THE FORUM: American values   'Values' and U.S. history Baker: Morals and leaders         Healing a religious divide Haynes: 1st Amendment strong Wallis: Dems, GOP clueless       Hollywood's values Medved: Town doesn't get it Levitan: 'Elite' aren't villains       Values, public policy and you Cuomo: 'Sacred' vs. science Reed: Who are values voters?       Valuesline Election-year 'entertainment' Views since Election Day

Instead, I get invited to roughly three dozen charity events a year. Last Monday night, for example, I attended a dinner in which the Hollywood community raised $1.2 million for the Los Angeles Free Clinic. Week after week, people in this community put so much time and effort toward sharing their good fortune. I can think of no other industry that gives more.

Your values The majority of Americans believe the country is greatly divided on the issue of values - and that the state of moral values is getting worse. USA TODAY would like to know what you think about the state of values in this country. Where are we, and where are we headed? Testimonials of 250 words or fewer will be considered for publication in an upcoming issue. Please e-mail comments to values@usatoday.com or fax them to 703-854-2053.

Why, then, do so many conservatives hold us in the same esteem as the proprietor of the local porn shop? Are our morals and values so different from the rest of America? I believe "Hollywood" is more like middle America than many people imagine.

I'm from Illinois (blue state), and my wife of 12 years is from Texas (red state). We have three children, two dogs and a picket fence. This was a typical weekend for us: Saturday, we went to our kids' soccer games (one loss, one tie). Saturday night we took the kids to see a movie (The Incredibles). Sunday, we went to a child's birthday party. Sunday night, we had dinner at home. Highlight of the weekend: My 6-year-old son scored a goal, his second ever. Lowlight: A bad magician. (Note: We didn't see Sean Penn or Michael Moore even once.)

Teaching morals and, yes, family values

You may have noticed there was no mention of church or Temple. I was raised Jewish, my wife was raised Catholic. Though we respect each other's heritage, and while many of our friends are deeply religious, we have chosen to focus on our similarities, not our differences. We teach our children compassion, charity, honesty and the benefits of hard work. We teach them to help those who aren't as lucky as they are. I am confident that they will go into the world with good morals and strong family values.

Friends in the Midwest often ask me what it's like to raise a family in Los Angeles. I say it's just like where they are, but warmer and with more traffic. I also tell them people here seem a bit more tolerant of those who are different.

My wife and I are friends with several gay couples, many of whom have been together for 20-plus years. While I can joke that that's a rare accomplishment even for heterosexual couples here, in fact, many people have been together that long. What puzzles me, though, is why Britney Spears can get drunk and then married for 55 hours in Vegas and have more rights than a successful, loving gay couple who have been together for a quarter century.

I feel lucky to work in Hollywood. I have also worked very hard. But I never forget that so many people in this world, in this country, work just as hard, even harder, yet are barely making ends meet. That's why, despite knowing his tax plan would have cost me a lot, I voted for Sen. John Kerry.

Political diversity — even in Hollywood

Expecting universal agreement at a dinner party just before the election, I voiced this view rather passionately, only to learn that half of the room was voting for President Bush. Huh? In liberal Hollywood? Is it warm in here? Pass the salt.

But what about the accusation that Hollywood is trying to advance its liberal agenda? Well, the fact is, while the creative community admittedly leans left, Hollywood has become a corporate town. Middle America may only see celebrities, but the real power here lies with the heads of studios and networks. In the old days, studio and network presidents answered to no one. Today, they report to corporate boards and shareholders — not exactly a bunch of lefties.

But wait. If they're so conservative, why did every studio in town pass on Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ? Is it because they're all liberal Jews controlling the media, or because they thought the film would bomb? Ask them today if they would have financed Passion knowing then what they know now, and you'll see enough green lights to make Hollywood look like a Christmas tree.

The point is, this town can't be summed up with one ideology. To label and dismiss us, to vilify us, is to wrongly assume that politically there exists an "us." In fact, we are just a group of very different people, most of us trying to raise our families, joined by the desire to grab an audience.

It pains me that our nation is so divided. So, during the next four years, I'm going to try to better understand the so-called Christian Right that views Hollywood as the enemy. Much like in my marriage, I'm going to focus on our similarities, because I believe, from the bottom of my heart, that if we try, we can find common ground. God, I sound like such a liberal.

Steven Levitan is an Emmy Award-winning writer and executive producer of television comedies. He created the long-running NBC series Just Shoot Me and is developing two series for next fall. None of this impresses his wife and kids in the least.