So, on a much more important note, I think we have to talk about the whole pipe bomb situation. FB fam, this is out of hand. I know that I have friends, neighbors, co-workers, band-members, etc who are Republicans. Historically, I have always respected their right to their opinion, despite my obvious disagreement with their beliefs/policies/politics. But I have cautioned them about the level of rhetoric, the lies, and the almost rabid nature of some of the Right-leaning media. It is those things that created the climate that “45” rode as a perfect storm into the White House. But now we’ve reached a new low. Sending pipe bombs to a variety of Democrats is beyond the pale, and frankly, is almost exclusively a flaw and creation of the Right. (The overwhelming majority of domestic violence/terror in the last 30 years has been by Right-leaning people.) It is the manifestation of that hatred, those lies, that racism/supremacy, and those mob-like rallies and chants that we’ve all witnessed over the last decade or two–but especially in the last 2 years. And I am calling on those of you with whom I may disagree on may political issues, to speak out against this type of action. Violence is obviously not the answer. But more importantly, the mindset that has begotten this violence has to be addressed. Sure, you may like some of the policies: the tax breaks, the Supreme Court stacking, the reducing of the social safety nets, etc, but it’s time to speak out against the rabid rhetoric because it has now clearly gone too far. You can no longer simply say that “I support the policies, not the tweets,” or, “I don’t agree with everything he says, but I support the party,” etc. It is time to step up and speak out against the path we’re on.
The President of the United States should be a leader and healer, not a tacit supporter of violence. S/he is not supposed to tweet or publicly utter messages that incite divisiveness and violence.This President does that ALL THE TIME! If you can’t see that, if you can’t honestly acknowledge that, then YOU are a part of the problem. But I think you DO see it, and I am asking you to speak out against it. I’m not asking you to vote for a Democrat, necessarily, but I am asking you to demand more from your party, from your media outlets, from your elected officials. Tell them you won’t stand for the rhetoric, the name-calling, the racist rants, the press-bashing, the dog-whistle catch-phrases, the political expediency, etc. To use an oft-repeated cliche, “we must be able to disagree without being disagreeable.” That means NOT making light (at rallies, etc) of “trying to be calm” or “trying to be good.” It’s not funny! It’s not a joke! We need leadership, not reality TV. No matter who you vote for next month, you must let them know that you expect more from them–that you will support them when they take a stand, and that you expect them to hold 45, and others, to account. This is NOT Fake News, it’s Fake Leadership!
I am currently a member of the most diverse group of musicians I’ve ever worked with (in every sense of the word diverse–age, ethnicity, politics, etc). I write lyrics that try to speak to our higher/better angels, e.g.:
“Purple are the people I believe in
Pendulum is never very far
Doesn’t take a genius, to avoid the acts of meanness
Fairness doesn’t start with D or R”
But when I hear the silent complicity of my friends, our media outlets, and our elected officials, I wonder if that message isn’t “too little, too late.”
Please prove me wrong. Please find your voice. Please condemn both the pipe bombs, and the verbal bombs–against the press, against immigrants, against reason. Please don’t “sit this one out.” Or I think we are headed for a “2nd Civil War.” A secession by some part of our country–maybe the “North” this time, to acknowledge the divisiveness we have fallen victim to. That’s not what I want, but it seems where we’re headed…unless we stand up and speak out.