A couple of Sundays (March 25) ago I opened the NYTimes to see an article on the front page, above the fold, headlined: City Police Spied Broadly Before [2004] G. O. P. Convention Covert Operations Across Nation and Globe Investigated Protesters’ Plans in ’04 By Jim Dwyer In at least some cases, intelligence on what appeared to be lawful activity was shared with police departments in other cities. A police report on an organization of artists called Bands Against Bush noted that the group was planning concerts on Oct. 11, 2003, in New York, Washington, Seattle, San Francisco and Boston. Between musical sets, the report said, there would be political speeches and videos. “Activists are showing a well-organized network made up of anti-Bush sentiment; the mixing of music and political rhetoric indicates sophisticated organizing skills with a specific agenda,” said the report, dated Oct. 9, 2003. “Police departments in the above listed areas have been contacted regarding this event.” I’ve been thinking about my response to this, and found it in a quote in an article (Pete Seeger and Writing for Freedom) by Helen King for the November 1975 issue of Songwriter Magazine: "That the talented voice of the artist is among the most effective voices anyone can hear is the reason why writers and artists are often the first to be persecuted and jailed under tyranny or under governments who are unsure of their power." The quote is from Rose Styron, speaking for Amnesty International. The article quotes songs written by Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan about men unjustly imprisoned. Malvina found a letter in the Black Panther paper, September 6, 1966, from a girl to her father in jail and wrote another prison song. Dear Daddy, I will be glad when you get out of jail. I miss you very much. I go to summer school June 30th and will be back August 8th. Some girls beat up Ann, and give she a broken rib. She is okay now. I would have given you a Father’s Day gift, but I didn’t have any money. I still have the record player you give me. I would come down there to see you but Mama said it was too far to walk for me. Mama is having a very bad time. Sometimes she cries because she don’t have enough money to pay the household bills. I wish I knew some way I could help her. Ricky still has his paper route and tries to help Mama but that is not enough money. I will always love you. Your Loving Daughter, Cynthia Powell Daddy’s in the Jail ©1969 by Malvina Reynolds  I started to post this yesterday, but life intervened, and find myself posting it on Easter Sunday, which I think is not inappropriate. I was singing “Kevin Barry” yesterday, and wondering if he were part of the Easter Rebellion (against the English occupation of Ireland). Wikipedia says he wasn’t, as I suspected from internal evidence: Shoot me like an Irish soldier, Do not hang me like a dog; For I fought for Ireland's freedom On that dark September morn... The eighteen-year-old medical student and Section Commander of the Irish Republican Army actually was hanged a few years later, in 1920, but the war he was captured in grew out of that Rebellion. And Jesus, if he existed, can be viewed as a man unjustly imprisoned as well. And if he did not organize concerts, he did know how to party. And we sing about it now: He who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine To the hungry calleth now, “Come and dine!” ©2007 by Nancy Schimmel Comment Chris McLaughlin Malvina Reynolds words and music are being well preserved and distributed—your mother would be proud. I first heard “just a Little Rain” from an amateur college guitarist, singer and the song always stuck—but i was only able to find more about it because of the web (hate to say it—but google let me find malvina) and print out the lyrics that i will now teach to my grandchildren—i am 61—live in ct—and still “believe”—thank you for your dedication—if there is some way i could help—please ask Friday, May 18, 2007 - 02:14 AM http://www.peteseeger.net/songwriter_magazine.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther_Partyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Barryhttp://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/comedine.htm
Help! Police!
Saturday, April 7, 2007
SOPHISTICATED ORGANIZING SKILLS WANTED