By Glynn Cosker
Editor, In Homeland Security

Sony Pictures’ ill-fated movie The Interview won’t hit cinema screens on Christmas Day. CEO and Co-chairman Michael Lynton saw to that when he announced earlier this month that his company was heeding vague threats by a North Korean cyber-hacking group. So, U.S. Representative Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) penned a letter to Lynton in which he offered the U.S. Capitol as a screening venue.

“I am extending an offer to screen The Interview in the U.S. Capitol facilities…Threats from a dictator in North Korea should not stop Americans from seeing any movie. We have a responsibility to stand up against these attempts at intimidation,” states Sherman in his letter that he copied MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd on.

Sherman is one of many politicians thumbing his or her nose at the idea that a group of cyberbullies can affect the American public’s holiday movie choices. The Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus recently wrote to the heads of the nation’s cinemas urging them to uphold our First Amendment rights and show the comedy. In a news conference Friday, President Barack Obama said that Sony “made a mistake” when it binned the film.

There is speculation that Sony will release the film to a streaming venue such as YouTube or Netflix. For now, it seems that Sony is in the minority and the country, from the president down, would like to see The Interview on the big screen—just as they watched more controversial movies in years past.

Here is the full letter from Rep. Brad Sherman:

Dear Mr. Lynton

I am extending an offer to screen The Interview in the U.S. Capitol facilities.

As Chairman of the Entertainment Industries Caucus, I believe we should stand in solidarity with Sony Pictures and the American film industry. Threats from a dictator in North Korea should not stop Americans from seeing any movie. We have a responsibility to stand up against these attempts at intimidation.

This is also about educating Members of Congress. Everyone is talking about The Interview. I think it’s important for Congress to know, and see, what we are talking about.

Screening The Interview will demonstrate the U.S. Congress’s support of the freedom of speech. This is about our right to live without fear, and knowing that our values will not be compromised by the idle threats of a despotic regime. Good or bad, Americans should not be deprived of the opportunity to see this movie.

It is now the responsibility of the U.S. government to allocate the necessary resources to ensure moviegoers’ safety. We must help Sony Pictures, movie theater owners, and moviegoers regain the confidence to go see The Interview.