Prop 8: The Musical

From the Folks at "Funny or Die," a star-studded protest of Prop 8... and it is a musical, too!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

ALERT: Hundreds of Protesters Arrested at RNC in St. Paul, Including Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!

In the days leading up to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, police raided the offices of progressive activist groups planning peaceful protests, including Food Not Bombs. The raids seem to be serious infringements on U.S. citizens' rights to assemble and peacefully protest. It has come to light that police have infiltrated many of these groups through spies. Today, Amy Goodman of the progressive radio program, Democracy Now! was arrested roughly as she advocated for the release of two of her colleagues who had been arrested while they reported on protests from the street. It appears that a virtual police state has been enacted in St. Paul. The early evidence seems to indicate that civil liberties are being trampled left and right, but the mainstream media does not seem to be covering it, at least not sufficiently. Those on the scene are calling police action by local, state and federal authorities, "excessive," "unprovoked" and "illegal." Here is a print story on Goodman and two of her colleague's arrests. Check out these reports here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Footage of police using pepper spray here and teargas here.

For the record, there have been reports of small numbers of masked activists - anarchists? - engaging in violent protests, but according to several reports most of those arrested were/are not engaged in violent protest. As is always the case in these situations, it is hard to get a full grasp of what is going on there right now. Things are evolving fast. No doubt the pre-convention raids and the arrests of peaceful protesters and journalists like Goodman only fuel the more radical and violent elements.

Here is some video of Goodman's arrest:


More footage of harsh police tactics:


Please look at the resources I've linked to in this post and SPREAD THE WORD. Write to your congresspeople and tell them to help put a stop to this. Write a letter to your local newspaper protesting these actions by law enforcement. If you know of other good coverage of these events, please post the links in the comments section of this post.

Of course, the primary concern is what this says about the state of civil liberties in the U.S. The secondary concern is that the Republicans will turn this to their advantage, ramping up a "law and order" rhetoric to rile reactionary elements in the electorate. It is important that progressive media outlets and citizens like you and me become active in spreading the word and defining what is going on in our own words. If the frame gets set by police, or Republicans, that these are just a bunch of violent, radicals destroying social order, it could spell real trouble for the Democrats this fall. Mass, peaceful protest, YES! After the last 8 years, it is understandable. The other stuff, though, is very problematic, even when it is done by a small minority of the protesters...

As my friend Maura Giles-Watson wrote earlier today about the Goodman arrest, "Is this a preview of what the country will be like when the 'Homegrown Terrorism Act' passes-- journalists swept away in unmarked police vans? What/who is next?"

UPDATE: Goodman and her colleagues, Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar, have now been released. Goodman grills St. Paul Police Chief about arrests.

Marching for Change in "North O"

In case you are not aware, the African American community in Omaha, concentrated mainly in "North Omaha," is the third poorest black community in the nation and the poorest for black children. A full 59% of all African American kids grow up in poverty in Omaha. And, of course, this situation leads to all kinds of other social problems associated with poverty, discrimination and segregation. It is shameful, to say the least. But, some folks are trying to do something about it...

The cover story of the most recent Reader, Omaha's alternative weekly, highlights a recent march/rally in North Omaha. I was on the Steering Committee for this demonstration. The article, titled, "How a diverse group of concerned residents put on a march for change in North Omaha," is worth taking a look at.

A New War Strategy?

Perhaps the folks from the Sixties have something to teach us, after all...?

☮ Vietnam Mix, pt. 2

Well, leave it to my students. One of them posted a recent version of my Vietnam Mix to the following links. It is a 4-CD version, so not everything listed in my previous post is here, but most of it is. If you want to download it, go for it:

Vietnam Mix CD1
Vietnam Mix CD2
Vietnam Mix CD3
Vietnam Mix CD4

These aren't permanent links ... they might only be available for a couple of days. Also, they might only have a certain amount of downloads on them before they expire, but I thought I'd post 'em nonetheless. Just unzip the files after you download and then import them into whatever audio system you use on your computer.

peace,
Patrick

The Music of the Vietnam Era

I am teaching my "America in the Sixties" class again this semester. Not surprisingly, students are drawn to the music of the period, so I do a lot with it in the course. Over the past few times I've taught the class, I've been expanding my Vietnam-era music mix. It is up to a 5th CD at this point. We don't deal with every track in class, but I put the following expanded mix on reserve so they can listen more broadly, if they'd like. Most do.

So, here is the list of tracks. I thought I'd share, but I am also always interested to hear suggestions for new tunes to add to any category and, I suppose, arguments to elimnate aything you think does not belong. The "patriotic/pro-war music" section is the weakest, so any suggestions there are particularly welcome...

Music about soldiers’ experiences:
• The Ballad of the Green Beret, Sgt. Barry Saddler
• Vietnam Blues, Sarge Lintecum
• Saigon, Saigon (Dinky Dow Do)
• Run Through the Jungle, Creedance Clearwater Revival
• Chain Of Fools, Aretha Franklin
• Green Eyed Lady, Guess Who
• To Susan On The West Coast Waiting, Donovan
• Battle Hymn Of The River Rats, Johnny Cash
• Izabella, Jimi Hendrix
• Oh, Camil (The Winter Soldier), Graham Nash
• Shakin All Over, The Guess Who
• Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town, Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
• Waist Deep In The Big Muddy, Pete Seeger
• Soldiers of Peace, Graham Nash
• These Boots are Made for Walking, Nancy Sinatra

Anti-war/protest music:
• I Ain't Marchin' Anymore, Phil Ochs
• Blowin' In the Wind, Bob Dylan
• I Got a Letter from LBJ, Tom Paxton
• Hell No, I Ain't Gonna Go, Matt Jones and Elaine Laron
• Vietnam, Paul Kaplan
• Hole In The Ground, Thom Parrott
• The Times They Are a-Changin', Bob Dylan
• Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Pete Seeger
• Draft Dodger Rag, Phil Ochs
• Universal Soldier, Buffy St. Marie
• Two Hangmen, Mason Profit Band
• Agent Orange Song, Country Joe McDonald
• Kill for Peace, The Fugs
• Looks Like We're Fixin' to Die Rag, Country Joe & the Fish
• Universal Soldier, Donovan
• Masters of War, Bob Dylan
• Eve of Destruction, Barry McGuire
• It Better End Soon, Chicago
• Gimme Shelter, Rolling Stones
• Ohio, Neil Young
• Maggie's Farm, Bob Dylan
• Fortunate Son, Creedance Clearwater Revival
• Power to the People, John Lennon
• What Are Their Names?, David Crosby
• Hey Joe, Jimi Hendrix
• Rejoyce, Jefferson Airplane
• Machine Gun, Jimi Hendrix
• Ballad of Penny Evans, Steve Goodman
• What About Me?, Quicksilver Messenger Service
• Street Fightin' Man, Rolling Stones
• For What It's Worth, Buffalo Springfield
• Give Peace a Chance, John Lennon
• All Along the Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix
• War, Edwin Starr
• Vietnam, Jimmy Cliff
• Ball Of Confusion, The Temptations
• What's Goin' On, Marvin Gay
• Singing in Vietnam Talking Blues, Johnny Cash
• Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore John Prine
• What is Truth, Johnny Cash
• We Gotta Get Out of this Place, The Animals
• Paint It Black, Rolling Stones
• Who'll Stop The Rain, Creedence Clearwater Revival

Patriotic/Pro-war music:
• Okie from Muskogee, Merle Haggard
• Battle Hymn Of Lt. Calley, C Co (Feat. Terry Nelson
• Hello Vietnam, George Strait
• Fightin' Side of Me, Merle Haggard
• Song of the patriot, Johnny Cash & Marty Robbins

Counter-cultural/psychedelic music:
• White Rabbit, Jefferson Airplane
• The Unknown Soldier, The Doors
• It Can't Happen Here, Frank Zappa
• Sky Pilot, Eric Burdon & The Animals
• Insense and Peppermints, Strawberry Alarm Clock
• Good Morning Starshine, Oliver
• Volunteers, Jefferson Airplane
• That's It For The Other One, Grateful Dead
• All You Need Is Love, The Beatles
• Break On Through, The Doors
• Cream Puff War, Grateful Dead
• Mary Jane, Janis Joplin
• Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, The Beatles
• Tales Of Brave Ulysees, Cream
• Get Together, The Youngbloods
• Beautiful Jam, Grateful Dead
• Revolution 1, The Beatles
• Walking Blues, Quicksilver Messenger Service
• I Need a Man to Love, Janis Joplin
• Purple Haze, Jimi Hendrix
• Tomorrow Never Knows, The Beatles
• Dear Mr. Fantasy, Traffic
• The End, The Doors
• In The Year 2525, Zager and Evans
• Morning Dew, Grateful Dead
• Star Spangled Banner, Jimi Hendrix
• Imagine, John Lennon

I also intersperse the following 60s news clips throughout my Vietnam mix. They come from a nice 2-CD set, featuring Walter Cronkite and Fred Friendly, titled, "I Can Hear It Now":
• NEWS: Tonkin Gulf Incident & Resolution (August 4, 1964)
• NEWS: Defoliate Jungle/Bombing Restraint, 1964
• NEWS: Burning of village of Cam Ne - (with Morley Safer)...
• NEWS: LBJ rap
• NEWS: Government officials voice optimism about war
• NEWS: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearings
• NEWS: New Hampshire Primary: Sen. McCarthy challenges LBJ (1968)
• NEWS: Senator Robert F. Kennedy decides to run...
• NEWS: Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., April 4, '68...
• NEWS: "I've been to the mountain top..." - (with Martin Luther King)...
• NEWS: Robert F. Kennedy Speaks Of Dr. King And Violence (1968)
• NEWS: Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy , 1968
• NEWS: 1968 Democratic National Convention...
• NEWS: Demonstrations at Columbia University...
• NEWS: Vice President Spiro Agnew castigates news media...
• NEWS: Nixon on End of War
• NEWS: Nixon policy speech, November 3, 1969
• NEWS: Reprise On Tonkin Gulf Resolution (February 6, 1970)
• NEWS: Nixon rap
• NEWS: Nixon, "We are caught in war, wanting peace..."
• NEWS: Peace demonstration/moratorium, Oct. 15, '69 & Nov. 15, '69...
• NEWS: Nixon rap

☮ UNL NFP Leads Game Day "Die-In"

The UNL chapter of Nebraskans for Peace lead a "die-in" today on campus before the nationally televised USC-UNL football game. The idea behind the protest was to take the peace movement to people who are outside of the "choir" and to confront them with the question, "What will you DO to end the occupation?" About 30 people, including some members of the Lincoln Coalition for Peace, put their bodies on the ground in symbolic protest of the ongoing Iraq war. The response from the sea of red and white passers-by was often indifferent, but of those that gave a response, I would say that more than half were positive and supportive and only a few were hostile or angry. At one point an older gentleman engaged two of the protesters and later a young vet angrily jawed at the group. In both cases, the demonstrators talked back in calm and deliberate tones and, I think, won the day. Both the older man and the younger military guy softened their views (retreated, in fact) by the end of the exchange. Special credit should be given to Nic Swiercek, a first year graduate student in the History Department, who deftly defused the angry military guy. It was a good event and all of the participants should feel very positive about it!

Here is what the Daily Nebraskan had to say about the "die-in":
Daily Nebraskan on "die-in"

Here are a bunch of photos (click any photo to enlarge):

"Die-In" at UNL

Yesterday, about 15-20 people participated in a symbolic "die-in" on the University of Nebraska campus to dramatize the human toll of the war in Iraq and challenge the link between Iraq and 9/11. Most of the folks were members of the Lincoln Coalition for Peace. A few local media outlets turned out to film the protest and a couple dozen students milled around commenting on the scene. In a moment of candor, one pro-war student blurted out to Sarah McCammon, our friendly NPR reporter, something to the effect: "We're going to need their oil sooner or later anyhow, so we might as well go in now and take it." Well, at least she is straight-up about it...

Members of the UNL chapter of Nebraskans for Peace plan a similar, but larger, protest before the much-hyped primetime USC-Nebraska football game here in Lincoln this Saturday night. ESPN will even be in town...

This event was also a precursor to a city-wide rally/protest to be held earlier on Saturday in conjunction with the national day of action. The demonstration begins at 11am in front of the Federal Building in downtown Lincoln and will feature music by RC Dub, our favorite local reggae band! (RC Dub website)

Here are some photos I took at the "die-in" (click any photo to enlarge):

September 15, 2007: National Day of Peace and Protest

September 15, 2007, is the next national day of peace and protest. A large march and rally is planned for Washington, D.C., while hundreds of cities across the country will be holding their own events.

Check it out in your area. Spread the word...

Info and resources:
September 15th Day of Peace and Protest

March for Peace, pt. V

Our time with Ashley, Mike and now Tom - "March for Peace" - came to a close yesterday (Saturday) with a music festival and peace rally in Carter Lake Park just outside Omaha, on the Iowa-Nebraska border. Two nights previous to that, I drove out to Ashland to meet Ashley, Mike and Drea after their 20+ mile walk that day. Drea had a new appreciation for what it really means to WALK 1,600 miles! The amazing Miller sisters - Lana and Carol - put the marchers up for the night and prepared a HUGE cook-out for all of us. They live on a gorgeous farm compound with two cows, two pigs and some chickens! We had a great time hanging out, talking, jumping on the trampoline, checking out the farm animals and laughing a lot. One of the great things about this experience has been the way it has connected more of us here in Nebraska! At the Saturday rally, there were booths from progressive groups, a number of bands, a slam poet, speakers on a variety of issues - anti-war, immigration, health care, etc. - and a lot of signs. Here are some pics. Again, I hope you will follow the progress of Mike, Ashley and Tom as they continue their journey to D.C.

Click here: March for Peace

Thanks guys! You made a big impression on all of us here in Nebraska and we won't soon forget your example, your courage or your inspiration! Keep on truckin' for peace...