It is interesting that shortly after Kent State, Crosby, Stills & Nash
could have 'Ohio' playing on commercial stations everywhere, but today
it simply would not happen. Was 'Ohio' patriotic? Yes, in the sense
that freedom of expression, and the distribution of that expression,
is America at its very best.
With that in mind, does it support our troops to create songs of war
protest? I would say yes. It is an exercise of that liberty. And it
can acknowledge the dirty little secret combatants learn first hand
and the promoters of war obscure: it is a violent, messy and
corrupting business.
My father won a Purple Hear and Bronze Star in the Second World War.
He was a conservative Republican, but he never thought of combat as
glorious. Proud of his military service, he still had a pissed-off
infantryman's keen sense of war's ugly waste.
It was that sense that found voice in The War Trilogy. These songs
explore the byproducts of our current war/war on terrorism: violence
to our soldiers, our civil liberties and to non-combatants.
The aftermath of the Iraq War for a U.S. soldier is the theme of
Baghdad Road. Enemy Me looks at the corrosive impact of the war on
terrorism on civil liberties. Sudden Sound contrasts the death of a
noncombatant with the TV spectacle. (You can download the Real Audio
and MP3 files at http://www.peacesong.com.)
The War Trilogy has managed to find a diverse following around the
world on the Internet, drawn from the ranks of disaffected veterans,
peace activists, refugee welfare advocates, active soldiery, folk song
enthusiasts and civil liberty watchdogs.
But, does it support our troops? Judge for yourself, and share your
thoughts.
And post the link, pass it along...thanks!
M
www.peacesong.com
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