This may be the only time in the history of this blog that you’ll see a post devoted to Christmas. But you’ll soon see there is no religious content in this post, unless you find a commitment to peace and justice to be religious (many do).
Enjoy tonight some appropriate Christmas music for those committed to social justice. When Steve Earle wrote this paean to Woody Guthrie and America’s social justice pioneers, he was probably thinking of this Guthrie song, 1913 Massacre, also set on Christmas eve. Like Newton, this song portrays a slaughter of children on the altar of America’s corporate greed.
Cm’on, Reb Yid, no need to apologise. In much of the world, Christmas – a pre-Christian holiday to begin with – has long parted with its Christian-specific history and turned into a universal celebration of benevolence and goodwill towards fellow humans (as well as consumerism’s highlight, but that’s another story).
“Reb Yid.” Kinda like the sound of that!
What was the point of this post? Other than his missing Woody Guthrie and Emma Goldman, it said nothing.
Hell! I miss a 25cent cup of coffee.
Where was there a reference to “slaughter of children”? Are you referring to Sandy Hook? If so, WHAT does
corporate greed have to do with it.
You completely lost me!
The post wasn’t the point. It was the music, written by one of the most socially & politically committed songwriters in this country. If it doesn’t move you nothing will.
You don’t think the gunmakers have shown “corporate greed” in permitting slaughters like those in Newtown? You don’t think the thugs & goons & mine owner who sealed off the dance hall in Michigan in 1913 were motivated by corporate greed? Think harder next time.
OH PLEASE! The gun manufacturers and NRA went to a lot of trouble to make sure that those guns were easily accessible to Adam Lanza. They even forced his mother to take him target shooting with her.
Fortunately, the ANTI-GunLobby managed to pass laws in Connecticut prohibiting any teacher or school employee of possessing ANY fire arm on school property, so Lanza had a free pass to do his deed!
“Think Harder”? Just try thinking, PERIOD!
Yeah sure–the answer to gun-fueled massacres is having even more people with guns! Thanks for offering NRA propaganda here.
Richard, you REALLY should check our JPFO http://jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/jewsandguncontrol.htm
No other group has suffered more at the hands of anti-gun fanatics than Jews!
See also “Death by Gun Control” http://jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/deathgc.htm#chart
@Dave Terry: Ah, so you’re the nutcase behind Jews for Guns N Ammo, or whatever the hell you call yourself. Frankly, I’m surprised you’re here after the blog post I wrote about your whacked out site years ago.
I usually strip out self-serving propaganda links like yours, but you & your group are so certifiably insane I want people to take a look. You’re the equivalent of Meir Kahane before he became a Knesset member. Both of you are dangerous & have the capacity for great harm.
A lot of hate here for a blog devoted to the music of peace and goodwill
Yup, hate of injustice, hate of violence, hatred of racism. Guilty as charged.
How about Hate of people’s opinions and beliefs that you, Richard, don’t subscribe to. I think guns in schools are ridiculous but think demonizing people with such opinions is just as ridiculous. Time and time again you prove yourself unable to participate in a healthy good spirited debate on issues affecting so many. I started reading your blog and was very receptive to what you said until reading the hate you spew for anyone who disagrees with you. I hope to see more respect for others in the future regardless of their opinions. Thanks for your consideration
Please, you’ve never published a comment here before & the notion that you’re a regular reader or will be a reader in future is preposterous, as are your claims that I “hate” anyone. As for hate, what I hate is disgenuousness, which you’ve exhibited in spades. But I don’t hate you.
How can you hate injustice and NOT allow the victims to defend themselves?
How can you hate racism and NOT allow the subjugated to fight back. The
first thing the Nazi’s did was disarm the Jews!
How can you hate violence and support laws that remove the risks and allow
the lawless and merciless a monopoly of the arms to stop them!
You are either the worlds biggest hypocrite OR the world biggest Sucker!
Children can’t “fight back.” They don’t deserve to have gun nuts like you “defending” them. Nor do I want armed guards and metal detectors in every school in America. I want no one to have the right to own an assault rifle unless they can prove they have a legitimate reason for doing so (military, police, etc). That includes YOU.
Guns don’t bring “justice.” They bring blood & violence.
So, you believe only “(military, police, etc) should have access to possess assault rifles. That puts YOU in bed with several other, more famous, authoritarians. To wit: “”All political power comes from the barrel of a gun. The communist party must command all the guns, that way, no guns can ever be used to command the party.”
– Mao Tse Tung
OR;
“I don’t care if you want to hunt, I don’t care if you think it’s your right. I say ‘Sorry.’ it’s 1999. We have had enough
as a nation. You are not allowed to own a gun, and if you do own a gun I think you should go to prison.”
– Rosie O’Donnell (At about the time she said this, Rosie engaged the services of a bodyguard who applied
for a gun permit.)
But then who said authoritarians are consistent OR honest!
On the other hand, I identify with folks like James Madison, who wrote in The Federalist Papers – Americans have
the right and advantage of being armed – unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to
trust the people with arms. —
When only cops have guns, it’s called a “police state”. — Claire Wolfe,
Scratch an Gun banner, find a totalitarian underneath.