Tag: free speech

APR 11, 2013 - In an AP interview by Chris Brummitt, Joan Baez speaks of activism, the Vietnam War, and of course the music. She went back to Hanoi, for the first time in over 40 years, when she went on a peace mission in 1972 to try and end the Vietnam War. She spoke of how she had to scurry to the bomb shelter in the government-run hotel, and it made her deal with her "own mortality". Joan Baez does a lot of activism at rallies, and usually shuns political events, but she did make an exception for Barack Obama in 2008; and commenting on the President she said, "In some ways I'm disappointed, but in some ways it was silly to expect more. If he had taken his brilliance, his eloquence, his toughness and not run for office he could have led a movement. Once he got in the Oval Office he couldn't do anything."  (photo credit: CC/Ron Baker)

Read more of Chris Brummitt's interview of Joan Baez on the DenverPost.com.

MAR 29, 2013 - JTMP is joining and supporting the calls for Reebok to drop rapper Rick Ross as a spokesperson because his new single talks about drugging and raping a woman. In the single he said, "Put molly [a drug] all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it / I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain’t even know it." This is not only totally offensive and outrageous in general, but coming on the heels of the Steubenville rape case shows very bad taste. Sending the message to young people that it is okay to drug and sexually violate a woman is horrible, and he should be dropped as a Reebok spokesperson, and this single needs to be boycotted.

Ultra Violet has a petition going calling for Reebok to drop Rick Ross as a spokesperson here.

MAR 20, 2013 - Several Michelle Shocked shows have been canceled after the singer, who has been known to "speak her mind" in the past, went on an anti-gay tirade the other night. Fans are outraged, and the blogosphere has not been kind to her. She was actually somewhat of a "gay icon" at one time, but not anymore after this stunt. Even after she tried to  distance herself from her remarks, it looks like she may have burned a bridge. Check out the juicy details at Queerty.com here, and start up a discussion and tell us how you feel about this on our Justice Through Music Facebook Page here. Abby Huntsman from HuffPo Live has a video on the story below.  (photo credit: CC/RKeaton)

FEB 5, 2013 - Teabagger and gun nut mouthpiece (and has-been musician) Ted Nugent told Piers Morgan in an interview that he wants Obama and the government to "just leave us the hell alone". Apparently, we have to solve our gun safety problem with out inconveniencing gun owners in any way shape or form. I don't know if we could do that Ted. Click the link below to watch the full video on CNN.com. 

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JAN 23, 2012 - Outspoken rapper activist Lupe Fiasco, started a controversy and debate, after his set "ended early" or he was "silenced and kicked off stage" depending on who you talk to at a recent presidential inauguration event held by Startup RockOn. At first it did seem a free speech issue, but after I looked into it deeper, it seems more that they let him have free speech for 20 to 30 minutes, but the staff saw and heard the negative reaction by the crowd to the jarring and repetitive rap, and asked him to move on to another song. It seems to me at that point Lupe got confrontational, and decided to keep on with the rant. The organizers then cut his mike and dimmed the lights, and he refused to leave the stage; forcing the organizers to physically escort him off stage. Even the organizers, Startup RockOn said in a statement, "We are staunch supporters of free speech, and free political speech. This was not about his opinions. Instead, after a bizarrely repetitive, jarring performance that left the crowd vocally dissatisfied, organizers decided to move on to the next act.” Many though are screaming his free speech rights were totally violated. Watch a video by NowThisNews.com of a few clips of his performance below and see for yourself.

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