But sly old Pete, who actually hoboed with Woody during the Depression and Dust Bowl, had the crowd sing the song as it was actually written, as not only a celebration of this great land, but as a demand for workers’ and people’s rights. That is, he restored the verses that have been censored from the song over the years to make it less political:

There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me;
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.

The “relief office,” of course, refers to the ad hoc soup bowls and such set up during the Depression before the New Deal began to get the social security net we have all depended upon since the 1930s in place.

Seeger, like Guthrie, has been a controversial figure at times during his life, questioned by the witch hunting committees of Congress in the 1950s, black listed, and even banded from television as late as the late 1960s.

But while he hasn’t got much of a voice left anymore and did not attempt to play his banjo today, it was wonderful to see the gleam in his subversive eye as he did his call and response with the throngs in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

Somewhere Woody — and Leadbelly, and Sonny and Cisco and the rest of the great balladeers of that bygone era — are smiling tonight.

*Yesh Din, Israeli human rights group studies the prosecution of Israeli soldiers in the Occupied territories – http://www.yesh-din.org/sys/images/File/Exceptions%5BEng%5D%5B1%5D.pdf
They find that only 40% of the complaints are heard and only 6% of this 40% go to trial and are convicted. Even then the punishment is lenient. No justice for the Palestinians.

*Israel steals Palestinian land, homes, and even lives. But they also steal Palestinian WATER – http://www.miftah.org/Doc/Factsheets/Miftah/English/PALESTINEWATER.pdf

Etc. etc. etc. etc.

There’s so many dimensions to this conflict. It’s sickening to hear morons like Witty bring up establishment talking-points which are purposefully shallow so as to MISINFORM THE PUBLIC OF THE TRUTH AND CONTEXT.

Read everything you can. Read independent media. Read the reports and studies released by the various human rights groups.

Amass as much information as you can. Israel cannot defend itself when it comes to the FACTS.

It can only rely on buzzwords and Newspeak – “terrorism”, “self-defense”, “right to exist”, etc. etc.

*Arabs, 20% of Israeli population, discriminated against in Israeli media – http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3462471,00.html

*IDF admits threat of Hamas rockets were overestimated, confirming what any non-Zionist non-idiotic person knew (that these crude rockets are a response to the blockade and continued oppression inflicted on the Palestinian people;that these crude rockets are just that, CRUDE, ie. ineffective – only killing 15 people in 8 years). These rockets are fired out of desperation. Hamas targeting civilians is despicable and a crime but the context of this violence must be considered.
On the other hand, Israel and the IDF killing over 1000 people – most of which are CIVILIANS and most of THEM being CHILDREN) is an outright overt act of STATE TERROR.
Even, establishment goons like Thomas Friedman agree with that assessment. – http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1052046.html

*Cease-fire begins June 19th 2008, ends on November 4th on-the-ground when Israel bombs the Gaza tunnels and kills 6 Palestinian militants.

From June 19th to November 4th, there was a monumental decrease in rocket fire. Clear evidence that Hamas was working to keep the truce.
After the 19th, for the rest of the month of June, 3 rockets were fired. Proof : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfFMZ7Y-s_c

Furthermore, 1 rocket fired in July. 8 in August. 1 in September. 1 in October.

*US Anti-boycott Compliance Laws – http://www.bis.doc.gov/complianceandenforcement/antiboycottcompliance.htm