing -- such as arts education and [reducing] violence in the media – [are coalition priorities]. The forum that we will present tomorrow called "Whose Programming the Children?" will open discussions that the entertainment industry is obviously interested in, and this committee is looking to be responsible to.

Question from Allie: Well, I am a teacher, and although arts may make some difference, the real difference that is never addressed is that parental involvement plays the most significant role of all. No one seems to want to address that.

Sharon Lawrence: I agree completely. And yet, how does any government legislate parental involvement? I know that this administration and the Gore-Lieberman platform signed into law the Family Leave Act, which potentially can provide available time off of work for parents to meet with teachers. That's what the Gore-Lieberman ticket proposes.

Chat Moderator: Vice President Gore's wife, Tipper, and his vice presidential nominee, Senator Joseph Lieberman, have been vocal critics of the entertainment industry. How deep is support for the Gore-Lieberman ticket in Hollywood?

Sharon Lawrence: I can only speak for the members of the coalition whose opinion I'm familiar with, and all of us agree that the violence that children are exposed to from the media must be addressed.

We believe it does not have to undercut the First Amendment and, in terms of rating for violence and sexual content, we all seem to agree on the importance of pursuing that. Self-policing in the industry, I believe, is a critical approach to this issue. And strong moral leadership with the Gore-Lieberman ticket, I personally believe, can move us from the somewhat adolescent mentality that drives a lot of the content currently produced.

Chat Moderator: Thank you for joining us, Sharon Lawrence.

Sharon Lawrence: Thank you.

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