Protest Music

I didn't think I would be blogging so soon, but a lot of stuff is in my mind. I could probably write about three different topics tonight. I was going to let some other ones simmer in my head for awhile and then out of nowhere this entirely new topic hit me. As many of you know I waste (though I don't really consider it wasting) a lot of my time at HawkeyeReport.com. I read about recruits, the excitement over the upcoming season, etc. But right now there is no major sport being played at Iowa. The Baseball team is doing better than usual, but until those games are televised the interest just isn't there for Hawkeye fans everywhere. So in this off-season, I spend a lot of my time at the OFF TOPIC board. This is where music, movies, some odd/gross discussions, and politics are discussed.

Over the years (yes, I have been a HawkeyeReport roamer since it originated as SuperHawkeye, then HawkeyeNation, now its current status on rivals.com network) a lot of discussion has come up about how music in general has gone down the drain. In particular, a lot of board members feel that Protest Music has gone directly down the tube. The days of Bob Dylan seem to be gone they say. Well...Protest music seems to be back. Charlie Daniels has quit his fiddle contest against the devil and now strums out pro-Bush/Republican tunes, Toby Keith unleashes Pro-Military/America tunes, and now Blue Eyes (who?!?) has joined the fray.

Blue Eyes' (or just lead singer Connor in this situation) message is obviously anti-Bush and receives pretty good crowd reaction to my surprise. People know that me and Bush don't always see eye-to-eye, but I was offended at one point of this song when Blue Eyes discusses the conversation between God and Pres. Bush about the poverty-stricken in this country. They lyrics go (and I'm paraphrasing here) "He says, no they're lazy George I say we don't, I saw we give them more liquor stores and some coke." If you reading this believe in the same God I do, I hate the notion that my God would think that about his own creation.

Here is the interesting part though, I know that he was saying that not as a jab at God (I hope), but at Bush. Right now I'm reading "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get it." The book is focusing on how Religion and those values have been "hijacked" by the right. Example: Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader, speaking at a huge Church Rally about (of all things) blocking filibusters on judicial nominees. What that has to do with a group of church-goers is a beyond me, or just a great tie-in by the Republicans. Anyways...In "God's Politics" I totally agree with the fact that if Religion is going to be used in government, let's not forget the poor and "vulnerable." Matthew 25:35-40 states "for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'"

To conclude...Protest music is back and heard and brings up good questions. Second, when using our moral values in guiding decisions politically, let us not pick and choose what values we want to stand by. Those who have far lesser than us are not to be forgotten either when it comes to policy.

Check out the Leno tape here: http://www.prefixmag.com/Bright_Eyes_(Leno)(05.02.05)_(high).php