Tag: activism

AUG 24, 2013 - Activist-musician Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame has written an open letter to fellow musicians asking them to stand with him and boycott Israel for the Apartheid-type treatment of Palestinians living in the West Bank. Their lives are totally disrupted as a result of Israel's illegal and hostile takeover of native lands for their "settlements". In the letter Waters touches on a lot of subjects. He mentions the Trayvon Martin shooting and how he applauds Stevie Wonder for taking a stand against Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law and his call to boycott Florida. Waters explains how for the past 8 years he has been part of BDS, or Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, "a non-violent movement to oppose Israel's occupation of the West Bank and violations of international law and Palestinian human rights". He has pronounced they have found Israel guilty, "independently, by international human rights organizations, UN officials, and the International Court of Justice, of serious breach of International law."

Roger Waters states the obvious, that our governments and the United Nations are unable or unwilling to act, so "it falls to civil society and conscientious citizens of the world, to dust off our consciences, shoulder our responsibilities, and act." Read the whole letter on ElectronicIntifada.com here. What do you think? Leave a comment or start a conversation on our Justice Through Music Facebook Page.  (photo credit: Takver/CC)

AUG 24, 2013 - Linda Ronstadt opened up publicly that she has been fighting Parkinson's disease for over 8 years, and it has taken away her ability to sing. Linda Ronstadt was a huge icon in the 1970s as a solo vocal performer selling tons of albums and tickets. About 8 years ago she noticed trembling in her hands, and then it eventually affected her vocal chords. She finally saw a neurologist who diagnose her with Parkinson's disease, and she was shocked. I remember rockin' out to Linda's albums as a teenager, cranking up her version of "When Will I Be Loved" and other great songs. JTMP wishes her good health and long life. You can read the interview on AARP.com here.  (photo credit: Carl Lender/CC)

AUG 22, 2012 - Responding to the hateful Westboro Baptist Church rally at her Lincoln, Nebraska concert back on August 18, 2013, popular artist Ke$ha sent her dancers to perform fabulous dance moves and love to counter the hate from WBC. Unfortunately, WBC had their awful parody of Ke$ha's song, "We R Who We R" in the background where they changed the lyrics. Listen to the real Ke$ha song here. Sienna Stylish on YouTube posted this video of the event below. What do you think? Leave a comment or start a conversation on our Justice Through Music Facebook Page.  (photo credit: Becky Sullivan/CC)

August 19, 2013 - After posting about the oft forgotten battles (literally!) for worker's rights at the turn of the century in this country, a JTMP supporter passed on this great song about the struggles in the song, "Battle of Blair Mountain", played by Louise Mosrie. Great stuff....watch her perform it live below.

What do you think? Start a conversation or leave a comment on our Justice Through Music Facebook Page.

August 18, 2013 - Thanks to Gray Warrior on Democratic Underground, JTMP found a nugget from way back in 2011. Attending the Point of Light Institute ceremony honoring former President George H.W. Bush on March 21, 2011, country legend Garth Brooks gave an interview to CNSNews and really hammered into the obstructionist Teabagger Republican US Congress really giving Obama a hard time in letting him do his job. Brooks said, ""Yeah, I think what President Obama is finding out is all that we want to do, the system kind of doesn't allow the most powerful guy in the world to kind of do his job and I'm sure nobody's more frustrated than him to complete those promises that he did and I think he's trying his heart out. I love him to death and I fully support him and I just wish him well because it's got to be hell in that office."

Garth Brooks then added, "It just seems like we vote for things because they're  Republican or Democratic. I think we should vote for them because they're right or wrong and we kind of have seemed to have fallen into that trap so that would be the one warning I would give all us. Put down where you're from and what flag you fly under and let's get to putting the best person, man or women in the office and let's start making some strides. For me, it's if my guy didn't get in then I drag my feet for four years and we don't get anywhere and if my guy gets in, you drag your feet for four years and we don't get anywhere. We've got to stop doing that." Read more on CNSNews.com here. Watch the 2011 full concert below with Reba, Darius Rucker, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and Garth Brooks below. Fast forward (using you mouse along the timeline) to the 1:08 mark to see Garth Brooks perform, he was the last entertainer.  (photo credit: Steve Jurvetson/CC)