Everything you said about John is certainly true but remember in the
run up to the war anyone who voiced an objection against the war was
considered unpatriotic no matter how you expressed it. If you were in
any way critical of Pres. Bush you were unpatriotic. The Dixie Chicks
made one remark about being ashamed that Pres. Bush is from their
home state and the country stations stopped playing their recordings
and fans were crushing their cd's. When Pres. Bush was asked about
the cd crushings he seemed rather pleased.
So it's not okay to say you're ashamed of Bush but it's okay for
Vice president Cheney to say F*** you to a senator and then not even
apologize. I don't understand it.



-- In btejd@yahoogroups.com, whisperingjesse <no_reply@y...> wrote:
> I tried responding to your message and accidentally hit something
> that made it disappear, so if there are two of these that say the
> similar thing, I apologize.
>
> I agree that if John were still with us, he would have written a
> song about the war. I can't help but believe, though, that he would
> have written it in such a sensitive and thought-provoking way that
> it wouldn't be offensive. I have to believe that even the most die-
> hard war-monger with a warm and beating heart has a small area
> within set aside for the innocent victims of war. The loudest, flag
> waving American has to have some sensitivity for those same
innocent
> victims...so I have to believe that any song John wrote, even
though
> it would be in protest of the war, would manage to touch everyone
in
> such a way that there could be no offense taken. He was SO good at
> that!! I don't know if he wrote "Re-adjustment Blues," but as
> powerful as that song is, the bewilderment expressed in the
> line, "...this time I was the citizen and they were pointing their
> guns at me..." puts all the emotion into a context that could
hardly
> be called offensive (at least to an open mind and a warm and
beating
> heart :). Those few words said more than all the ranting and raving
> in all the protests against Viet Nam. In "What Are We Making
Weapons
> For?" John again used his great gift to make a huge impact. The
> visuals in the video were the power and force of the song. In one
> scene, there is a little boy who is either preparing for his future
> as a soldier, or it is suggested that this is his fate. The camera
> pans down to his little feet, and it just twists your heart...all
> without a word of anger spoken or sung. Recording it with the
> Russian singer (Alexander Grotsky??)added just the right punch to
> underscore "Let us begin..." (Gosh, he was truly a profound
> artist...)Regarding the war, I think John would have used his great
> gift powerfully, and without being offensive. Even President Bush
> would have to concede that John is right :) God Bless America, over
> and over again...
> > ................................................................