Guest Blogged by Jill C. of Brilliant at Breakfast
You know, I almost always feel cynical about this country. I have for as long as I can remember, even back when I was a thirteen-year-old stuffing envelopes for a Congressional candidate who ended up losing. I don’t think you can grow up when I did without being a cynic.
I’ve been watching the “We Are One” concert at the Lincoln Memorial, with its smiling gospel choirs and its Geezers of Lefty Rock and Queen Latifah looking like, well, a queen. I’ve been watching the hoopla and the imagery and smiling faces standing in the cold to share a moment that’s like nothing we’ve seen in my lifetime. And for at least one moment, it feels like we — the people with whom I’ve identified my entire life — are finally, FINALLY taking back our country from the people who have done everything in their power to ruin everything these symbols have stood for…
For over three decades, we’ve allowed the right wing to appropriate patriotism, turning it from recognition that the vision, the dream of America is not a destination but a process — one that needs constant tending, vigilance, and participation. It is a vision that is so easily corrupted to serve the greed of the few instead of the dreams of the many. And so it has been ever since Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew essentially declared a large segment of the population its enemy. It continued with Ronald Reagan waving the flag while talking about welfare queens and George H.W. Bush talking about a thousand points of light, because God knows he wasn’t about to help anyone. It continued, albeit at a slower pace, with Bill Clinton, who compromised and triangulated his way to welfare “reform” that did nothing for the poor, and was rewarded for his efforts with an attempt at impeachment. And the son of President Thousand Points of Light did all he could to finish the job.
I wonder what it must have been like to be Pete Seeger up there today. Born in 1919, Seeger has been at the forefront of progressive activism for over sixty years. Imagine being Pete Seeger, about to celebrate your ninetieth birthday this year, and being able to be there for the inauguration for the first black president. And how cool was it that Seeger decided to restore the angry verses of “This Land is Your Land”:
Sign was painted, it said private property;
But on the back side it didn’t say nothing;
That side was made for you and me.
In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?
Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.
If that didn’t make you go all blubbery, you’re just not human.
But after Tuesday, the real work starts — the work of making sure this president lives up to the hopes and expectations of those of us who put him in office to not just undo the horrific damage done to this country by George Walker Bush and Dick Cheney, but to uphold the rule of law by holding them accountable for their crimes.
Cross-posted, more colloquially, at Brilliant at Breakfast.
I didn’t blubber and I didn’t watch but you will blubber when you find out the meaning of Os change.
I used to perform this song in a reggae/punk format, going back and forth between the respective styles. (1 verse reggae, 1 punk)
I made up some of my own lyrics. Yeah, They were angry.
“It’s s*ck my D*ck land, you f*cking pr*ck land” etc.
Good times!!
Thanks…didn’t know who the cat was in the jester’s cap…very cool!! Only got to listen to it on NPR and have seen some clips, but was curious who the old cat is…so this resolves it.
Right on, Obama!!
You can watch it for free at hbo dot com
I just watched it, it was pretty awesome. They just started a replay of it. FYI
‘Boned in the USA’ is my new theme song
Well, ya got me. I’m from Planet X.
I spent my entire high school years watching the VN war on the nightly news. I was in the military when Nixon was impeached. I have been traumatized by the Republican presidents and felt like a battered spouse with each Democrat. When W was appointed I started drinking for the first time in 13 years.
I wish I could believe that Obama will be different, but early indicators are a no go. I want to have the Audacity of Hope, but I think 4 more years of the same old shit may be more than I bare.
Pay attention. The first 100 hours may tell us all we need to know about who Obama really is.
Thanks Jill for this remarkable post.You know..I never gave representation in the media any thought..UNTIL 24/7 it was right wind bigots all the time. It was a lonely feeling. Nobody cares what I think. So now, when I see the black happy smiling faces..I cry with them. I understand.
Pete was great, So was Stevie, soon as the song started it was like ‘Cue the jet taking off’…wow.
That song fits the black struggle and also the ambition of O.
Terribly ironic that the link is now broken because of claimed copyright infringement…
Heh Dan, they said “this land”, they never said nothing about ‘this frequency…you and me’ 😉
another link to Pete
I cried when Beyonce and the choir sang America the Beautiful
I just saw it on HBO too. Yes, of course I cried. What a moving performance by all! I really felt joy when seeing Pete. I was a teen in the 60s. I’m so glad we all, especially Pete, have lived to see the day. The election of Obama displayed in this presentation does feel like a giant leap forward for race relations for America and for the world.
Oh man…yes, cried a bit. Oh that Pete with his rainbow hat! Love that man.
I must confess though…oh you guys, don’t be mad at me now…
..but years ago one of my kids’ friends taught me the kid version of this song…
This land ain’t your land
This land is my land
I got a shotgun
And you ain’t got one
If you don’t get off
I’ll blow your head off
This land is private property!!!!!
Pete Seeger is one of the biggest heroes of this country, singing about injustices and societal ills approaching 100 years, yet somehow making americans feel good about being people even in the face of injustice.
I didn’t blubber, but I did tear up.
Incidentally the HBO link is down, here’s one from a German or Netherlands TV broadcast:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg0wiOHc9tI
Pete Seeger is an amazing icon. At nearly 90, his energy, his joy, his excitement is so uplifting. I teared up as well. It’s as if all those decades of singing, protesting, fighting for rights, and above all joyful celebration in music of America the People finally came to fruition in this election, this inauguration, this celebration. Pete was there in the beginning and he is here at the commencement. How utterly fitting and wonderful.
LORA AND DISILLUSIONED,
Very well said. Thanks. 🙂
The quintessential event of 2008 was not Obamas election but the 700 billion bailout and the way they structured it. In a nutshell this said to all of us that if we are without vast means and/or influence we can go to the curb and die. If you have means/influence you can screw things up as bad as you want and you will be rewarded (bailed out). My test for Obama is to see what he is going to do with what is left of this Treasury theft and additional ‘bail outs’. The ones that have received bail out $s have told us to get lost and don’t bother them about what they did with the money. Will new Pres do the same knee bend. Within the first month of this new Pres term he will be face to face with the money boys and he will be defined as one of the boys or someone who does not fit their agenda. If the latter, he will need his security around him. These people are greedy and violent with no boundries. He must then set up strict limitations to bail out money.
1. No Body gets a dime without payback plan.
2. No executive or corporation profits directly from these funds. Nor stockholders.
3. No corp officer receives any compensation until problems are fixed. All parachutes are null and void for execs.
4. Any one receiving compensation over $40,000 from a corp in trouble should be investigated and designated a thief. Somebody should start a thief list blog which identifies corps and execs who violate a common sense set of compensation rules.
I’m getting tired.
Peace and Blessings – PHIL
Thanks, disillusioned for the link to free speech outside of the US. Interesting that the American media is still trying to keep Pete Seeger off of the air for one reason or the other. For those too young to remember, he was banned from TV and radio for decades.