Tag: current events Page 8 of 11
(Yes, filkerdave, that’d be a great name for a band…)
The 2003 Jefferson Muzzles have been announced. From their webpage:
Since 1992, the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression has celebrated the birth and ideals of its namesake by calling attention to those who in the past year forgot or disregarded Mr. Jefferson’s admonition that freedom of speech “cannot be limited without being lost.”
Announced on or near April 13 — the anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson — the Jefferson Muzzles are awarded as a means to draw national attention to abridgments of free speech and press and, at the same time, foster an appreciation for those tenets of the First Amendment. Because the importance and value of free expression extend far beyond the First Amendment’s limit on government censorship, acts of private censorship are not spared consideration for the dubious honor of receiving a Muzzle.
Speak up, and they’ll knock you down. Don’t speak up, and they’ll still knock you down.
I know the people who need to hear this don’t read my journal, but…This what your “family values” have wrought. Look closely, and tell me what your loving god would think of this. And don’t you dare turn away. Don’t you dare.
http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/conco04122003.htm
(link found via bikergeek)
UPDATE: Another account of the story, this time from the Boston globe.
Please bear in mind that when I talk above about “family values”, I’m using the phrase to point at a very specific political group who use the phrase as a code-word. As I said, those people don’t read my journal, but I do hold them responsible for the poison they spread and the hatred they breed.
In repsonse to someone who said “Make up your mind: you either support America or you support Saddam.”
“You either support the U.S. Constitution or you support Bush. Make up your
mind.”
–Dan Kimmel
I think I’ll be picking up a copy of this book when it’s published. Thanks to filkerdave for pointing out the article to me!
http://www.newsarama.com/Propaganda.htm
A lot of people, myself included, linked to the I wish for peace meme. Many others have commented that while it’s a noble wish, it doesn’t actually accomplish anything.
I don’t necessarily agree. I have always said that one person has the ability to make a difference in the world, within the reach of his arm and the sound of his voice. While the small things we each do to make the world a better place may not be a ripple to the larger world events, the incremental effect of ALL of us doing small things to improve the quality of life of those around us does.
In this country, we have a chance to make substansive change every time we hold an election. There’s a lot that goes into mobilizing people for that campaign, starting with the primaries, and culiminating with the national election where we can attempt to peacefully change the disasterous direction we are headed by putting new leadership into office.
But in terms of a call to action, let’s just disseminate this:
National Take Back Our Country Day: November 2, 2004
Pass it on.
It’s not surprising that people in the filk community respond to the upcoming war with songs, either of their own or simply by posting the lyrics of others.
As with many others, I wish for peace
WITH GOD ON OUR SIDE
by Bob Dylan
Oh my name it is nothin’
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I’s taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.
Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.
Oh the Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I’s made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side.
Oh the First World War, boys
It closed out its fate
The reason for fighting
I never got straight
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don’t count the dead
When God’s on your side.
When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.
I’ve learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war starts
It’s them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.
But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we’re forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God’s on your side.
In a many dark hour
I’ve been thinkin’ about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can’t think for you
You’ll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.
So now as I’m leavin’
I’m weary as Hell
The confusion I’m feelin’
Ain’t no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God’s on our side
He’ll stop the next war.
